WIC Grants To States (WGS)

 

To assist WIC State agencies, through grants and cooperative agreements, in making improvements and/or enhancements to the delivery of program benefits and services to participants. These grants and cooperative agreements include the following: 1. WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Grants (discretionary) are provided to WIC State agencies to implement or maintain effective breastfeeding peer counselor programs. Combining peer counseling with the on-going breastfeeding promotion and support efforts in WIC agencies has the potential to significantly impact breastfeeding rates among WIC participants. The Food and Nutrition Services long-range vision is to institutionalize peer counseling as a core service in WIC. A portion of these funds may be used to award breastfeeding performance bonuses. These incentives build upon WICs longstanding efforts to promote and support breastfeeding and are intended to recognize and award State agencies that have demonstrated successful breastfeeding promotion and support efforts. 2. WIC Infrastructure Grants (discretionary) are provided to WIC State agencies for infrastructure projects that support national and regional priorities to improve the delivery of program benefits and services to participants. 3. WIC Special Project Innovation Grants (WSPI), formerly known as the WIC Special Project Grants, as awarded, will establish an academic and/or non-profit organization to award sub-grants to WIC State and local agencies as they develop, implement, and evaluate new or innovative projects to meet the changing needs of WIC participants. The guiding principles of the sub-grants are: build on and improve FNS understanding of the diverse personal experiences, perceptions, and attitudes of those eligible for WIC services; and allow the Program to refine and enhance service delivery and customer service based on the understanding of the participant experience. 4. WIC Implementation of Breastfeeding Support Campaign Project to provide technical support for the implementation and evaluation of the updated USDA National Breastfeeding Promotion Campaign WIC Breastfeeding Support, Learn Together. Grow Together. State agencies can use funds to implement and evaluate the updated Campaign to increase the knowledge of and to promote behavior change about breastfeeding among WIC staff and participants. 5. WIC Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and Management Information System (MIS) Grants are provided to WIC State agencies for the implementation of WIC EBT systems and/or to transfer modern/viable MIS. These grants include: (1) WIC EBT Implementation (non-competitive) Grants to support EBT planning or implementation projects through the Advanced Planning Document (APD) process; (2) WIC State Agency Model (SAM) Amendments (non-competitive) Grants to support WIC State agencies in the SAM Users Group; (3) WIC SAM Transfers Grants (non-competitive) to complete planning activities and have an approved Alternatives Analysis document justifying a SAM as their choice of system transfer; (4) WIC Management Information Systems (MIS) Implementation (non-competitive) Grants to implement a transfer MIS or are upgrading or enhancing their current MIS; (5) WIC SAM Product Management Office (PMO) (non-competitive) and SAM Maintenance and Enhancement (M&E) Grants for the support and management of the SAM change control process, including prioritization of enhancements, User Group governance, and maintenance and operation of the State agency MIS core code.

Active 10.578 Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture A - Formula Grants; B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2016 No Current Data Available. 84 Breastfeeding Peer Counseling grants, 8 Breastfeeding Performance Bonus awards were awarded; Special Project Infrastructure Grants: 4 full grants and 2 mini-grants focusing on Child Retention were awarded; University of Minnesota was awarded a cooperative agreement to administer the Maternal Nutrition Intensive Course. University of Minnesota Maternal Intensive Course was held July 27-29, 2016
Fiscal Year 2017 79 Breastfeeding Peer Counseling grants, 6 Breastfeeding Performance Bonus awards were awarded; Special Project Infrastructure Grants: 2 full grants and 2 mini-grants focusing on improving the delivery of WIC services were awarded. University of Minnesota was awarded a cooperative agreement to administer the Maternal Nutrition Intensive Course. University of Minnesota Maternal Intensive Course was held July 16-18, 2017.
Fiscal Year 2018 72 Breastfeeding Peer Counseling grants totaling $59,900,000 were awarded. Grants ranged from $18,000 to $ 8,373,735. The remaining $100,000 in Breastfeeding Peer Counseling funds were awarded as Breastfeeding Performance Bonus awards to 2 large (>1000 participants) and 12 small (<1000 participants) State agencies shown to have greatest percentage increase of the number of fully breastfed infants than in the previous fiscal year. Awards ranged from $500 to $57,098. 17 General Infrastructure grants totaling over $7,000,000.
Fiscal Year 2019 51 WIC State agencies, delivering benefits to over 61% of participants, have successfully implemented EBT projects statewide; as of the end of Fiscal Year 2019, 20 State agencies were in the planning phase for EBT; 19 WIC State agencies were in the implementing phase for EBT.
