Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS 0700 10608 21 S
The FY 2021 McGovern-Dole Standing Supplemental NOFO is a discretionary U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) grant opportunity under CFDA 10.608 that supports the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program. At its core, the McGovern-Dole program is designed to feed school children and strengthen literacy and education outcomes in low-income, food-deficit countries, with a particular emphasis on improving opportunities and learning outcomes for girls. The program operates by donating U.S. agricultural commodities and pairing those donations with financial and technical assistance so implementing partners can run school feeding and related education-focused activities. In addition to school feeding, the program also supports maternal and child health and nutrition interventions, reflecting the idea that learning, attendance, and development are closely tied to adequate nutrition at home and in early childhood.
The program has two central objective areas. First, it funds preschool and primary school food-for-education efforts intended to improve food security, reduce hunger, and improve literacy and primary education, especially for girls. This typically aligns with activities that encourage enrollment, attendance, and learning progress by making food available through schools and by supporting complementary education interventions. Second, it supports maternal, infant, and child nutrition programming for pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and children under five years old, recognizing that nutrition during pregnancy and early childhood is critical for long-term health and cognitive development. A notable required feature across McGovern-Dole projects is the inclusion of a "graduation" component, meaning projects are expected to build toward sustainability and an eventual transition away from external support as stipulated in the program legislation.
This particular notice is a "standing supplemental" funding opportunity, meaning it is not primarily aimed at starting brand-new projects. Instead, the priority is to provide additional freight, commodity, and/or administrative funds to existing, active McGovern-Dole cooperative agreements. The intent is to help ongoing projects stay on track when circumstances change or costs rise beyond what was originally planned. The NOFO highlights common reasons supplemental resources may be needed, including natural disasters, COVID-19-related complications, unexpectedly high commodity and shipping (freight) rates, the need to continue school feeding and other program activities without interruption, political instability that delays key milestones, pipeline breaks that threaten consistent delivery of school meals, and losses of commodities. In practical terms, this supplemental mechanism is meant to protect continuity, avoid disruptions in school feeding, and stabilize implementation when external shocks would otherwise reduce rations, shorten feeding periods, or force partners to pause programming.
From an administrative standpoint, awards are issued as cooperative agreements, which generally indicates substantial involvement by USDA/FAS in program oversight compared with a standard grant. The opportunity was created on December 1, 2020, with an original closing date of August 1, 2021. The listed award ceiling is $5,000,000, and the agency anticipated making around 20 awards, suggesting the supplemental amounts could vary depending on the scale of need across current agreements. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with clarification expected in the full notice under the additional eligibility information section, but the stated program priority makes clear that the target applicants are organizations already operating active McGovern-Dole cooperative agreements that can justify supplemental needs tied to the kinds of disruptions and cost increases described in the NOFO.Apply for USDA FAS 0700 10608 21 S
- The Department of Agriculture, McGovern-Dole Food for Education 10.608 in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2021 McGovern-Dole Standing Supplemental NOFO" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.608.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 01, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 01, 2021. (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 $5,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FY 2021 McGovern-Dole Standing Supplemental NOFO (CFDA 10.608) - FAQs
1) What is the FY 2021 McGovern-Dole Standing Supplemental NOFO?
It is a discretionary U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) grant opportunity under CFDA 10.608 that supports the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program. This specific notice is a "standing supplemental" opportunity intended to provide additional resources to certain McGovern-Dole projects that are already underway.
2) Which USDA office is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
3) What program does this NOFO support?
It supports the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program, which is designed to feed school children and strengthen literacy and education outcomes in low-income, food-deficit countries, with a particular emphasis on improving opportunities and learning outcomes for girls.
4) What is the core purpose of the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program?
At its core, the program aims to provide food to school children while improving literacy and education outcomes. It does this by donating U.S. agricultural commodities and pairing those donations with financial and technical assistance so implementing partners can carry out school feeding and related education-focused activities.
5) Is this funding meant for starting brand-new projects?
No. This notice is described as a "standing supplemental" funding opportunity, and it is not primarily aimed at launching brand-new projects. The stated priority is to provide supplemental funds to existing, active McGovern-Dole cooperative agreements.
