California Department of Education 2017–18 California-grown Grant Instructions
Nutrition Services Division Page 1 of 8
California Department of Education 2017–18 California-grown Grant Instructions
Nutrition Services Division January 5, 2018, Page 1 of 8
Instructions for Completing the
2017–18 California-grown Fresh School Meals Grant Application
Application Requirements
Thegrant application consists of two sections, which the applicant must complete for a school site to be considered eligible for an award. This instructions document is designed to clarify each section and SFAs should reviewit prior to completing their application.
Application Instructions
- Read theInformational Summary.
- Read theInstructionsdocument in its entirety.
- Carefully review the Application Scoring Criteria.
- Complete the Grant Application.
- Submit a completedsigned andhard copy of the Grant Application packet to the California Department of Education (CDE)no later than 5 p.m. onThursday, March 1, 2018.
School Food Authority Information — Section 1: Grant Plan
Use Section 1 to submit information about the school food authority (SFA). Submit only one copy of Section 1.
Form Field / Explanation
Name of SFA / Enter the name of your school district, county office of education (COE), or direct funded charter school.
Vendor Number / Enter the CDE Vendor Number assigned to your agency.
Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) Identification (ID) Number / Enter the CNIPSID number associated with your agreement with the CDE to participate in the Child Nutrition Programs(CNP).
Address / Enter the physical address of the SFA.
City / Enter the city where the SFA is located.
ZIP Code+ 4 / Enter ZIP code, with extension if appropriate.
Name of Food Service Director (FSD) / Enter the name of the FSD or appropriate staff.
E-mail Address of FSD / Enter the e-mail address of the FSD or appropriate staff.
Phone Number of FSD / Enter the phone number of the FSD or appropriate staff, including extension.
Fax Number / Enter the fax number of FSD or appropriate staff.
Name of Superintendent/Administrator / Enter the name of the head of your organization.
Amount Requested for all sites and Number of Sites / Enter the total dollar amount requested for all sitesand the number of sites for which you are applying.
SFA Information — Section 1: Grant Plan Continued
Form Field / Explanation
Board Approval
Is the SFA’s local board approval required before accepting this grant? If yes, is a copy of the board approval enclosed? / Check Yes or No for each question, as appropriate, and attach any required documentation.
Districtwide Percentage of Students Approved for F/RP Meals
Enter the number of students at this district approved for the following eligibility categories as of the last operating day in October 2017. / Enter the number of students eligible for free in 1a,
reduced-pricein 1b,total F/RPin 1c,total district enrollment in 1d, and enter the F/RP percentage in 1e. Preference will be given to sites with a high F/RP enrollment.
What is your anticipated percentage of growth in your meal program if the SFA is awarded this grant? / Enter the number as a percentage that you believe your program might increase because of the new equipment or training provided by this grant.
Net Cash Resources (NCR)
SFA cafeteria fund operating balance as of July 1, 2017 / Enter the balance of your cafeteria fund as of July 1, 2017.
One month average food service operating expense / Enter the amount the SFA spends (on average) in one month on food service. This includes salaries, food, laundry, utilities, janitorial, etc.
One month average × 3 months / Multiply by three the amount the SFA spends (on average) in one month on food service expenses and enter that result.
Excess NCR (3a – 3b) / Subtract 3b from 3a to calculate the sum of the SFA’s excess NCRs and enter that amount in 3c. Please note that SFAs with excess NCRsmay be ineligible for a grant. SFAs with excess NCRsmust include with their application an explanation of why their excess NCRs cannot be used in lieu of grant funds.
Preferences
Signature of authorized official / The district or authorized official must sign and date this form, which certifies that those who have signed the application are in agreement with the information contained within all sections of the application and are eligible to enter into agreements for their agency.
Print or Type Name of Authorized Official / Enter the name of the authorized official.
Title / Enter the title of the authorized official.
Phone Number / Enter the phone number of the authorized official.
Fax Number / Enter the fax number of the authorized official.
E-mail Address / Enter the e-mail address of the authorized official.
Section 2 Site Application —Subsection 1: Site Information
Use Section 2 to submit information about a school site. Submit one copy of Section 2 per site.
Form Field / Explanation
Name of SFA / Provide the name of your school district, COE, or
direct-funded charter school.
County-District-School (CDS) Code / Enter your SFA’s CDS code
CNIPS ID Number / Enter the CNIPS ID number associated with your Program Agreement with the CDE to participate in the CNPs.
Name of Site / List the name of the school site for which you are applying.
CNIPS Site Number / Enter the site number assigned in your CNIPS account, not the SFA CNIPS ID number. The site number can be found to the left of the site name in your CNIPS account listing of participating sites.
