The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is seeking applications for its Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Nutrition Education (FDPNE) grant program to improve the likelihood that persons eligible for FDPIR will make healthy food choices consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and USDA MyPlate Guidance.

In the context of this grant program, nutrition education should focus on how USDA Foods in the FDPIR food package may be used to contribute to a healthy diet. The Indian Tribal Organization (ITO) or State Agency (SA) shall work with appropriate organizations and partners such as: extension agents, registered dieticians, diabetes coordinators, and public health nutrition professionals to provide food and nutrition information, recipes, or cooking demonstrations, as appropriate for households who participate or are eligible to participate in the FDPIR program.

Project Goals

• Create and/or disseminate culturally relevant nutrition education resources (posters, handouts, videos, cookbooks) that encourage participants to work towards one or more of the nutrition-related outcomes.
• Conduct community outreach (healthy cooking demos, nutrition education games, and nutrition handouts, healthy recipe distributions) at community events, health fairs, gatherings, and/or celebrations that promotes one or more of the nutrition-related outcomes among FDPIR eligible participants.
• Improve nutrition-related skills among FDPIR participants by conducting healthy cooking and food demonstrations and/or nutrition and wellness classes or activities demonstrating how to use the USDA Foods included in the FDPIR food package to accomplish one or more of the nutrition-related outcomes.
• Develop and/or implement community tribal wellness policies or practices at community events, gatherings, and celebrations that reinforce one or more of the nutrition-related outcomes.

Funding Information

• FNS expects to award administrative funding totaling approximately $998,000 in FY 2021 for FDPNE projects.
• In prior years, individual awards ranged from $2,000 to $214,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• ITOs and SAs that administer FDPIR may apply individually and/or as a consortium (e.g., as a region or a regional nutrition advisory council). A FDPIR allowance holder is an entity that has a direct agreement with FNS to administer FDPIR. All applications must be submitted by an FDPIR allowance holder. This allowance holder MUST have a direct relationship with FNS.
• Any applicant that is not an allowance holder may still receive a grant project, BUT an FDPIR allowance holder MUST submit the application project on the Tribe’s behalf AND serve as the Tribe’s fiscal sponsor, ensuring both progress and financial status reports are submitted as well as maintaining and accounting for the Tribe’s grant funding.
• If one or more ITOs wish to apply as a consortium, one ITO must be designated as the lead agency and apply on behalf of the other ITOs. This ITO MUST be a FDPIR allowance holder. The lead agency is responsible, fiscally and operationally, for the overall administration of the project.
• FNS will accept only one application from each organization or consortium in response to this solicitation. An ITO/SA may apply both individually and as part of a consortium, but the applicant MUST be an FDPIR allowance holder.

For more information, visit USDA-FNS.