FY2024: MA Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health (FRESH)

Fund Code: 715

Purpose:

The purpose of this continuation grant program is to encourage existing National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Child Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) sponsors to build capacity to grow or purchase locally grown and produced ingredients, prepare nutritious scratch-cooked meals and educate students about the food system.

Priorities:

Priority will be given to schools and early education providers who prepare meals from scratch with high percentages of students eligible for free and reduced price lunch and shall aim to promote geographic equity. the funds are prioritized for sites who prepare some food from scratch with high percentages of students eligible for free and reduced lunch and shall aim to promote geographic equity. Grant proposal can be submitted in the follow fund brackets.

Additional priority will be given to districts and schools in chronically underperforming status and the Strategic Transformation Region

Eligibility:

Awardees of FY23 Competitive MA FRESH competitive grant may apply.

Funding Type:

Trust

Funding:

Approximately $200,000 is available for Sponsors of Child Nutrition Programs in good standing, operating NSLP or CACFP in Massachusetts.

This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

All goods, services and contractual duties budgeted in FY24 must be delivered by June 30, 2024.

Funds may be used for, but not limited to: (a) adequate kitchen equipment used to prepare food for school meals and snacks including, but not limited to, local, fresh produce, meats, seafood and dairy items; (b) training school kitchen staff in preparing fresh meals using local ingredients and in procuring such ingredients; (c) training educators and other school staff in adding or integrating food system lessons to their curriculum; and (d) infrastructure and programming for curricular and extracurricular activities, such as school gardens, for students to learn about agriculture and the food system.

Funds cannot be used to purchase food served as part of a reimbursable meal in Child Nutrition Programs or sold as a competitive food and beverage or fundraiser. Salaries or stipends for existing staff time to work on the grant must be allocated in kind, funds can only be used to expand staffing to meet grant objectives.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval* – 06/30/2024
* Grant start date cannot be prior to DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Goods and Services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date.

Program Unit:

Office for Food and Nutrition Programs

Contact:

MAFRESH@mass.gov

Phone Number:

(781) 338-6467

Date Due:

Friday, June 30, 2023

Required Forms:

• Part I — General — Program Unit Signature Page — (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)

Additional Information:

Child Nutrition Program Sponsor awardees will adhere to all Federal, State, and Local procurement laws and standards, including, if applicable, as found in 7 CFR Part 210.21 and 2 CFR 200.317 through 2 CFR 200.326

All equipment competitively procured using these grant funds must be necessary, reasonable, and allocable.

State Contract User Guide

Submission Instructions:

Submit all required grant materials through EdGrants

In EdGrants, districts are required to create and name the project. Please use the following naming convention for your "Applicant Project Name" in EdGrants:

• FY24 FC 715 MA FRESH Continuation (Applicant Name)

All items listed under the required forms section of this RFP should be uploaded / attached in the Attachments List formlet of the Application Submission in EdGrants. This includes a signed / scanned PDF of Part I / Coversheet with Superintendent's signature as well as Schedule A form, if applicable to your district. The final budget the applicant is requesting will be entered directly into EdGrants as part of the application submission process.

For Guidance Documents regarding EdGrants, visit EdGrants: User Guides, Information and Trainings.

Please note: It is up to the district to determine who they want to add as EdGrants Front Office users in order to submit grant application as well as payment request information. Please review the EdGrants: User Security Controls to make informed decisions regarding assigning your district level users.

Last Updated: June 22, 2023