The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $700 million in competitive grant funding will be available through the new Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) grant program to help farmworkers and meatpacking workers with pandemic-related health and safety costs.
The program will provide relief to farmworkers, meatpacking workers and front-line grocery workers for expenses incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This relief is intended to defray costs for reasonable and necessary personal, family or living expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as costs for personal protective equipment (PPE), dependent care and expenses associated with quarantines and testing related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Request for Application (RFA) will be announced in early fall and will be open for 60 days. Additional information and technical assistance for applying to these grants and program updates will be provided by USDA when the application period opens.
Funds will be awarded through grants to state agencies, Tribal entities and non-profit organizations serving farmworkers and meatpacking workers ranging from $5,000,000 to $50,000,000.
USDA is setting aside $20 million for at least one pilot to provide targeted support to front-line grocery workers.
Eligible entities must demonstrate the capacity to reimburse farmworkers and meatpacking workers for up to $600 for expenses incurred due to the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. USDA encourages grant applications that demonstrate trusted communications networks with farmworkers, meatpacking workers and/or front-line grocery workers, as well as strong financial controls. The grant requires applicants to show connectedness to hard-to-reach worker populations either directly or in partnerships with other local organizations. Applicants should be able to describe how they will partner with smaller organizations to facilitate financial relief to such populations.
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will offer technical assistance through one or more partners and webinars for applicants to help them understand the RFA, once it is published. Grants management specialists will be available to answer any incoming questions and emails after the details are announced.
For more information about upcoming webinars, grant eligibility, and program requirements, visit www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/ffwr or contact ffwr@usda.gov.
Applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov. A subsequent press release and materials will detail the deadlines and application procedures.
USDA will also be soon announcing a separate $700 million suite of pandemic safety and response grants for producers, processors, farmers markets, distributors and seafood processors and vessels impacted by COVID-19.