The National Institute of Food and Agriculture is seeking applications for its Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program.
Donor Name: National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/16/2026
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The purpose of the GusNIP-NI is to fund and evaluate projects intended to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by SNAP participants in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands; and the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) Block Grants participants in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands by providing incentives at the point of purchase. When the term “SNAP/NAP” is used it is means both the SNAPNAP Block Grants. For further guidance, the terms ‘SNAP’, ‘NAP’, and ‘fruits and vegetables’ are defined in Appendix III.
The GusNIP-NI is designed to support growth through three incremental program areas.These program areas assist eligible organizations to initiate pilot projects, then increase their capacity and scale to propose projects with greater reach, scope, and complexity to standard projects and large-scale projects.These investments support the vision of the GusNIP portfolio whereby federal funds are leveraged to advance local capacity and, over time, other funding sources or business plans are secured for the projects to become self-sustaining.
Priorities
All GusNIP-NI proposals must:
- Include a letter of support from applicable SNAP Implementing Agency(ies) or NAP Territory Agency(ies) administering SNAP and NAP, respectively.
- Aim to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables among SNAP/NAP participants by providing fruit and vegetable incentives at the point of purchase.
- Track the purchase of fruits and vegetables by SNAP/NAP participants.
- Follow the policies, rules, and regulations of the respective food assistance program(s) their nutrition incentive project will partner with.
- Ensure that the same terms and conditions apply to purchases made by SNAP/NAP participants with incentives provided under the GusNIP – Nutrition Incentive Program as apply to purchases made by individuals who are not members of households receiving SNAP/NAP benefits as provided in 7 CFR 278.2(b).
- Participate in the GusNIP comprehensive program evaluation, including required project data collection, and sharing of data with the NTAE.
Funding Information
The amount available for NIFA to support this program is approximately $36,300,000.
- GusNIP Pilot Projects
- Maximum Award Amount: $100,000
- GusNIP Standard Projects (FIP)
- Maximum Award Amount: $500,000
- GusNIP Large Scale Projects
- Maximum Award Amount: $500,000
Grant Period
- GusNIP Pilot Projects: 12 months.
- GusNIP Standard Projects (FIP): 36 months
- GusNIP Large Scale Projects: 36 months
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants for the GusNIP-NI must meet all the requirements discussed in this NOFO. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or, preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.
- Eligibility to apply for a GusNIP-NI grant is limited to governmental agencies and non-profit organizations.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
