FY2025: MA Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health

Fund Code: 0715

Purpose:

The purpose of this federally funded continuation grant program is to encourage existing National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Child Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) sponsors to expand current capacity to grow or procure locally grown and produced ingredients, educate students, staff, teachers and food service professionals about the food system and connect food system education to the availability of nutritious, locally sourced meals made from unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients and served at schools or early education meal programs.

Priorities:

Priority will be given to schools and early education providers with high percentages of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch and shall aim to promote geographic equity.

Eligibility:

Existing awardees of the FY24 MA FRESH competitive grant may apply.

Eligibility to receive MA FRESH continuation funds is contingent on the applicant's good standing within the Office of Food and Nutrition Programs and impact of grant activities must be associated with a site where NSLP/CACFP meals are served.

Funding Type:

Trust

Funding:

Approximately $280,000 is available for Sponsors of Child Nutrition Programs in good standing with the Office for Food and Nutrition Programs, 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:

The program is designed to support K–12 and early education programs to start up or expand their local food procurement capacity, integration of unprocessed or minimally processed local foods into meal service, and food system education efforts.

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.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval* – 6/30/2025

*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:

Maggie Nowak

Phone Number:

(781) 338-6475

Date Due:

Wednesday July 3, 2024*

Completed grants must be received at the Department via GEM$ by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.

*All responses must be fully submitted by the due date listed above. A grant is considered submitted when it is LEA Fiscal Representative Approved in GEM$.

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:

The FY25 Fund Code 0715 MA FRESH will be submitted in GEM$, DESE's cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants.

Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)

Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.

Last Updated: June 11, 2024