Team Nutrition Grants
Team Nutrition's (TN) goal is to improve children's lifelong eating and physical activity habits by using the principles of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide System.
TN Training Grants offer funding to state agencies to establish or enhance sustainable infrastructures for implementing TN using three behavior-focused strategies: (1) provide training and technical assistance to child nutrition food service professionals to enable them to prepare and serve nutritious meals that appeal to students; (2) promote nutrition curriculum and education in schools through multiple communication channels (i.e., food services initiatives, classroom activities, school wide events, home activities, community programs and events, and media events and coverage) to reinforce positive nutrition messages and encourage students to make healthy food physical activity choices as part of a healthy lifestyle; (3) build school and community support for creating healthy school environments that are conducive to healthy eating and physical activity.
Established in 1862, the Department of Agriculture serves all Americans through anti-hunger efforts, stewardship of nearly 200 million acres of national forest and rangelands, and through product safety and conservation efforts. The USDA opens markets for American farmers and ranchers and provides food for needy people around the world.
Program Accomplishments
None.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Team Nutrition Training Grants provide funding to assist State agencies in achieving the TN goal of improving children's lifelong eating and physical activity habits using the most current Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
States may award sub-grants to local school districts following the established oversight procedure as well as the Guidance for Interpreting Cost Principles of Sub-Grants.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
State agencies that administer the National School Lunch Program and/or Child and Adult Care Food Program may apply for a TN Training Grant.
States may apply individually, or apply as a coalition within their State if there is an alternate State agency, or may establish a network and apply as a coalition of two or more different States.
Beneficiary Eligibility
School and child care decision makers and caregivers, school and child care food service staff, and children, parents and teachers/educators.
Credentials/Documentation
State agencies must administer the National School Lunch Program and/or Child and Adult Care Food Program. Applicants must prove ability to provide a competent experienced staff and other resources to assure adequate development, supervision and execution of TN Training Grant activities. In addition, applicants are required to submit a written proposal which includes a description of the training issue or issues to be addon of the training issue or issues to be addressed, the proposed project approach, the rationale for it, specific program objectives, activities and budget. A properly executed Federal/State Agreement between the Food and Nutrition Service and the State agency is necessary before funds can be allocated.
Aplication and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
State agencies are furnished with a copy of the Request for Applications (RFA) package on how to apply for a TN Training Grant.
Additionally, the complete RFA is posted on the FNS Team Nutrition web site.
This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.
12372.
Application Procedures
Applicants must submit a complete application to the Food and Nutrition Service by the deadline specified.
Award Procedures
All applications that meet the published deadline for submission will be screened for completeness and conformity to the requirements as announced in the RFA package. Grants are awarded by a competitive process via a technical review panel composed of Food and Nutrition Service staff which convenes to determine the technical merit of each grant application, provide a numerical score and make recommendations to selecting officials.
Deadlines
The deadlines for the TN Training Grants are specified in the Request for Applications package.
Authorization
National School Lunch Act, Section 6(a)(3) Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1996; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1997, Public Law 104-280; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1998, Public Law 105-86; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1999, Public Law 105-277; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2000, Public Law 106-78; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2001, Public Law 106-387. Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2002, Public Law 107-229 for 2003.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Once the application is received from the State agency, it is approximately 3 months before announcement of the TN Training Grant awards.
Appeals
None.
Renewals
None.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
If selected for funding State agencies will be funded at the level requested after approval of the budget. There are no matching requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
FY 2005: September 30, 2005 - September 30, 2007. FY 2006: September 30, 2006 -September 2009.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Specified progress and financial status reports and a final project report are to be submitted to the Food and Nutrition Service as stated in the Federal/State TN Training Grant Agreement.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations, State governments that expend Federal financial assistance of $500,000 or more within any fiscal year shall have either a single audit or (in certain cases) a program specific audit made for that year. Audits may be conducted less frequently under conditions specified in A-133.
Records
State agencies must maintain records as necessary to support the use of TN Training Grant funds in accordance with the Grant Agreement. Such records must be retained for a period of 3 years after the date of submission of the final report for the fiscal year to which the records pertain, except that if audit findings have not been resolved, the records shall be retained beyond the three year period as long as required for the resolution of the issues raised by the audit.
Financial Information
Account Identification
12-3539-0-1-605.
Obigations
(Grants) FY 07 $9,381,761; FY 08 est $13,269,000; and FY 09 est not reported.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
None.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
7 CFR Part 3015, 7 CFR Part 3016, 7 CFR Part 3017, 7 CFR Part 3018, 7 CFR Part 3019, 7 CFR Part 3021 and 7 CFR Part 3052.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
See the Food and Nutrition Service Regional Offices listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters Office
Grants Management Division, Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture, Alexandria, VA 22302. Telephone: (703) 305-2867. Contact: Lisa Johnson, Grants Management Specialist.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Technical Review Criteria, which are furnished to all applicants in the Request for Applications package are used by the review panel to score and rank TN Training Grant applications.
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