Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS) | USDA AMS 10185 CPLFS000 22 0001

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA AMS 10185 CPLFS000 22 0001

The Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS) is a USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) funding opportunity designed to help state governments buy and distribute domestically produced, locally grown foods for schools. The core purpose is to strengthen local and regional food supply chains by directing school food purchasing toward nearby producers and businesses, while also expanding market access for small businesses and for farmers and producers who are socially disadvantaged. In practice, the program uses cooperative agreements to support states as they set up or expand purchasing and distribution systems that move local food into K-12 school channels.

A central feature of LFS is that funding is awarded to state governments only, with AMS making a single award per state. This means that if multiple agencies within a state want to run or help manage the program, they are expected to coordinate and submit a unified approach rather than competing applications. While eligibility is limited to states, the program is structured to allow and encourage partnerships. States may work with local or regional organizations, such as food hubs, producer cooperatives, distributors, nonprofit partners, or other entities that can help with aggregation, processing, storage, transportation, procurement, and delivery into school nutrition programs.

The program emphasizes purchases from three key groups: local producers, small businesses, and socially disadvantaged farmers and producers. AMS signals a strong preference for applications that intentionally benefit these groups and that include them in project design. In other words, states are encouraged not just to buy food from these suppliers, but to engage them early so the program reflects real-world needs and reduces barriers to participation, such as procurement complexity, packaging requirements, insurance, food safety documentation, or delivery logistics.

LFS also aims for lasting impact beyond the period of federal funding. AMS specifically indicates that it wants the purchasing relationships and distribution channels created through the program to continue after the cooperative agreement ends. That makes the program as much about building durable market connections and infrastructure as it is about the immediate purchase of food. Competitive applications would typically be expected to show how the state will sustain supplier relationships, maintain procurement pathways, and keep schools connected to local sources once the initial investment is over.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, LFS is a mandatory funding opportunity using the cooperative agreement instrument, which generally implies a more active federal partnership than a standard grant. The total amount available nationally is up to $200 million, supported by funds authorized under Section 5(c) of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 USC 714c(c)). The opportunity is listed under CFDA number 10.185 (Agriculture, Food and Nutrition) and is administered by USDA AMS. The funding opportunity number is USDA AMS 10185 CPLFS000 22 0001. The posting indicates an expected 50 awards, aligning with the one-award-per-state structure. The notice also lists an award ceiling of $0, which typically signals that the ceiling is not specified in that field rather than implying no funding, with the overall pool capped at the national total.

Key dates in the source notice show a creation date of March 17, 2022 and an original closing date of June 17, 2022. The full announcement provides the eligibility requirements, required application forms, and instructions that states must follow to apply for an LFS cooperative agreement, along with guidance on how projects should be structured to prioritize local purchasing, support targeted producer groups, and deliver food to schools effectively.

• The Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service in the agriculture, food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.185.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 17, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 17, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for USDA AMS 10185 CPLFS000 22 0001

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