6) What kinds of costs or needs can the supplemental funding cover?
The notice indicates supplemental resources may be used for additional freight, commodity, and/or administrative funds for active projects when conditions change or costs rise beyond what was originally planned.
7) Why might an existing McGovern-Dole project need supplemental funding?
The NOFO highlights several examples of circumstances that can create a need for supplemental support, including natural disasters, COVID-19-related complications, unexpectedly high commodity and shipping (freight) rates, political instability that delays key milestones, pipeline breaks that threaten consistent delivery of school meals, and losses of commodities.
8) What is the intent behind providing supplemental resources?
The intent is to help ongoing projects stay on track, protect continuity, avoid disruptions in school feeding, and stabilize implementation when external shocks would otherwise reduce rations, shorten feeding periods, or force partners to pause programming.
9) What are the main objective areas of the McGovern-Dole program?
The program has two central objective areas: (1) preschool and primary school food-for-education efforts intended to improve food security, reduce hunger, and improve literacy and primary education, especially for girls; and (2) maternal, infant, and child nutrition programming for pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and children under five years old, reflecting the importance of nutrition during pregnancy and early childhood for long-term health and cognitive development.
10) What types of activities are included under the school food-for-education objective?
The notice describes preschool and primary school food-for-education efforts that encourage enrollment, attendance, and learning progress by making food available through schools and supporting complementary education interventions.
11) Does the program include nutrition support beyond school meals?
Yes. In addition to school feeding, the program supports maternal and child health and nutrition interventions, based on the idea that learning, attendance, and development are closely tied to adequate nutrition at home and in early childhood.
12) Who is served under the maternal, infant, and child nutrition objective area?
The notice specifies pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and children under five years old.
13) What does the NOFO say about support for girls' education?
The McGovern-Dole program places particular emphasis on improving opportunities and learning outcomes for girls, and the school food-for-education objective specifically notes improving literacy and primary education especially for girls.
14) What is the required "graduation" component?
A required feature across McGovern-Dole projects is inclusion of a "graduation" component. This means projects are expected to build toward sustainability and an eventual transition away from external support, as stipulated in the program legislation.
15) What award instrument is used for this opportunity?
Awards are issued as cooperative agreements, which generally indicates substantial involvement by USDA/FAS in program oversight compared with a standard grant.
16) What is the award ceiling listed in the opportunity?
The listed award ceiling is $5,000,000.
17) How many awards did the agency anticipate making?
The agency anticipated making around 20 awards, which suggests supplemental amounts could vary depending on the scale of need across current agreements.
18) When was this opportunity created, and what was the closing date?
The opportunity was created on December 1, 2020, with an original closing date of August 1, 2021.
19) What is CFDA 10.608?
CFDA 10.608 is the program identifier listed for this USDA/FAS grant opportunity supporting the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program.
20) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional clarification expected in the full notice under the additional eligibility information section. However, the stated program priority makes clear the target applicants are organizations already operating active McGovern-Dole cooperative agreements that can justify supplemental needs tied to disruptions and cost increases described in the NOFO.
21) What does "standing supplemental" mean in practical terms?
Based on the notice description, it means the funding is intended to supplement existing active McGovern-Dole cooperative agreements by providing additional freight, commodity, and/or administrative funds so ongoing projects can continue without interruption despite cost increases, delays, or other disruptions.
22) What are "pipeline breaks" in the context of this NOFO?
The NOFO references "pipeline breaks" as situations that threaten the consistent delivery of school meals, which can create a need for supplemental resources to maintain continuity of feeding and related activities.
23) What kinds of external shocks does the NOFO explicitly mention?
The NOFO explicitly mentions natural disasters, COVID-19-related complications, unexpectedly high commodity and shipping (freight) rates, political instability that delays key milestones, pipeline breaks, and losses of commodities.
24) What overall outcomes is the McGovern-Dole program trying to improve?
The notice describes outcomes tied to reducing hunger and improving food security, strengthening literacy and education outcomes (including enrollment, attendance, and learning progress), and supporting maternal/child nutrition that contributes to health and cognitive development.
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