Fiscal Year 2020 68 WIC State agencies, delivering benefits to over 90% of participants, have successfully implemented EBT projects statewide; as of the end of Fiscal Year 2020, 8 State agencies were in the planning phase for EBT; 13 WIC State agencies were in the implementing phase for EBT. Technology grant funding provided in support of WIC State agencies’ EBT and MIS projects. Other grant funding to WIC State agencies to improve, innovate, and/or enhance services of the WIC program.
Fiscal Year 2021 77 WIC State agencies, delivering benefits to over 92% of participants, have successfully implemented EBT projects statewide; as of the end of Fiscal Year 2021, 12 WIC State agencies were in the implementing phase for EBT. Technology grant funding provided in support of WIC State agencies’ EBT and MIS projects. Other grant funding to WIC State agencies to improve, innovate, and/or enhance services of the WIC program.
Fiscal Year 2022 77 WIC State agencies, delivering benefits to over 92% of participants, have successfully implemented EBT projects statewide; as of the end of Fiscal Year 2021, 12 WIC State agencies were in the implementing phase for EBT. Technology grant funding provided in support of WIC State agencies’ EBT and MIS projects. Other grant funding to WIC State agencies to improve, innovate, and/or enhance services of the WIC program.
Fiscal Year 2023 10 additional WIC State agencies have successfully implemented EBT projects statewide in FY 2023. WIC Special Project Innovation Grant successfully held a close out meeting for subgrantees and will conclude with an evaluation meeting at the end of the Fiscal Year. USDA National Breastfeeding Promotion Campaign WIC Breastfeeding Support, Learn Together. Grow Together. Grant was successfully completed on March 30, 2023, and closed pending the publication of a paper and webinar to disseminate the findings. The Child nutrition Act (CNA), Title 7, Part 246, Section D, Public Law 111-296, 42 U.S.C. 1786
Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, Public Law 111-296, reauthorized Child Nutrition Programs and amended the Child Nutrition Act (CNA) of 1966. Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, Public Law 117-103 State agencies that administer the WIC Program are eligible to apply for WIC Grant to States funds. States may apply individually or as a coalition of States for WIC EBT and MIS technology funds. States may apply individually for WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling, Special Project, Innovation, and Infrastructure grants. Program improvements resulting from WIC Technology Grants benefit all WIC participants, WIC staff, and WIC vendors. Pregnant and breastfeeding women participating in the WIC Program are encouraged to initiate and sustain breastfeeding by peer counselors funded by Breastfeeding Peer Counseling grants. Program improvements resulting from WIC Infrastructure Grants benefit all WIC participants. Program improvements resulting from WIC Special Project Grants benefit all WIC participants. Only WIC State agencies that administer the WIC Program are eligible. Applicants must submit proper documentation through the FNS funding process to ensure adequate resources are available for project success. Applicants are required to submit a description of the technology/ special Sate project, staffing and budget documents, feasibility studies, cost allocation plans, and any other required documents. A properly executed Federal/State agreement between FNS and the State agency is necessary before funds can be allocated. For WIC EBT and MIS technology grants to States, State agencies submit Advance Planning Documents (APDs) for FNS review and subsequent approval to fund specific activities outlined in the projects while following FNS Handbook 901. Preapplication coordination is required. Technology funding process is supported by the APDs, and once a State agency has an approved APD, they will apply through Grants.gov. This program is excluded from coverage under 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. FNS reviews all WIC technology project documentation to determine if the project meets all FNS Handbook 901 requirements. Funding is provided if the WIC State agency meets all documentation requirements, if outlined spending is necessary and reasonable, and if funding is available. WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling grants are provided to State agencies administering the WIC Program based on an FNS approved plan and the number of pregnant and breastfeeding women participating in the program. Breastfeeding performance bonuses are funded with Breastfeeding Peer Counseling grants. Bonus awards are based upon State agencies that have the highest percentage of fully breastfed infants and/or those that have the greatest improvement of the percentage of fully breastfed infants over the last fiscal year. WIC Infrastructure Grants will be awarded by FNS to State agencies administering the WIC program once proposed projects have been approved based on established evaluation criteria, and deemed necessary, reasonable, and allocable. WIC Special Project Innovation Grants were awarded once proposed projects have been approved based on statutory scope, and deemed necessary, reasonable, and allocable. FNS provided funds to the Council of State Governments, who distributed the funds to the grantees. