Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program

The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) allows the Secretary to provide funding opportunities to conduct and evaluate projects providing incentives to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by eligible participants. By bringing together stakeholders from various parts of the food and healthcare systems, GusNIP grants help foster understanding to improve the health and nutrition status of participating households, facilitate growth in States with low participation, as well as collect and aggregate data to identify and improve best practices on a broad scale. OVERVIEW: The 2018 Farm Bill authorized the program for fiscal years 2019 through 2023 and growth in program funding from $45 million to $56 million to be appropriated over 5 years. Across the GusNIP grant program there are three grant types and three project types available, which are described briefly below: GRANT TYPES: Nutrition Incentive � develop and evaluate projects to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by providing incentives at the point of purchase, Produce Prescription � conduct projects that demonstrate and evaluate the impact of financial or nonfinancial incentive prescriptions of fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to nutrition educational opportunities to increase procurement and consumption of fruits and vegetables, reduce individual and household food insecurity, and reduce healthcare usage and associated costs, and; Cooperative Agreement - offer training, technical...

Eligibility to apply for a GusNIP Nutrition Incentive Program grant is limited to governmental agencies and non-profit organizations. Institutions of higher education that are local, county, tribal, territory, or state government agencies must provide documentation in support of eligibility as a governmental agency within Field 12, Other Attachments (Part IV, B of this NOFO) of their application. Documentation must clearly identify that the university or Cooperative Extension is designated as an entity within the governmental structure, such as the Department of Agriculture, Department of Education, Department of Public Health, etc.

1.) The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program Competitive Grants Program: Applicants MUST provide matching contributions on a dollar-for-dollar basis for all Federal funds awarded under the Nutrition Incentive Program. This program has a 100% match requirement with non-Federal funds. 2.) The Produce Prescription Program has NO matching requirements. NIFA will not factor matching resources into the review process as an evaluation criterion. 3.) The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Centers has NO matching requirement. NIFA will not factor matching resources into the review process as an evaluation criterion.

Fiscal year 2025: GusNIP National Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Centers (NTAE) as they continue to work with NIFA, grantees, and applicants on developing and implementing projects that meet the stated priorities of both the Nutrition Incentive Program and the Produce Prescription Program. There are three major objectives associated with this project: 1): Engage all GusNIP audiences to improve and sustain GusNIP NI/PPR Programs, 2)Provide and continuously improve Training and Technical Assistance (T&TA) services that optimize the experience of all GusNIP audiences, and, 3)Conduct a rigorous evaluation of all NI and PPR projects. In addition, in 2025, an award for a Produce Prescription project. The purpose of this project is to provide produce prescriptions to individuals with chronic conditions related to poor nutrition. The 330 Centers and other community clinics partnering with the organization will identify participants within their patients that suffer from food insecurity and who participate in SNAP and/or Medicaid programs. Health surveys will be conducted by the 330 Centers and other community health clinics and results will be provided to...