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Find stores near you that accept SUN Bucks, or learn how to qualify and apply.
Find stores near you that accept SUN Bucks, or learn how to qualify and apply.
Find stores near you that accept SUN Bucks, or learn how to qualify and apply.
Find stores near you that accept SUN Bucks, or learn how to qualify and apply.
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This is a new collection for the study “Assessment of Administrative Costs of Electronic Healthy Incentives Projects (eHIP).” This study will calculate costs incurred by eHIP, which will provide incentives through EBT integration to increase purchase of healthy foods (e.g., fruits and vegetables) by SNAP participants.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced an investment of more than $52 million to improve dietary health and access to fresh fruits and vegetables for eligible families.
The funds support efforts across three National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) competitive grant programs that make up the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP). The program is named in honor of the former USDA Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (1997 to 2001).
“USDA is delivering on its promise to bolster food and nutrition security for underserved communities,” said USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young. “Investments like this enable people to afford and eat healthy fresh fruits and vegetables so they don’t have to make a choice between healthy eating and cheaper less healthier options.”
GusNIP’s three grant programs include Nutrition Incentive, Produce Prescription and the Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation and Information (NTAE) Center. By bringing together stakeholders from various parts of the food and health care systems, GusNIP projects help foster understanding to improve the health and nutritional status of participating households, facilitate growth in underrepresented communities and geographies, and aggregate data to identify and improve best practices on a broad scale.
“GusNIP has provided over $270 million in funding to nearly 200 projects throughout the U.S. since its 2019 launch and participants are consistently reporting increased fruit and vegetable intake as a result,” said NIFA Director Dr. Manjit Misra. “This latest round of funding only strengthens the impacts these programs are having nationwide.”
Nineteen awardees are receiving GusNIP Nutrition Incentive (NI) funding totaling $41.8 million. NI projects increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by providing incentives at the point of purchase among income-eligible households participating in the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Produce Prescription awards account for $5.2 million to 11 awardees. These projects demonstrate and evaluate the impact of fresh fruit and vegetable prescriptions. The goals of the program are to increase procurement and consumption of fruits and vegetables, reduce individual and household food insecurity and reduce health care use and associated costs.
One awardee is receiving $7 million through the NTAE Center program. NTAE projects offer training, technical assistance, evaluation and informational support services.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean-energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Research shows that incentive programs are an effective way to promote healthy eating and improve nutrition security for more Americans.
Request a SNAP incentive project waiver.
The White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health called on all of us to help expand SNAP incentives. Key partners include:
Together, we can bring more SNAP healthy incentive programs to more communities – making nutritious food more accessible and affordable.
A key barrier to healthy eating is lack of access or enough money to buy nutritious food. SNAP healthy incentives empower Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and other healthful foods. Improving what we eat can significantly reduce diet-related chronic diseases and disparities.
Retailers can offer incentives for foods in the following food group categories:
Incentives can apply to specific products or any combination of products as long as they fall into one of the categories above and meet the specifications outlined in the chart below.
Food Group(s) | Eligible Incentive Foods * |
Fruits and Vegetables |
|
Dairy |
|
Whole Grains |
|
*Prepared foods (e.g., sandwiches, salad bars, etc.) and accessory foods (e.g., cookies, crackers, ice cream, etc.) are not eligible for SNAP incentives. See associated FNS policy memos for definitions of prepared and accessory foods.
Each SNAP healthy incentive program is different. Generally, a SNAP customer earns incentives, such as a coupon, discount at the point of purchase, or extra funds for SNAP purchases, when they purchase eligible incentive foods with their SNAP EBT card. They can then redeem the incentives to purchase more eligible incentive foods or other SNAP eligible foods.
Federally Funded |
|
State or Local Government Funded | Incentives can be funded by state, local, and tribal governments that partner with SNAP-authorized retailers. |
Privately Funded | SNAP-authorized retailers can independently fund incentive programs or non/for-profit organizations can fund incentives in partnership with stores. |
Farmers Market | Farmers markets are authorized to provide incentives to SNAP recipients to make local foods more affordable and support farmers. |
The SNAP Retailer Locator allows anyone to locate nearby SNAP-authorized retailers by entering a street address, city and state, or zip code. Enter your starting location and select a retailer or map point to get details and directions. If a retailer is participating in SNAP healthy incentives, you will see that information on the pop-up window. You can also use the “SNAP Healthy Incentive” filter function to search for participating retailers.
The basic steps for starting a SNAP healthy incentive program are:
If you have any questions or concerns on retailer incentive programs not addressed on this webpage, please email FNS at SM.FN.incentiveprogram@usda.gov.
Yes. SNAP incentive projects must get FNS approval to waive the SNAP equal treatment provision before offering healthy incentives. The SNAP equal treatment provision requires SNAP recipients to be treated the same as other customers. The provision prohibits both negative treatment (such as discriminatory practices) and preferential treatment (such as incentive programs).
Submit your SNAP Incentive Waiver Request to FNS today!
Please use this form to submit a waiver request.
Waiver requests are approved or denied within 45 days.
SNAP healthy incentive programs encourage people participating in SNAP, to purchase healthy foods by providing a coupon, discount, gift card, bonus items or extra funds.
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.
This letter provides information to WIC state agencies and WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program state agencies on available American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 waivers and a new state agency request process.
WIC staff should reflect the diversity and rich cultural experiences of WIC families. FNS has invested $31.5 million into a 5-year Inter-Agency Agreement with USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to support the WIC workforce.
To make sure that eligible families know about WIC and the benefits it provides, FNS is investing in outreach.
Since FY 2022, FNS has awarded over $9 million in grants to 37 State agencies to support WIC FMNP eSolutions.
We want WIC families to be able to shop simply and conveniently, just like other shoppers. FNS is supporting WIC state agencies as they modernize the shopping experience in store, online, and at farmers markets, through both funding and waivers.