UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MCGOVERN-DOLE INTERNATIONAL FOOD FOR EDUCATION AND CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM
This USDA grant funds projects in select countries to improve food security, reduce hunger, and boost literacy by providing US agricultural commodities and nutrition programs, especially for school-aged children and girls.
Funder: Foreign Agricultural Service
Due Dates: June 12, 2026 (questions due) | June 22, 2026 (applications due)
Funding Amounts: $10M–$35M per award | Up to $240M total program funding | ~7 awards | 5-year projects
Summary: Supports projects to improve food security, reduce hunger, and enhance literacy and primary education (especially for girls) in developing countries through school feeding and nutrition programs using U.S. agricultural commodities.
Key Information: No cost share/match required; priority given to specified countries; strong compliance and sustainability focus.
Description
This opportunity from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service funds the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, which aims to boost food security, reduce hunger, and improve literacy and primary education—especially for girls—in low-income, food-deficit countries. Projects must use U.S.-provided agricultural commodities for school feeding, may include some locally or regionally procured foods, and should incorporate complementary activities such as health, nutrition, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), and deworming. Sustainability and a clear plan for “graduation” of activities to local ownership are essential, as is robust oversight to minimize fraud and waste. While applications for non-priority countries are accepted, funding will be prioritized for projects in Bolivia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Guinea, Honduras, Liberia, and Timor-Leste.
