FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES
Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness, Request for Application (RFA)
Director’s Office/Program Operations
Holland Building
600 South Calhoun Street, Suite 120
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Program Name
2015 Equipment Assistance Grants for School Food Authorities
Funding Authority
Fiscal Year 2015 Agriculture Appropriations Act
Budget/Program Performance Period
$1.5 million, upon receipt of award through September 30, 2017
Purpose
The purpose of the equipment assistance grant is to address the infrastructure needs of eligible School
Food Authorities (SFAs) in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). These funds will be awarded
through a competitive grant process to SFAs for the purchase of equipment to serve healthier meals that
meet the updated meal pattern requirements, with emphasis on more fruits and vegetables in school
meals, improvement of food safety, and expanded access.
Eligibility
SFAs that have been approved to participate in the National School Lunch Program are eligible to apply
for the grant.
Priority
Funding priorities will be given to the following:
1. High need schools (i.e. schools in underserved areas, schools with limited access to other
resources, and age of food service equipment) where 50 percent or more of the enrolled students
are eligible for free or reduce price meals.
2. Schools that did not receive a previous NSLP Equipment Assistance grant award under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the FY 2010, FY 2013, and FY 2014
Agriculture Appropriations Act. (See Attachment A for list of previous recipients)
3. SFAs with a net cash resources balance of less than three months’ average operating
expenditures.
Application Due Date and Submission
Applications must be received by COB 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday, July 8,
2015.
Please email to FNWgrants@FreshFromFlorida.com with the subject line “(Sponsor Name) - 2015
Equipment Grant Application”
OR
A hard copy of the application must be postmarked no later than July 8, 2015 and mailed to:
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness
Attn: Aimee Ashley
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600 South Calhoun Street (H2)
Suite 120
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
*Late applications will not be reviewed or considered for funding*
Award Date
Monday, July 20, 2015, via email and follow-up awarded letter
Equipment Requirements
The equipment must fall into one of these five areas listed below:
1. Energy Efficiency – Equipment that improves the overall efficiency of the school foodservice
operations (e.g., purchase of an energy-efficient walk in freezer replacing an outdated, energydemanding freezer).
2. Expand Participation – Equipment that allows SFAs to support expanded participation in a school
meal program (e.g., equipment for serving meals in a non-traditional setting, lunchroom changes
that provide more convenience and appeal to the student population or to better utilize cafeteria
space, upgrading meal count system – point of sale equipment).
3. Food Quality – Equipment that improves the quality of meals (e.g., replacing fryers with
combination steamer-ovens)
4. Food Safety – Equipment that improves the safety of food served in the school meal programs
(e.g., cold/hot holding equipment, dish washing equipment, refrigeration, milk coolers, freezers,
blast chillers, etc.).
5. Healthy Meals – Equipment that improves foodservice meals that meet the new nutritional
standards with emphasis on more fresh fruits and vegetables (e.g., highlighting healthier choices,
redesigning menus that target healthier entrees/options)
As with all Federal grant funds, equipment procured using these grant funds must be necessary,
reasonable, and allocable and must follow all Federal, State, and Local Procurement laws.
Allowable Equipment Costs
NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant funds may be used for the following:
 Purchase of new equipment
 Renovation of existing equipment
 Replacement of existing equipment
 Installation costs
Examples of equipment include, but are not limited to: refrigeration (reach-in or walk-in, if efficiently
sized), preparation equipment (convection oven, combination oven, steamer, tilt skillet, food processor),
serving line (effective flow and components including merchandising), holding cabinet, dishwasher,
shelving, salad bar, food transport carts and carriers. SFAs are reminded that each unit must have a useful
life of more than one year and a per unit acquisition cost of $5,000 OR such lesser amount as the SFA
uses when reporting equipment as assets in its financial statement.
Unallowable Costs
 Renovation of the food service area
 Facility renovation and construction costs
 Administrative expenses
 Indirect costs
 Set-asides for auditing services
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Evaluation Process and Scoring Scale
A review committee will score all eligible applications based on the information provided and included in
the submitted application. Applications that best describes the focus areas listed above will score higher
than those that less meets the requirements. After review and final scoring, recipients will be notified and
asked to confirm the award. Applicants whose grant requests were denied by the committee or
disqualification will be notified as well.
Criteria
High-need schools:
50% or more of the enrolled students are eligible for
free or reduced price meals.
Did the school receive the previous NSLP Equipment
Assistance grant award for the following years:
 2009 or FY 2010
 FY 2013
 FY 2014
Do the SFAs have net cash resources balance less than
3 months average operating expenditures?
School demonstrates high need for equipment.
