Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS MCGOVERN DOLE PROGRAM 26 001
Apply for USDA FAS MCGOVERN DOLE PROGRAM 26 001
- The Foreign Agricultural Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MCGOVERN-DOLE INTERNATIONAL FOOD FOR EDUCATION AND CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.608.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-05-08.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-06-22. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $35,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Opportunity Summary:
The USDA McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program is a discretionary funding opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), that supports multi-year projects designed to reduce hunger and improve food security while also strengthening primary education outcomes. The program is built around a simple but structured idea: getting nutritious food to children through school feeding can increase attendance and learning, and pairing food support with health and nutrition activities can improve children s wellbeing in ways that reinforce educational progress. A particular emphasis is placed on improving literacy and primary education for girls, consistent with the program s authorizing legislation.
Funded projects must deliver school meals using a blend of commodities, with the majority coming from U.S. agricultural commodities and a smaller portion allowed to be sourced locally or regionally when appropriate. Beyond providing food, every project is expected to directly address two strategic objectives. The first is Improved Literacy of School-Aged Children, which typically means activities that support reading outcomes, attendance, time on task, and learning conditions in early grades. The second is Increased Use of Health, Nutrition and Dietary Practices, which generally covers nutrition education, hygiene practices, safe food handling, health referrals, deworming linkages where relevant, and behavior change efforts that help families and schools adopt healthier routines. Projects can also include complementary, context-specific components that reinforce these goals, including certain maternal, infant, and child nutrition supports when they clearly connect to school-age outcomes and community health conditions.
A major theme in this solicitation is that proposals need to align with America First objectives. In practice, that means a strong and clear focus on purchasing and shipping U.S. agricultural commodities from American farmers, combined with robust oversight and monitoring systems that prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse. Applicants are also expected to present a realistic graduation and sustainability strategy that explains how results will last after USDA support ends. This usually requires planning for handover to local institutions, building capacity in school and community systems, and designing the feeding and complementary activities so they can be maintained with local resources or integrated into national programs over time.
USDA will prioritize applications for specific priority countries and will review applications only in competition with other applications submitted for the same priority country. The priority countries and their required identification numbers are: Bolivia (USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(511)), Cambodia (USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(442)), Ecuador (USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(518)), Guinea (USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(675)), Honduras (USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(522)), Liberia (USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(669)), and Timor-Leste (USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(472)). USDA will accept non-priority country applications under a separate identifier (USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(000)), but it rarely funds them and will generally favor proposals targeting the listed priority countries. There is also an exclusion note referencing Proclamation 10998, indicating certain countries may not be eligible for consideration under the non-priority track.
Awards are expected to be made as cooperative agreements, meaning USDA anticipates substantial involvement in the project s implementation and oversight rather than a hands-off grant relationship. The assistance listing (CFDA) number is 10.608. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of up to $35,000,000 and anticipates making about 7 awards. The original application closing date is June 22, 2026. Additional materials, including the full notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), application instructions, guidance for accessing the Food Aid Information System, and weekly Q and A responses, are provided in the Related Documents section of the announcement. USDA also points applicants to prior independent evaluation reports from projects in Cambodia, Honduras, Liberia, and Timor-Leste, which can be useful for understanding typical program designs, performance expectations, and common implementation challenges.
Eligibility is broad but specific to the statute and implementing rules. Eligible applicants include private voluntary organizations, cooperatives, intergovernmental organizations, governments of developing countries and their agencies, and other organizations as allowed under 7 U.S.C. 1736o-1 and related regulations. The NOFO references 7 CFR 1599.2 for the formal definition of a private voluntary organization, which matters for organizations that need to confirm they meet USDA s criteria.
USDA McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (CFDA 10.608) FAQs
What is the USDA McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program?
It is a discretionary funding opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), that supports multi-year projects designed to reduce hunger and improve food security while also strengthening primary education outcomes through school feeding and related activities.
What is the basic approach the program is built around?
The program is centered on the idea that providing nutritious food to children through school feeding can increase attendance and learning. It also emphasizes pairing food support with health and nutrition activities to improve children’s wellbeing in ways that reinforce educational progress.
Is there a particular focus on girls’ education?
Yes. The solicitation places particular emphasis on improving literacy and primary education for girls, consistent with the program’s authorizing legislation.
What types of projects does this opportunity fund?
It funds multi-year projects that deliver school meals and implement complementary activities aimed at improving literacy in early grades and increasing the use of health, nutrition, and dietary practices among children, families, and schools.
