The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is accepting applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Fraud Framework Implementation Grants.
Donor Name: Food and Nutrition Service
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/04/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $750,000
Grant Duration: 3 years
Details:
The purpose was to strengthen the agriculture community and provide improved levels of nutrition among low-income households. The 2008 Farm Bill changed the name of the of the federal program to SNAP. The law modernized the program by acknowledging Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) as the standard issuance vehicle and de-obligated coupons. SNAP is the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net and provides nutrition assistance benefits via EBT card to millions of low-income people. These benefits help supplement household food budgets so recipients can purchase more healthy food. FNS works in partnership with State agencies in the administration of SNAP.
The purpose of the SNAP Fraud Framework Implementation Grant Program is to support State agency efforts to improve and expand recipient fraud prevention, detection, and investigation efforts using the procedures, ideas and practices outlined in the SNAP Fraud Framework. Successful applications will specifically incorporate one or more of the procedures, ideas, and practices found in the SNAP Fraud Framework in their proposals. This grant opportunity is not intended to support retailer fraud-related projects. It is understood, however, that recipient fraud prevention efforts may necessarily involve collaborative work with SNAP authorized retailers or with FNS to address retailers complicit in committing fraud.
Objectives
- Organizational Management
- This objective aims to help States establish and communicate priorities, organize employees, and manage both large-scale and day-to-day processes. Many of the concepts described in this component are the foundation for successful program integrity initiatives.
- Performance Measurement
- This objective offers recommendations encouraging States to consistently capture and analyze their own performance.
- Recipient Integrity Education
- This objective provides targeted integrity education initiatives to help ensure recipients have the necessary information and tools to use SNAP benefits as intended—preventing fraud before it occurs. When producing recipient integrity education materials, States are encouraged to educate the public and applicants about SNAP fraud, rather than emphasize the consequences as a deterrent to applying.
- Fraud Detection
- Here, the SNAP Fraud Framework stresses the importance of proactively detecting fraud from the application process and continuing throughout the recipient’s time in the Program.
- Investigations and Dispositions
- This objective aims to provide states with tools and suggestions to improve fraud case management from initial fraud referral through disposition.
- Analytics and Data Management
- This objective details the necessary people, processes, and technology to launch and maintain an analytics capability. Data analytics can play a valuable role in preventing, detecting, and investigating SNAP fraud.
- Learning and Development
- The final objective contains recommendations for States to invest in training and professional development opportunities to promote employee engagement and to ensure employees are aware of new and emerging trends in fraud.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $5,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $750,000
Period of Performance
- The period of performance begins on August 31, 2023, and will run through September 30, 2026.
Program Requirements
- The goal of the SNAP Fraud Framework Implementation Grant is to help States implement promising practices contained in the SNAP Fraud Framework. The awards will support projects that fall under one or more of the seven components of the SNAP Fraud Framework. Proposals should clearly describe the intent and scope of activities and their relation to any of the seven components of the SNAP Fraud Framework. State agencies that do not have access to the SNAP Fraud Framework should contact their FNS Regional Office.
- Proposed projects must be sustainable. A significant part of the evaluation criteria will be dependent on how clear a proposal demonstrates the State agency’s ability to continue funding and implementing activities at the same level once the grant ends. This applies to all proposals, including those that propose hiring personnel to implement a part of the project.
- Funds from this RFA may not be used to offset costs for existing personnel who are completing activities unrelated to this grant, i.e., the percentage of staff costs attributed to this project must be properly allocated. Grant funds can be used to enhance or improve upon a previous project, however, they may not be used to supplant the existing costs associated with the previous grant. Recipients of prior SNAP recipient integrity grant awards are eligible for this opportunity should they choose to apply; however, past performance will be evaluated and will impact the proposal’s score.
Eligible Applicants
State governments
Additional Information on Eligibility
This grant opportunity is open to the 53 State agencies that administer SNAP. State Agencies may submit applications on behalf of specific counties or districts. FNS will consider only one application per State agency.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
