The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering funding through the FY2025 McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, aimed at enhancing food security and literacy in developing countries. This program seeks to support initiatives that provide nutritious school meals and improve health practices, particularly for girls, through the procurement of agricultural commodities and the provision of financial and technical assistance. With an estimated total program funding of $240 million available for approximately eight cooperative agreements over five years, eligible applicants—including private voluntary organizations, cooperatives, intergovernmental organizations, and governments of developing countries—are encouraged to submit detailed proposals by the application deadline of April 18, 2025. For further inquiries, applicants can contact Lindsay Carter at ppded@usda.gov or call (202) 236-1095.

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The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, under the USDA/FAS, announces its funding opportunity for fiscal year 2025, aiming to enhance food security and literacy in developing countries through school feeding and nutrition programs. The program allows eligible applicants, including private organizations and government agencies, to seek funding totaling up to $240 million over five years, focusing on various countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, and Pakistan.

Applicants must submit detailed proposals showcasing their plans to provide educational support and improve health practices through local and regional procurement of food. The applications will be assessed based on comprehensive criteria such as program-specific objectives, sustainability, organizational capacity, and monitoring and evaluation strategies. Key dates include a deadline for questions by April 11, 2025, and the application submission deadline on April 18, 2025. 

The McGovern-Dole program prioritizes impactful initiatives that provide nutritious school meals while fostering lasting improvements in academic performance and health among participating children. Overall, this funding opportunity seeks to create significant advancements in education and nutrition within underprivileged communities globally, thereby contributing to broader efforts against hunger and poverty.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), International Food Assistance Division, McGovern-Dole Branch announces this funding opportunity to support the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (McGovern-Dole) by issuing new awards. This funding opportunity is available to: Private Voluntary Organizations (see 7 CFR 1599.2) Cooperatives; Intergovernmental Organizations; Governments of developing countries and their agencies; and Other organizations. This funding opportunity is intended to improve food security, reduce the incidence of hunger, and improve literacy and primary education, particularly with respect to girls, through procurement of agricultural commodities, the provision of financial and technical assistance, and provision of maternal, infant, and child nutrition programs. All McGovern-Dole projects provide school feeding through a combination of U.S.-donated and locally and regionally procured commodities and address the two strategic program objectives 1) Improved Literacy of School-Aged Children, and 2) Increased Use of Health, Nutrition and Dietary Practices. McGovern-Dole projects also provide context-specific complementary activities that support these program objectives. USDA/FAS expects to enter into multiple new cooperative agreements under McGovern-Dole to make awards totaling no more than $240,000,000 subject to the availability of funding. These awards will be for approximately five-year projects.

Lindsay Carter, McGovern-Dole Director &lt;br/&gt;Phone: (202) 236-1095  &lt;br/&gt;Email address: ppded@usda.gov &lt;br/&gt;Website: https://www.fas.usda.gov/food-aid-information-system &lt;br/&gt;Hours of Operation: Monday&#8211;Friday 9:00 A.M. &#8211; 5:00 P.M. ET

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