Total funds requested for this site / Enter total funds requested for this site (minimum $50,000, not to exceed $125,000)
Is this site the central kitchen or food processing plant for your SFA? / Check the Yes or No box, as applicable.
If yes, is this site also a school where children attend kindergarten through twelfth grade? / Check the Yes or No box, as applicable.
Percentage of Students Approved for F/RP Meals
Enter the number of students at this site approved for the following eligibility categories as of the last operating day in October 2017. / Enter the number of students eligible for free in 2a,
reduced-price in 2b, total F/RP in 2c, total site enrollmentin 2d, and then calculate the total F/RP percentage for 2e by dividing 2c by 2d and multiplying by 100.
Previous Grant Award Recipient
Has this site received a School Breakfast Program (SPB) and Summer Food Service Program Start-up and Expansion Grant(Breakfast Grant) or Equipment Assistance Grant in the last three years? / Check Yes or No, as appropriate. Preference will be given to sites that have not received a Breakfast Grantor Equipment Assistance Grant in the last three years.
School Gardens
Will this site use a school garden and the food grown in that school garden for school meals? / Check Yes or No, as appropriate. Preference will be given to sites that use a school garden and the food grown in that school garden for school meals.
Purchase California-grown Foods
Will this site purchase an increase in California-grown foods beyond their current practices? / Check Yes or No, as appropriate. Preference will be given to sites that reflect an increase in procurement beyond current practices.
Nutrition Education
Will this site provide nutrition education regarding California-grown foods to students? / Check Yes or No, as appropriate. Preference will be given to sites that provide nutrition education to students.
Section 2 Site Application —Subsection 2: Meal Strategies
Form Field / Explanation
- Please explain how the SFA will useCalifornia-grown foods (any of the meal pattern food components) for school meals in accordance with the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or SBP
- Describe how the SFA will expand the number of freshly prepared school meals using these grant funds
- Describe how your SFA will partner with community-based or nonprofit organizations to provide California-grown food to your students
- Define the SFA’s geographic preference standard
Section 2 Site Application —Subsection 3: Equipment
Form Field / Explanation
Name of SFA / Enter the name of the sponsoring school district, COE, or direct funded charter school.
Name of Site / Enter the name of the school site.
Enter the total amount below that you are requesting for equipment at this site. Include tax, shipping, installation, removal of old equipment, etc. / Enter amount in whole dollars only and include tax, shipping, installation, removal of old equipment, etc. Do not include professional development
Equipment name/type / Enter the name or type of equipment you are applying for.
Amount requested / Enter the amount requested for each piece of equipment
Explanation of how the equipment will expand the number of freshly prepared healthy school meals that comply with the meal patterns / Explain how the equipment willexpand the number of freshly prepared healthy school mealsthat comply with the meal patterns. Use extra pages as needed. Please see the list of allowable and unallowable costs on pages 5–6 below.
Section 2 Site Application — Subsection 4: Professional Development
Form Field / Explanation
Name of SFA / Enter the name of the sponsoring school district, COE, or direct-funded charter school.
Name of Site / Enter the name of the site.
Enter the description of any one-time costs for professional development (e.g., culinary training, menu planning, food safety classes, garden planning, etc.) in the implementation of healthy school meals for NSLP and/or SBP
Briefly describe how the professional development will support or expand healthy school meal participation / Enter a description of the professional developmentand how it will help food service employees to promote, prepare, and implement California-grown healthy school meals that comply with the meal patterns. Clearly itemize what you plan.
For example, if you are implementing a school garden and want to train employees on growing foods in the garden, please itemize how much you plan to spend on books, software, supplies for the training, paper and printing costs, etc. Using generic terms such as “flyers—$200”, may result in loss of grant funds. Please see list of allowable and unallowable costs below.
Enter the total amount requested / Enter the total amount of funding requested forprofessional development.
Use of Grant Funds
The CDE will allow equipment purchases as long SFAs dedicate its use exclusively to food service and it serves to expand the number of California-grown freshly prepared school meals. Conversely, any equipment that will be used by another program and not operated exclusively by food service, and will not expand the number of California-grown freshly prepared school meals, is not an allowable expense. For example, if the SFA purchases a vehicle that will be used by food service to transport food items or meals,but it is also used for nonfood service activities, the cost of the vehicle is not an allowable purchase with these grant funds.
The CDE will not pay SFAs for services or equipment without a copy of the vendor’s invoice or receipts and purchase requisitions. An invoice has a unique invoice number on it and is signed by an SFA representative per their procurement policies. Purchase orders and packing lists may notbe used in lieu of invoices or receipts.SFAs must incur all allowable expenses within the designated grant period.
