FY 2009 WIC SPECIAL PROJECT GRANTS

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) expects to have approximately $500,000 in fiscal year (FY) 2009 funds available for Special Project Grants to WIC State agencies. Grant funds will be available only to the 90 WIC State agencies responsible for administering WIC in the States, Territories, and Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs). There are two types of WIC Special Project Grants: Full Grants and Concept Paper Development Grants. This RFA (Application A) is for Full Grants only. A separate RFA (Application B) is available for States planning to submit a proposal for developing a concept paper as a basis for applying for a Full Grant using FY 2010 funds, pending availability of funds. FNS anticipates making one to two Full Grant awards in FY 2009, ranging from $200,000 to $400,000 each, depending on the number and quality of applications and requested budget amounts. FNS reserves the right to reduce, increase, or revise proposal budgets in accordance with the availability of funds. FNS also reserves the right to cancel this RFA in whole or in part if funds are not available.FY 2009 WIC Special Project Full Grants are open for consideration from all WIC- related program areas and may focus on either the general WIC population or specific segments of the WIC population. Grants should be used to help States develop, implement and evaluate new or innovative methods of service delivery to meet the changing needs of WIC participants. In previous years WIC Special Project Grants have focused on specific subject areas. The first grant was awarded to Wyoming in 1995 to help with the development of an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system. Since 2000 Special Project Grants focus areas have fallen under the category of Revitalizing Quality Nutrition Services. (See Focus Area for Full Grants in Attachment 1 and abstracts of grants awarded from 1995 to 2008 at http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/benefitsandservices/specialprojects.htm for additional information).