Department of Agriculture’s FNS Grant for SNAP E&T National Partnership Capacity Building

FNS intends to make available approximately $5 million to support grants to non-profit national organizations with broad member or affiliate networks that provide direct workforce development services to low-income and low-skilled individuals, including SNAP participants. Grant funds will be used to support new organizational capacity to provide to network members or affiliates training and other technical assistance so that network members or affiliates may become third-party SNAP E&T providers.

Allowable activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Organizing and convening conferences or meetings with network members or affiliates;
• Developing peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities or platforms;
• Developing materials such as toolkits, checklists, and curriculum;
• Sharing best practices through webinars or site visits; and
• Providing professional development opportunities for member or affiliate staff.

 Training and technical assistance to network members or affiliates may cover issues such as, but not limited to, guidance on:

• Policy and programmatic fundamentals about the SNAP E&T program;
• The role of State SNAP agencies in administering the SNAP E&T program;
• Information technology, administrative, fiscal, and other infrastructure needs related to becoming a SNAP E&T third-party provider;
• Organizational strengths or weaknesses related to becoming a SNAP E&T provider and providing SNAP E&T services;
• The provision of case management and participant reimbursements to E&T participants; and
• Best-practices for providing employment and training services to SNAP participants and moving them toward economic self-sufficiency.

Funds cannot be used to provide direct services, for existing organizational activities, or for regular, on-going operating costs. Funds must be used to create new organizational capacity, including staff and other infrastructure needs, to provide SNAP E&T technical assistance and training to network member or affiliate organizations.

Grantees, via one or more of their member or affiliate organizations, must have demonstrated expertise providing SNAP E&T services. Grantees must also have, across multiple member or affiliate organizations, demonstrated expertise moving low-income and low-skilled individuals, including SNAP participants, toward economic self-sufficiency.