Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) requests applications for the SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Modernization Technical Assistance Center (SEMTAC) Cooperative Agreement Project beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2022 to work with the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to support retailer efforts to implement online purchasing systems, mobile pay in pilot states when selected, and any additional electronic benefit transfer (EBT) modernization initiatives, in accordance with requirements established by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Donor Name: Food and Nutrition Service
State: All States
County: All Counties
U.S Territory: Guam, or the United States Virgin Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 09/06/2022
Grant Size: $5,000,000
Grant Duration: 4 years
Details:
The primary purpose of this technical assistance grant is to establish a SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Modernization Technical Assistance Center (SEMTAC, AKA “The Center”) that would help FNS provide information on and technical assistance with needed steps to establish an online purchasing program. The Center would serve State agencies, eligible entities, and program participants. Primarily, the Center would work with: (a) already authorized retailers who may need assistance implementing, testing and obtaining approval from FNS for their online purchasing program; and (b) not-yet-authorized retailers interesting in both obtaining authorization from FNS as well as implementing, testing and obtaining approval from FNS for their online purchasing program. In this role, the Center will be expected to work with any retailer requesting assistance.
Objectives
In the interest of providing the best possible customer service to participants, FNS strives to foster innovation and reduce barriers to SNAP services, including ready access to using SNAP benefits for online purchases, assessment of whether mobile payments might be appropriate for the SNAP program, and the assessment of other modernization efforts. This grant announcement most directly supports SNAP by building the capacity to support the expansion of online SNAP purchasing nationwide. Increasing access to online purchasing is particularly important to rural communities, communities served by stores with limited stock of healthy foods, populations facing barriers to accessing traditional retailer grocery stores (e.g., participants with disabilities, participants without transportation), and all recipients impacted by COVID-19. And, this announcement also supports SNAP by building the capacity to support the mobile payments pilot and any other modernization efforts that may develop.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $5,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $5,000,000
- Award Floor: $5,000,000
- FNS anticipates awarding the grant for up to 4 years
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants are limited to nonprofit entities only. A nonprofit entity is any organization or institution with IRS 501(c) (3) status or accredited institutions of higher education, where no part of the net earnings benefit any private shareholder or individual. All applicant organizations must be domestic entities and shall be owned, operated, and located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the United States Virgin Islands.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
