United States Department Of Agriculture Mcgovern-Dole International Food For Education And Child Nutrition Program

The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, administered by the United States Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS), offers funding to support school feeding and nutrition programs in low-income, food-deficit countries. For Fiscal Year 2025, USDA/FAS has announced the availability of up to $240 million in funding under this program. The McGovern-Dole program aims to improve food security and reduce hunger while enhancing literacy and primary education outcomes, particularly for girls. It achieves these goals through the provision of U.S. agricultural commodities, financial and technical assistance, and maternal and child nutrition support. Projects are expected to address two strategic objectives: improved literacy among school-aged children and increased use of health, nutrition, and dietary practices. Applicants may include Private Voluntary Organizations, Cooperatives, Intergovernmental Organizations, governments of developing countries and their agencies, and other organizations such as institutions of higher education. All applicants must have an active registration in the U.S. Government’s System for Award Management (SAM) at the time of submission. Matching funds are not required, though voluntary cost-sharing is encouraged to enhance impact. Awards will be structured as cooperative agreements with substantial involvement from USDA/FAS. Each project will span approximately five years, with expected start dates beginning on October 1, 2025. Funding will support projects in eight priority countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Honduras, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. USDA/FAS may also consider projects in non-priority countries if justified adequately. Awards are anticipated to range from $10 million to $29 million. Commodities must be predominantly sourced from the United States, with up to 10% of award funds allowed for local or regional procurement. Project activities may include school meals, teacher training, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), school gardens, take-home rations, and maternal and child nutrition efforts. Applications must include a comprehensive package comprising a detailed project narrative, monitoring and evaluation plan, budget summary and narrative, commodity management plan, and required forms such as the SF-424 and SF-424A. USDA/FAS will evaluate proposals based on criteria such as strategic alignment, technical soundness, feasibility, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. Detailed content requirements and formatting guidelines are outlined in Section 4 of the NOFO. All applications must be submitted via the Food Aid Information System (FAIS) before the final deadline. Key deadlines include the question submission date of June 11, 2025, and the application deadline of June 23, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET. Contact information for inquiries includes Lindsay Carter, McGovern-Dole Director, reachable at ppded@usda.gov or (202) 236-1095. USDA/FAS will post responses to applicant questions weekly on Grants.gov. Award announcements are expected no later than six months following the selection.

Applicants should ensure alignment with strategic objectives, utilize cost-effective strategies, and demonstrate long-term sustainability plans. Use of the FAIS system and early submission is encouraged