1. Is the Pre-Proposal Meeting mandatory or Optional to attend?

Attendance is optional for the Pre-Proposal Meeting, but is encouraged to provide potential applicants with valuable information on the application, grant goals, and expectations. The Pre-Proposal meeting has been recorded and is now available.

2. Is this a competitive grant process?

Yes. Applications will be scored by a committee of experts using the scoresheets included in the RFGA.

3. I need accomodations or translation services in accessing this grant opportunity. How do I get support?

The Department of Workforce Services is an Equal Opportunity Program.  Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities by calling (801) 526-9240. Individuals with speech and/or hearing impairments may call the Relay Utah by dialing 711. Spanish Relay Utah: 1-888-346-3162. 

4. Are food-producing seeds and plants allowable under the new EFA rules?

Purchase of seeds and plants would not be allowed under the new policy.

5. In the Request for Grant Application, Section III states that “EFN funds may be used for costs associated with providing emergency food services, including operations, transportation, supplies (excluding food or other commodities directly distributed to clients), equipment, capacity building, technical assistance, advocacy, and staffing. Later in the same section, it lists eligible activities under the QEFAF grant include:

B. Distributing food and food ingredients to other agencies and organizations, providing food and food ingredients to low-income persons.

C. Providing food and food ingredients directly to low-income persons.

Could you please clarify whether grant recipients are permitted to use any portion of the funds to purchase food or food ingredients for distribution? If so, is there a recommended or allowable percentage for these purchases?

If not, how are grant recipients expected to obtain the food and ingredients for distribution? Are these provided through another source, and if so, by whom?

The confusion is understandable. One of EFA's funding sources (QEFAF) defines eligible agencies as those nonprofits, associations of governments, or municipalities whose primary purpose is:

1.  Warehousing food or food ingredients;

2.  Distributing food or food ingredients to other agencies and organizations providing food or food ingredients to low income persons; or 

3.  Providing food or food ingredients directly to low-income persons.

The provision of food is an activity of a qualifying agency. EFA funds may be used to support that activity through payment of wages or other operational supports for that activity but may not be used to purchase food or other commodities directly distributed to clients/customers.

6. Next Question?

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