Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA CFP 005415
The Community Food Projects (CFP) Competitive Grant Program is a federal grant opportunity administered by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to support community-driven efforts that strengthen local food systems and improve food access, especially for low-income populations. For fiscal year 2016, NIFA indicated it would solicit and fund applications across three related grant tracks: Community Food Projects (CFP), Planning Projects (PP), and Training and Technical Assistance (T and TA) Projects. Taken together, these tracks are designed to help communities move from identifying food access problems, to building practical plans, to implementing and sustaining programs with the skills and support needed to keep them operating effectively over time.
At the center of the program is a focus on addressing the food needs of low-income individuals in concrete, on-the-ground ways. Funded projects may include direct food distribution efforts, community outreach that helps eligible residents participate in federally assisted nutrition programs, and initiatives that improve access to affordable and healthy food as part of broader, coordinated services. The intent is not simply to provide short-term relief, but to connect food access work to wider community supports so that households can more reliably obtain nutritious food and navigate available public benefits and local resources.
Another major goal is increasing community self-reliance in meeting local food needs. The program is structured to encourage approaches that build lasting capacity rather than temporary fixes. That can include strengthening local partnerships, building local food infrastructure, supporting community-based production or distribution models, and developing systems that remain viable after grant funding ends. In practice, this often means creating or expanding the community organizations, networks, and operational tools needed to keep food access initiatives functioning long term.
The program also emphasizes comprehensive, coordinated responses to local challenges at the intersection of food access, farming, and nutrition. Instead of treating hunger, agriculture, and health as separate issues, CFP encourages projects that align these elements, such as linking low-income consumers with local producers, integrating nutrition education with food access strategies, or addressing barriers like transportation, affordability, and retail availability. This comprehensive framing is meant to help communities tackle root causes and system gaps, not just symptoms.
In addition, CFP is intended to help meet specific state, local, or neighborhood food and agricultural needs, with explicit examples noted in the opportunity description. Eligible activities can include acquiring equipment necessary for the efficient operation of a project, supporting planning that leads to long-term solutions, and creating innovative marketing activities that benefit both agricultural producers and low-income consumers. These examples highlight the program's dual focus: improving food access for underserved residents while also supporting local and regional agriculture through mutually beneficial market connections.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as a mandatory grant program in the agriculture funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 10.225. The funding opportunity is titled "Community Food Projects (CFP) Competitive Grant Program" and was posted under funding opportunity number USDA NIFA CFP 005415. The agency listed is the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, with an original closing date of November 30, 2015, and a creation date of October 13, 2015. While the provided listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, it makes clear that applicants for CFP, PP, and T and TA projects must meet eligibility requirements described in Part III, A of the relevant Request for Applications (RFA), meaning prospective applicants need to consult that section to confirm organizational eligibility and any specific applicant criteria before applying.Apply for USDA NIFA CFP 005415
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Community Food Projects (CFP) Competitive Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.225.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2015-10-13.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2015-11-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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