 Schools in underserved areas
 Schools with limited access to other resources
 Current equipment is outdated, nonfunctioning, or non-existent
School demonstrates how the funds will improve the
quality of school meals.
Scoring Range
Maximum Points
90-100% = 50 points
80-89.99% = 40 points
70-79.99% = 30 points
60-69.99% = 20 points
50-59.99% = 10 points
50 points
Yes
No
0 points
10 points
Yes
No
0 points
10 points
10 points
10 points
0 - 20 points
20 points
0 - 10 points
10 points
Total
100 points
Reporting Requirements
Those that are awarded the grant will be required to submit quarterly progress activity reports, providing
information to the following:
 Progress made in expending funds
 Types of equipment purchased
 Accomplishments and challenges in expenditure activities
 Impact on the school food service operation of purchased equipment
 Reason(s) for any unliquidated funds
 Potential return of equipment
DEFINITIONS
Allowable Expense: Allowable costs are determined in accordance with cost principles of federal
regulation 2 CFR Part 200. All expenditures should be adequately documented and should be determined
in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (i.e. Using these grant funds to purchase a
walk-in freezer for school food service, or a salad bar, may be an allowable cost, building an extension to
a cafeteria would be a capital expense that should be borne by the school district.).
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Capital Expenditures: Capital Expenditures means expenditures for the acquisition cost of capital assets
(equipment, buildings, land), or expenditures to make improvements to capital assets that materially
increase their value or useful life. Acquisition cost means the cost of the asset including the cost to put it
in place. Awarding of the grant by SA shall serve as pre-approval of capital expenditure as prescribed by
2 CFR Part 200.
Equipment: Equipment means articles of nonexpendable, tangible personal property having a useful life
of more than one year and an acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of the capitalization level
established by the governmental unit for financial statement purposes, or $5,000. (2 CFR Part 200)
___________________________________________________________________________
GOVERNMENT-WIDE REGULATIONS
 2 CFR Part 25: “Universal Identifier and Central Locator Contractor Registration”
 2 CFR Part 170: “Reporting Sub-award and Executive Compensation Information”
 2 CFR Part 175: “Award Term for Trafficking in Persons”
 2 CFR Part 180: “OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Government-wide Debarment and
Suspension (Non-Procurement)”
 2 CFR Part 200: “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit
Requirements for Federal Awards”
 2 CFR Part 400: USDA Implementing regulations” Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards”
 2 CFR Part 415: USDA “General Program Administrative Regulations”
 2 CFR Part 416: USDA “General Program Administrative Regulations for Grants and
Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments”
 2 CFR Part 417: USDA “Implementation of OMB Guidance on Non-Procurement Debarment and
Suspension”
 2 CFR Part 418: USDA “New Restrictions on Lobbying”
 2 CFR Part 421: USDA “Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)”
 41 USC Section 22 “Interest of Member of Congress”
 Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009, Public Law 110-417
 Sections 738 and 739 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (P.L. 112-55)
 “The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), dated September 26,
2006”
COST PRINICIPLES
 2 CFR, Part 200: Subpart E, Cost Principles
USDA REGULATIONS
 7 CFR Part 15: “Nondiscrimination”
 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Public access to Federal Financial Assistance records shall
not be limited, except when such records must be kept confidential and would have been excepted
from disclosure pursuant to the “Freedom of Information” regulation (5 U.S.C. 552).
ASSURANCE OF CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLIANCE
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d-et seq.), USDA regulations at 7 CFR Part 15,
Nondiscrimination, and Department of Justice regulations at 28 CFR Part 42, Nondiscrimination; Equal
Employment Opportunity: Policies And Procedures
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) and USDA regulations at 7 CFR Part
15a, Education Programs or Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial Assistance
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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) and USDA regulations at 7 CFR Part
15a, Education Programs or Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial Assistance, and
Department of Justice regulations at 28 CFR Part 41, Implementation of Executive Order 12250,
Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap In Federally Assisted Programs
Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.) The Grantee assures that it will immediately take any
measures necessary to effectuate the requirements in these laws, regulations, and directives. The Grantee gives
this assurance inconsideration of and for the purpose of obtaining the funds provided under this agreement.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in
employment (Title I), state & local government services (Title II), places of public accommodation and
commercial facilities (Title III). (42 U.S.C. 12101-12213)
Non-Discrimination Statement:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees,
and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender
identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental
status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance
program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or
funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment
activities.)
If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program
Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), found online at
http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to
request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send
your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office
of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 6907442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.
Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities and you wish to file either an EEO or
program complaint please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or (800)
845-6136 (in Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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