SNAP-Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives (HFMI) | USDA FNS SNAP HFMI FY2022

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FNS SNAP HFMI FY2022

The SNAP-Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives (HFMI) opportunity is a USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) competitive grant program designed to test practical, real-world ways to increase the purchase and consumption of healthy fluid milk among households that use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. SNAP, authorized under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (as amended), is one of the central nutrition assistance programs in the United States, serving roughly 40 million low-income Americans through a large network of more than 250,000 authorized retailers. HFMI fits into that broader SNAP structure by focusing specifically on encouraging healthier purchasing behavior at the retail checkout, using incentives that are delivered at the point of purchase.

This funding is authorized by Section 4208 of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), which allows USDA to enter into cooperative agreements with governmental entities and nonprofit organizations to carry out HFMI projects. For fiscal year 2022, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 provided $3,000,000 for this work. Under this specific request for applications, FNS made up to $3,000,000 available in total and expected to make as many as three awards. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning FNS anticipates substantial involvement in the project beyond what is typical in a standard grant, such as collaboration on implementation, oversight, and evaluation activities.

Eligible applicants include government agencies at the state, local, territorial, or tribal level, as well as nonprofit organizations. The solicitation notes that awards are contingent on the availability of funds, and FNS reserves flexibility to make multiple awards and potentially use the same competition to make additional awards in the same or a later fiscal year if more funding becomes available. The opportunity was posted July 19, 2022, and had an application deadline of September 2, 2022. The listing identifies the program under CFDA number 10.551 and categorizes it within food and nutrition assistance.

Programmatically, HFMI builds on earlier pilots funded by FNS. In 2020, FNS funded the first pilot to develop and test methods to increase healthy fluid milk purchases at Lowe's Supermarkets in West Texas. In 2021, FNS funded a second project to continue and expand those goals at Wakefern grocery stores in New Jersey and at one Jubilee grocery store in West Texas. The FY 2022 HFMI competition continues this trajectory by seeking projects that expand into additional regions and retailer locations, while continuing to refine and evaluate incentive approaches that can be delivered directly at checkout for SNAP shoppers.

The core intervention supported by HFMI is a point-of-purchase incentive that encourages SNAP households to buy "qualifying fluid milk" at authorized retailers. The opportunity defines qualifying fluid milk as pasteurized cow's milk that is unflavored and contains no sweeteners, aligns with the most current dietary recommendations, is packaged in liquid form, and includes vitamins A and D at levels consistent with FDA and applicable state and local standards. In practice, that definition steers projects toward plain milk options rather than flavored or sweetened products, with the intent of supporting healthier dietary patterns while staying consistent with regulatory fortification requirements.

Overall, the HFMI opportunity is aimed at generating evidence and operational know-how about what actually works in retail settings to nudge purchasing toward healthier milk choices for SNAP participants. By funding a small number of cooperative agreements with either public agencies or nonprofits, FNS is looking to expand pilots, test incentive mechanics at the register, and learn how such approaches can be scaled or adapted across different regions and retailer environments.

• The Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service in the food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SNAP-Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives (HFMI)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.551.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 19, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 02, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for USDA FNS SNAP HFMI FY2022

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