The purpose of this federally funded continuation grant program is to encourage National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Child Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) sponsors to build capacity, coordinate and execute local food system education and local procurement in Child Nutrition Programs. In recognition that providing experiential, high-quality, culturally and linguistically sustaining learning environments about our local food system cuts across many disciplines and institutional departments, MA FRESH CORP will fund new staff salaries, stipends or consultant fees to ensure local food system activities are strategically integrated into the classroom, cafeteria and community to support institutionalized, sustained programs that promote food literacy.
Priority will be given to existing awardees of the FY25 0723 MA FRESH CORP competitive grant in good standing whose applications and prior grant experience most effectively demonstrate the following conditions:
Current engagement in the farm to school "C"s: Classroom (such as food system curriculum and school garden activities), Cafeteria (such as local menu offerings) and Community (such as farm field trips, family engagement or food system partnerships).
Internal capacity and commitment to institutionalized programming that will exist past the life of the grant program.
The successful onboarding or significant progress made toward the onboarding of designated MA FRESH CORP personnel or contractors as of June 30, 2025.
Existing awardees of the FY25 0723 MA FRESH CORP 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.
Trust
The receipt of grant funds is contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including G.L. c. 40A, § 3A, the MBTA Communities Act. Compliance with the MBTA Communities Act is determined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
Approximately $335,000 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.
MA FRESH CORP is designed to build capacity, coordinate, and execute local food system education and local procurement in Child Nutrition Programs through one or more of the following means:
Creation of a new, full-time, salaried and benefited position
Creation of a new part-time position
Expansion of a current part-time position into a full-time, salaried and benefited position (FRESH CORP funds covering the difference in costs from part-time to full-time position expansion only)
A new or expanded stipending structure that provides compensation to internal educators, nutrition professionals, staff, or families coordinating and implementing local food system educational activities
Hiring of a consultant to provide technical assistance, coaching, professional development, and/or strategic planning consultation to current staff (note: the hiring of a consultant should be in service of cultivating program structures that elevate internal staff capacity and strengths)
Funds should be dedicated to salaries and any associated costs (indirect, fringe, benefits, etc), stipend payments, and/or a consultant contract. In addition, funds may be used to stipend out-of-work staff time attending local food system professional development opportunities and pay associated professional development fees. Additionally, equipment, supply, and infrastructure costs will be capped at 10% of the total budget request. Note: professional development, equipment, supply and/or infrastructure funding must be requested in addition to one of the five capacity building activities listed above.
Salaries, staff or consultant time covered through MA FRESH CORP funds should be used to develop, coordinate or execute local food system educational activities and local procurement in alignment with the Farm to School 3 C's: Classroom, Cafeteria and Community. These activities including, but are not limited to:
Classroom
Cafeteria
Community
Intersection
Schools, districts, licensed early education centers and Sponsoring Organizations of Family Day Cares funded through MA FRESH CORP will be required to:
Funds used for a consultant contracted for over $100,000 must be procured through a formal procurement process per Massachusetts' Chapter 30B Uniform Procurement Act.
Funding may not be used to cover the costs associated with the hiring and on-boarding process of a new position or the process of conducting a procurement for a contractor. Grant awards may not be used to fund existing staff positions, including current Farm to School or Food Literacy Coordinators.
Upon Approval (No Earlier than 7/1/2025)* – 6/30/2026
*Grant start date cannot be prior to DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Goods and Services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date.
Office for Food and Nutrition Programs
Maggie Nowak
(781) 338-6475
Friday, June 27, 2025
Completed grants must be received at the Department via GEM$ by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.
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
The 0709 MA Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health with Coordination and Optimization of Resources and Partnerships (FRESH CORP) Continuation will be submitted in GEM$ system.
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: April 29, 2025