The State Physical Activity and Nutrition Program (SPAN)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, announced the State Physical Activity and Nutrition Program as part of its Fiscal Year 2023 discretionary funding initiatives. The program operates under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is aligned with national priorities to address chronic disease prevention by improving nutrition and promoting safe physical activity opportunities. This initiative reflects the agency’s longstanding role in coordinating federal public health programs and leveraging cooperative agreements to achieve measurable improvements in population health outcomes. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to support state and local governments in implementing evidence-based strategies to reduce the burden of poor nutrition and physical inactivity. Through this program, awardees will collaborate with partners across multiple sectors, including education, transportation, business, agriculture, housing, and commerce, to improve access to healthier food and physical activity options. Funded activities may include strengthening breastfeeding initiatives, enhancing early care and education programs, and expanding family healthy weight programs. By fostering multisectoral partnerships, the program aims to create environments that make healthier living more accessible and sustainable at the state level. The scope of work funded under this award is broad but centered on practical, evidence-based interventions that can be applied to populations most affected by chronic disease risk factors. Applicants must be physically located in the state in which they propose to carry out the work, ensuring that funds directly support state-based public health priorities. Only one applicant per state will receive funding, and recipients are expected to coordinate closely with local and community partners to maximize reach and impact. Allowable costs include direct program implementation and partnership development, with no cost-sharing or matching requirement imposed by the funder. Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities, such as state governments, city and county governments, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, tribal governments and organizations, public housing authorities, and independent school districts. This inclusivity is intended to encourage collaborative approaches that draw upon diverse expertise and community networks. However, applications must identify the state in which the proposed work will occur, along with the applicant’s physical address, to demonstrate compliance with geographic restrictions. Applications lacking this information will be deemed nonresponsive and excluded from review. The funding opportunity opened on January 27, 2023, with a submission deadline of March 28, 2023, at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. Applications were required to be submitted electronically, and no late submissions were accepted. The program anticipated issuing approximately 17 awards, with annual award amounts ranging from $600,000 to $1,300,000. The total estimated program funding for this cycle was $75.5 million. While the notice did not specify the precise award notification or performance period timeline, cooperative agreements under similar CDC programs generally span multiple years with annual continuation funding dependent on performance and federal appropriations. Applications were reviewed for responsiveness to eligibility and program requirements before advancing to merit review. Evaluation criteria emphasized the applicant’s capacity to implement evidence-based strategies, strength of partnerships, clarity of state-level reach, and potential for measurable population health impact. Although no specific contact person or program officer was identified in the notice, applicants typically direct inquiries to the NCCDPHP program office through standard CDC communications channels. The opportunity was archived on June 15, 2023, signaling the close of the 2023 application cycle and the conclusion of the submission window.