Are applicants required to provide school meals?
Yes. Funded projects must deliver school meals, and those meals must use a blend of commodities.
Do the commodities have to come from the United States?
Yes, primarily. Projects must use a blend of commodities where the majority comes from U.S. agricultural commodities. A smaller portion may be sourced locally or regionally when appropriate.
What are the two required strategic objectives every project must address?
Every project is expected to directly address: (1) Improved Literacy of School-Aged Children and (2) Increased Use of Health, Nutrition and Dietary Practices.
What does “Improved Literacy of School-Aged Children” typically include?
It typically includes activities that support reading outcomes, attendance, time on task, and learning conditions in early grades.
What does “Increased Use of Health, Nutrition and Dietary Practices” typically include?
It generally covers nutrition education, hygiene practices, safe food handling, health referrals, linkages to deworming where relevant, and behavior change efforts that help families and schools adopt healthier routines.
Can projects include activities beyond school feeding and the two strategic objectives?
Yes. Projects can include complementary, context-specific components that reinforce the program goals. The opportunity also notes that certain maternal, infant, and child nutrition supports may be included when they clearly connect to school-age outcomes and community health conditions.
What does alignment with “America First” objectives mean in this solicitation?
It means proposals should show a strong and clear focus on purchasing and shipping U.S. agricultural commodities from American farmers. It also means proposals should include robust oversight and monitoring systems designed to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse.
What level of oversight does USDA expect in funded projects?
The solicitation emphasizes robust oversight and monitoring systems to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse. In addition, awards are expected to be made as cooperative agreements, meaning USDA anticipates substantial involvement in implementation and oversight.
What is a cooperative agreement in this context?
A cooperative agreement is the expected award instrument for this opportunity. It indicates USDA expects to have substantial involvement in the project’s implementation and oversight, rather than a more hands-off grant relationship.
Is a sustainability or graduation plan required?
Yes. Applicants are expected to present a realistic graduation and sustainability strategy describing how results will last after USDA support ends, typically including handover to local institutions, capacity building, and designing activities that can be maintained with local resources or integrated into national programs over time.
Which countries are identified as priority countries for this solicitation?
The listed priority countries are Bolivia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Guinea, Honduras, Liberia, and Timor-Leste.
How does USDA review applications across countries?
USDA will prioritize applications for specific priority countries and will review applications only in competition with other applications submitted for the same priority country.
What are the required identifiers for each priority country application?
The required identification numbers are:
Bolivia: USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(511)
Cambodia: USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(442)
Ecuador: USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(518)
Guinea: USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(675)
Honduras: USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(522)
Liberia: USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(669)
Timor-Leste: USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(472)
Can applicants submit proposals for non-priority countries?
Yes. USDA will accept non-priority country applications under a separate identifier: USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-26-(000). However, the opportunity notes it rarely funds non-priority country applications and will generally favor proposals targeting the listed priority countries.
Are there any special restrictions related to non-priority country applications?
Yes. There is an exclusion note referencing Proclamation 10998 indicating certain countries may not be eligible for consideration under the non-priority track.
What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?
The Assistance Listing (CFDA) number is 10.608.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The opportunity lists an award ceiling of up to $35,000,000.
How many awards does USDA anticipate making?
USDA anticipates making about 7 awards.
What is the application deadline?
The original application closing date is June 22, 2026.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include private voluntary organizations, cooperatives, intergovernmental organizations, governments of developing countries and their agencies, and other organizations as allowed under 7 U.S.C. 1736o-1 and related regulations.
Where can an organization find the formal definition of “private voluntary organization” for this program?
The NOFO references 7 CFR 1599.2 for the formal definition of a private voluntary organization, which can be important for organizations confirming they meet USDA’s criteria.
Where can applicants find the full application instructions and related resources?
The announcement indicates that additional materials are provided in the Related Documents section, including the full notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), application instructions, guidance for accessing the Food Aid Information System, and weekly Q and A responses.
Are there resources that show what typical McGovern-Dole projects look like?
Yes. USDA points applicants to prior independent evaluation reports from projects in Cambodia, Honduras, Liberia, and Timor-Leste. These reports can help applicants understand typical program designs, performance expectations, and common implementation challenges.
What is USDA’s expectation around monitoring and accountability?
The solicitation highlights the need for robust oversight and monitoring systems to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse, and it also signals close federal involvement through the use of cooperative agreements.
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