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines Approval of a State agency's large MIS and/or EBT project can take up to a year for initial approval. Approval determination for Breastfeeding Peer Counseling grant is made within 30 days of submission of a completed plan or amendment. Approval determination for the Infrastructure grants is made approximately 90 days from date of submission. Approval determination for the Special Project Innovation Grants were made approximately 60 to 90 days from date of submission. Not applicable. A no-cost extension (NCE) for a technology grant, must occur within in the timeframe of the terms and conditions of the grant. For all grants issued in 2022 for example, they must submit the request 10 days prior to grant expiration. State agencies use the APD process for project approval and request funding using MIS and EBT funding request protocol. State agencies submit a needs assessment form outlining the type of needs, the year of obligation, estimated cost, need reason and timeframe of completion. Special Project grants are competitive grants. Applications are typically submitted via Grants.gov; however, FY 2021 applications were accepted by the WIC Special Project Innovation Grantee, the Council of State Governments. Applicants, or WIC agencies, must submit proper documentation to FNS for approval before the project begins. There is no application process for Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Grants. To receive funding, State agencies submit their funding requests in the annual State Plan. State agencies must submit a completed Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424), a proposal, and related assurance and certifications as provided by FNS to apply for WIC Infrastructure Grants. WIC Technology Grant funds are used to plan, develop, and implement projects for WIC MIS updates/transfers and EBT processing. Grant funds are used to enhance and improve WIC service provision using technology which will have a positive impact on the nutrition and health of WIC participants. WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Grants are used to administer peer counseling programs based on research-based components of a successful peer counseling program as identified by FNS in the WIC Breastfeeding Support (formerly Loving Support) model. This includes salary, office space and supervision of peer counselors. The use of funds for activities outside of the State agency's approved implementation plan or that are not supported by the WIC Breastfeeding Support model are not authorized. WIC Infrastructure Grants are used to plan, develop, and implement approved special State projects of regional or national significance to improve the program services. The use of Special Project Grant funds is limited to grantee's FNS-approved budget for the project. Not applicable. Not applicable. State agencies must maintain records as necessary to support the use of all grants to States funds in accordance with the Cooperative Agreement. Such records must be retained for a period of 3 years after the date of submission of the final report for the fiscal year to which the records pertain, except that if audit findings have not been resolved, the records shall be retained beyond the three year period as long as required for the resolution of the issues raised by the audit. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. WIC Technology Grant funds are available from 2-5 years, depending on project timeline. Obligations must occur within the specified award period. WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling funds are 2-year funds. WIC Infrastructure Grant funds are 2-year funds. WIC Special Project Grant funds are 2-year funds. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Letter. FNS Regional Offices https://www.fns.usda.gov/fns-regional-offices Mary Rose Conroy
1320 Braddock Place
Alexandria, VA 22314 US
maryrose.conroy@usda.gov
Phone: 7033052746 http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/women-infants-and-children-wic 12-3510-0-1-605 (Formula Grants) FY 22$90,000,000.00; FY 23 est $90,000,000.00; FY 24 est $89,999,999.00; FY 21$90,000,000.00; FY 20$90,000,000.00; - WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Grants and $100,000 in Breastfeeding Performance Bonus Grants.(Project Grants) FY 22$7,537,438.00; FY 23 est $7,000,000.00; FY 24 est $7,000,000.00; FY 21$7,387,867.00; FY 20$5,034,582.00; - WIC Infrastructure Grants(Project Grants) FY 22$2,000,000.00; FY 23 Estimate Not Available FY 24 FY 21$2,000,000.00; FY 20$0.00; - WIC Special Project Innovation Grants.(Project Grants) FY 22$6,959,353.00; FY 23 Estimate Not Available FY 24 est $10,000,000.00; FY 21$6,959,353.00; FY 20$28,270,864.00; - WIC EBT/MIS Grants.(Cooperative Agreements) FY 22$960,972.00; FY 23 Estimate Not Available FY 24 est $0.00; FY 21$960,972.00; FY 20$9,960,972.00; - WIC Breastfeeding Campaign Implementation and Evaluation FY 22: 15 WIC Infrastructure projects were funded ranging from $50,000 to $2,310,612. FY 22: 1 WIC EBT Implementation grant in the amount of $1,032,234 and 11 WIC SAM M&E and SAM PMO grants ranging from $32,000 to $1,791,210 were awarded. FY 22: WIC Special Project Innovation Grants were awarded with project funding ranging from $250,000 to $2,000,000. FY 22: 7 WIC SAM M&E and SAM PMO grants ranging from $136,600 to $1,840,441 were awarded. FY 23: 7 WIC SAM M&E and SAM PMO, MIS and EBT grants ranging from $244,329 to $1,951,072 were awarded. 7 CFR PART 246 and 2 CFR Part 200 Fiscal Year 2019 Technology grants provide funding to support individual State WIC Program MIS and EBT projects as well as multi-State State Agency Model (SAM) projects.
Fiscal Year 2020 Individual State Agency MIS and EBT projects as well as multi-State SAM projects.
Fiscal Year 2021 Individual State agency MIS and EBT projects as well as multi-State SAM projects.
Fiscal Year 2022 EBT and MIS implementation projects and SAM support.
Fiscal Year 2023 EBT and MIS implementation projects and SAM support.
Fiscal Year 2024 EBT and MIS Implementation projects and SAM support