FY2016 TN Training Grant | USDA FNS CNTN FY2016

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FNS CNTN FY2016

The FY2016 TN Training Grant is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to help state agencies strengthen how USDA nutrition standards are put into practice across major Child Nutrition Programs. The core purpose is practical: states are expected to implement and evaluate nutrition education, training, and technical assistance that supports healthier meals and snacks served through programs such as the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). In other words, the grant is designed to move beyond policy on paper and help states build the tools, training, and support systems that make the standards work consistently in real cafeterias and child care settings.

A key structural requirement is that each applicant must choose only one specific FY2016 TN Training Grant objective to pursue for the entire three-year project period. The opportunity does not allow applicants to mix and match multiple objectives in a single proposal, so the work plan has to be focused and coherent around one goal. Even with that single-objective rule, proposals still need to be comprehensive in how they drive behavior change: applicants must explain how they will meet the chosen objective by using activities from all three required TN behavior-focused strategies referenced in the program guidance. The intent here is to ensure states do not rely on just one approach (like training alone), but instead combine complementary strategies that reinforce each other and lead to measurable improvements in implementation of nutrition standards.

Nutrition education is another non-negotiable element, and it must be delivered through six distinct communication channels. Proposals have to show how education will reach participants through (1) school or child care center events, (2) classrooms or instructional settings (including integration into academic instruction or child care programming), (3) cafeterias or dining areas where meals are actually eaten, (4) home connections that reach families or caregivers, (5) community involvement that extends beyond the school or center, and (6) media, which may include print and/or social media. This requirement pushes applicants to think beyond a single setting and instead create repeated, consistent messages where children and families learn, see, and practice healthy habits in multiple parts of daily life.

Evaluation is treated as a major deliverable rather than an afterthought. Each proposal must include a thorough evaluation plan that measures how well the project meets its stated goals and documents progress using required performance measures. Practically, this means states need to plan in advance how they will collect data, monitor implementation, and assess outcomes over the three-year period, rather than simply reporting activities completed. The focus on required performance measures signals that USDA expects standardized reporting elements that allow results to be compared or rolled up across multiple funded projects.

In terms of logistics, the opportunity is listed as “USDA FNS CNTN FY2016,” with CFDA number 10.574, and it is limited to eligible applicants that are state governments. The closing date for applications was May 20, 2016, and the program anticipated making about 20 awards. The maximum funding amount (award ceiling) was $500,000 per award. Because the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, applicants should expect a more hands-on relationship with the federal agency than a typical grant, meaning USDA may provide substantial involvement through guidance, coordination, or technical oversight during the project.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as a state-level capacity-building effort aimed at improving the quality and consistency of USDA nutrition standards implementation in schools and child care settings, while also requiring robust education outreach across multiple channels and a clear, data-driven evaluation plan to demonstrate results.

• The Food and Nutrition Service in the food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2016 TN Training Grant" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.574.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-03-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-05-20. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for USDA FNS CNTN FY2016

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