FY 2022 MCGOVERN-DOLE INTERNATIONAL FOOD FOR EDUCATION AND CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM | USDA FAS MCGOVERN DOLE PROGRAM 22 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS MCGOVERN DOLE PROGRAM 22 001

The FY 2022 McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program is a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) grant opportunity that funds multi-sector projects in low-income, food-deficit countries to improve education outcomes and child and maternal nutrition. The program has two core objectives: first, to run preschool and school feeding activities that strengthen food security, reduce hunger, and improve literacy and primary education, with a strong emphasis on improving outcomes for girls; and second, to support maternal, infant, and child nutrition (MCN) for pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and children under five. In practice, the program is designed to use food assistance not only to address immediate dietary needs, but also as a platform to increase enrollment, improve attendance, and raise reading and literacy results by reducing short-term hunger and supporting healthier learning environments.

Projects funded under McGovern-Dole typically combine food assistance with education system supports. Alongside the delivery of school meals, proposals commonly include teacher training, school and community engagement, and government capacity-building so that host-country institutions can eventually manage and sustain school feeding and related services. The opportunity explicitly frames sustainability as a requirement rather than an add-on: the authorizing statute (Section 3107 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002) requires each agreement to include provisions that lead to “graduation” from the program or provide other long-term benefits to the targeted population. That means applicants are expected to plan for a transition of activities to host governments and/or communities, build durable systems, and show how the benefits will persist when U.S. support ends.

A defining feature of this opportunity is its integrated approach to nutrition and health. Beyond providing calories, McGovern-Dole encourages “nutrition-sensitive” and “health-sensitive” components that improve dietary practices and reduce common health burdens that interfere with learning and growth. Examples highlighted in the notice include the use of micronutrient-fortified products, take-home rations (often used as incentives tied to attendance or targeted to vulnerable households), treatments for deworming and diarrhea, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions. The program also encourages school gardens and curriculum-based nutrition education, which are intended to reinforce practical knowledge about healthy diets and, in some contexts, improve access to diverse foods.

Food sourcing and procurement strategy is another central element. The donation of U.S. agricultural commodities is described as integral to McGovern-Dole, and applicants are strongly encouraged to use U.S.-donated commodities to reach the largest number of beneficiaries cost-effectively. At the same time, applicants are also strongly encouraged to allocate about ten percent of the total proposed federal award amount to local and regional procurement. This combination signals a dual goal: leveraging U.S. commodities as a core resource while also strengthening local and regional markets and supply chains, improving resilience, and supporting longer-term sustainability in food sourcing. Overall, FAS emphasizes sustainability and resilience as priorities, with an eye toward helping vulnerable economies reduce poverty and food insecurity on a path toward self-sufficiency.

From a competitive standpoint, FAS indicates it will consider proposals from all eligible organizations, including both current recipients and new applicants. However, it also notes that while proposals may be submitted for non-prioritized countries, priority consideration will be given to projects in a set of ten priority countries (listed in the opportunity’s Appendix B Country Guidance). Applicants proposing expansion beyond current target regions are allowed to do so, but they must justify the expansion and show why it strengthens results and sustainability. For countries new to McGovern-Dole programming, proposals are expected to lay a strong foundation and complement existing school feeding efforts rather than duplicating them.

The opportunity also sets expectations for policy alignment and results measurement. Projects must work in countries where the national government is committed to, or actively working toward via a national action plan, the goals of the World Declaration on Education for All. In addition, applications must align with the McGovern-Dole Program Project-Level Results Framework, signaling that monitoring and evaluation are not optional and that applicants should design activities, indicators, and reporting in line with the program’s established outcomes for education, nutrition, and sustainability.

Administratively, this FY 2022 opportunity was issued as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement mechanism under CFDA (now Assistance Listing) 10.608. The funding opportunity number is USDA FAS MCGOVERN DOLE PROGRAM 22 001, and it was posted March 4, 2022 with an original closing date of April 29, 2022. The notice anticipated approximately eight awards, with an award ceiling of $27,500,000 per award. Eligible applicants are listed broadly as “Others,” with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement’s eligibility section.

• The Department of Agriculture, McGovern-Dole Food for Education 10.608 in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2022 MCGOVERN-DOLE INTERNATIONAL FOOD FOR EDUCATION AND CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.608.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 04, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 29, 2022. (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 $27,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for USDA FAS MCGOVERN DOLE PROGRAM 22 001

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