Allowable Costs
Allowable expenses are nonrecurring costs usedwhenexpanding the number of California-grown freshly prepared school meals and include:
- Food service equipment purchases; for example, an SFA may use awarded funds to upgrade its stove if the current stove is too small to adequately prepare California-grown foodsor meals to serve students.
- Supplies or equipment needed to offer California-grown fresh fruits and vegetables that meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture school meal pattern; for example, fruit bars, smoothie machines, blenders, fruit baskets, additional foodstorage, fruit and vegetable washers, etc.
- Nutrition education; for example, an SFA may use awarded funds to provide taste tests, garden education, maps of meal ingredient sources in California, or integration with Harvest of the Month.
- Food service training costs related toCalifornia-grownfoods; for example menu planning, garden development training, nutrition classes, vendor charges for point-of-sale(POS) software or training.
- Incidental equipment installation costs in accordance with California Education Code Section 38091.
Unallowable Costs
Unallowable expenses are recurring costs or costs for equipment or servicesthat are not used exclusively for the expansion of the number of California-grown freshly prepared school meals and include:
- Salaries and benefits, travel costs, subscriptions, and membership and conference fees
- Fees for required training and process certifications, such as ServSafe
- Capital outlay for building walls, rooms, or flooring, and capital expenditures that increase the useful life or value of a facility
- Office equipment and supplies such as desks, chairs, staples, pens,pencils, paper clips, writing tablets, etc.
- Computers that are not part of a POS system
- Travel related expenses such as lodging, meals, mileage, etc. for vendors—even if the costs are associated with training
The CDE will evaluate miscellaneous kitchen supply requests on a case-by-case basis to determine if they actually contribute to or accommodate an increase in participation. Items such as can openers, knives, cutting boards, oven mitts, floor mats, etc., generally do not meet the intent of the grant for expanding the number of California-grown fresh school meals.
The cost of equipment for central kitchens or kitchens that prepare meals for other kitchens, including food transport vehicles, must be prorated among all sites that will use or benefit from the equipment or vehicle, including sites not requesting grant funds.
Note:The CDE reserves the right to deny any expenditure that is not allowable or is inappropriate under this grant, even though the CDE may have initially approved the expenditure based on preliminary information provided in the application.
All purchases made under these grants are the property of the SFA and must be returned to the SFA if the site for which the equipment was purchased is no longer participating in the CNPsunder the SFA’s agreement.
Terminating Awards
If a grant is awarded based on information in the application and the recipient subsequently changes the plan and requests equipment unrelated to the original plan described in the application, the CDE may terminate the grant. Examples of changes that would result in the loss of grant funds includeif an SFA:
- Requests funds for transport bags to provide fresh fruit and vegetables as part of the Breakfast in the Classroom program, then after the award, requests a stationary salad bar instead of transport bags.
- Requests to purchase a cart to serve fresh California-grown foods, and then requests to replace a broken refrigerator instead of purchasing the cart.
assurances
Please read the entire General Assurances document located on the CDE Funding Forms Web page at
drug-free workplace
All SFAs participating in any of the CNPs have signed a Permanent Single Agreement (PSA), and by doing so have agreed to all terms and conditions listed in the document. On page 10 of the PSA, the section titled “Certification regarding state and federal drug-free workplace requirements” states that applicants certify to provide a drug-free workplace. No further action is required.
certifications regarding debarment, suspension, and lobbying
SFAs are prohibited from contracting with a vendor that has been debarred, proposed for debarment, or suspended. SFAs must require any potential vendor to include a certification statement with each bid of $25,000 or more. The bidder certifies that neither it nor any of its key employees have been proposed for debarment, debarred, or suspended by a federal agency. The SFA should retain bidder certifications with bid responses. Suspension and Debarment Certification information is available on the Procurement in Child Nutrition Programs Web page at
application scoring criteria
The Application Scoring Criteria can be downloaded as a CDE Web document on the CDE Funding Web page at
appeals process
Applicants that wish to appeal a grant award decision can download the Nutrition Services Division appeals process as a CDE Web document on the CDE Funding Web page at
good standing
SFAs must be in good standing in all Child Nutrition Programs in which they operate. If an agency is currently participating in any of the federal child nutrition programs, they must be in good standing in the operation of those programs administered by the California Department of Education (CDE) and in compliance with all related regulations during the application process and anytime during the course of the grant period. This means that an agency cannot be documented as having an open serious deficiency in its operation of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) or the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and cannot have an active reimbursement hold in the School Nutrition Programs (SNP) related to non-submission of or unacceptable corrective action documentation (Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations [7 CFR], sections 226.6[c][3][iii], 225.11[c], and 210.24 respectively).
Application Submission