Through ARPA, USDA received waiver authority to support WIC and FMNP outreach, innovation, and modernization. Waivers are currently available to support WIC online shopping and ARPA funded projects.
On Aug.16, 2023, FNS announced the award of $9.4 million in federal funding for the FY 2023 Team Nutrition Grant for Supporting Nutrition Education for School-Aged Children.
This Notice of Funding Availability announces the distribution of $30 million provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, to state agencies to competitively award Equipment Assistance Grants to eligible School Food Authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program.
As part of the WIC innovation and modernization efforts to be funded under ARPA, FNS is supporting planning and implementation projects focused on enhancements that improve the WIC participant experience, as evidenced by enhancing the WIC shopping experience, increasing participant enrollment, reducing unnecessary administrative burden for both participants and administrators, including through data matching to streamline enrollment, and retaining eligible participants while improving equity
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided USDA with $390 million, available through FY 2024, to carry out outreach, innovation, and program modernization efforts to increase participation and redemption of benefits for both the WIC program and the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program.
In FY 2022, FNS awarded $23,100,000.00 in grants to 66 WIC state agencies to support planning and implementation of projects to improve the WIC participant experience. State agencies each received $350,000.00 in funding to work on multiple types of projects.
FNS awarded grants to WIC state agencies to tackle the WIC shopping experience from every angle—from improving in store signage and cashier training, to working toward online shopping.
The purpose of this memorandum is to announce an additional $50 million in FY 2022 Equipment Assistance Grant funding above the $30 million announced in SP 14-2022. This additional funding, provided by ARPA, is being made available to state agencies in addition to the previously announced $30 million, to competitively award Equipment Assistance Subgrants to eligible SFAs participating in the NSLP.
The purpose of this memorandum is to distribute $30 million provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2022 to state agencies to competitively award Equipment Assistance Grants to eligible school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program. This memorandum and attachments provide guidance on the specific terms and conditions, funding goals, period of performance and timelines for these grants.