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Healthy Refrigeration Grant Program RFP for Technical Assistance Providers

CA Department of Food and Agriculture · 10118

Eligibility details

Eligible applicants are nonprofits, small businesses including business consultancies, cities, counties, Tribal governments and Tribal organizations with the expertise, networks, and capacity to identify target applicants, provide outreach and application assistance, and/or technical expertise. Multiple organizations may partner on a single application, with one clear lead applicant. CDFA encourages statewide cooperation among regional TAPs.

Matching funds & resources

Source matching-funds field: Not Required. Matching funding is not required for this program, but can be considered as part of budget review if it strengthens the proposal.900

Matching funds and leveraged resources are different requirements. Read the description and reviewed rules below before determining resource commitments.

About this opportunity

This RFP solicits Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs) to conduct activities in one or both of the following categories: 1. Outreach and Application Assistance: TAPs in this category will promote the program to corner stores and other eligible applicants (including small businesses such as small producers and others) in low-income and low food-access areas, and assist applicants to complete grant applications once CDFA releases the initial equipment RFP in fall 2022. Outreach may be at statewide, regional, Tribal, or other specified levels that fit program priorities as described in the FAC Section 49015. Selected TAPs will support broad-scale outreach for the program, ideally offered in multiple languages through various TAPs throughout the state, and TAPs should be ready to assist applicants that lack an existing local healthy retail program (a program that supports corner stores to stock more fresh produce and healthy food items) but seek to apply for CDFA equipment grants. 1. Technical Expertise: Applicants will provide substantive subject matter expertise in one or both of the following areas: a. Cold storage technology, energy efficiency (EE) and global warming potential (GWP) standards. TAPs in this category should be ready to advise corner stores and other applicants on options, EE and GWP of units, and help applicants and grantees with energy saving strategies; consult with applicants and make unit recommendations that meet their needs, potentially connect stores to vendors and advise/assist with installation*; and/or b. Healthy retail best practices, such as stocking, merchandising, promoting, and selling fresh foods in a profitable, sustainable way, including produce procurement solutions. TAPs applying to provide healthy retail expertise must be ready to assist HRGP applicants either regionally or statewide with best practices as well as consult with applicants to offer tailored recommendations and assistance when there is no local healthy retail program for applicants to join. TAPs should specify their capacity to work with equipment applicants and project cost based on activities/hours anticipated, which could include time consulting, possible travel, providing best practice guidelines, publishing materials, and etc. TAPs may be asked to help selected grantees complete pre and post surveys and potentially facilitate interviews for the program evaluation. Eligible applicants are nonprofits, small businesses including business consultancies, cities, counties, Tribal governments and Tribal organizations with the expertise, networks, and capacity to identify target applicants, provide outreach and application assistance, and/or technical expertise. Multiple organizations may partner on a single application, with one clear lead applicant. CDFA encourages statewide cooperation among regional TAPs. Up to $900,000 is available for grants to TAPs, which is approximately 5% of total grant funding available through HRGP. There is no minimum or maximum amount TAPs may request within the available funding pool.

Funding geography: The focus of this program is on serving low-income, low-food access, and underserved communities throughout the state. Project reach including providing services in program priority areas and to target populations, in locations with many low-income or low food-access census tracts or other barriers to food access, such as affordability, language, cultural or other, is a key part of scoring criteria for applications.

Funding instrument: Grant. Issuing jurisdiction: California. This is not a geographic eligibility determination.