Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FNS OPS SFWS 23
The FY23 School Foodservice Workforce opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number USDA FNS OPS SFWS 23) is a discretionary federal funding solicitation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). It is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the selected recipient is expected to work collaboratively with the agency during the project period rather than operating with minimal federal involvement. The funding activity area is Food and Nutrition, and it is associated with CFDA number 10.579. The purpose is to fund a research project that produces practical, decision-ready information about the school foodservice workforce, with a particular emphasis on worker satisfaction, day-to-day workforce experiences, and the availability and effectiveness of training and professional development.
At its core, the project is meant to build a clearer, evidence-based picture of what it is like to work in school foodservice and what factors shape recruitment, retention, performance, and career growth. The RFA highlights several research directions that applicants can pursue. One major theme is mapping and explaining career pathways in school foodservice, including what training and skill-building opportunities exist, how promotion typically works, and what tenure and retention look like both within a specific employer (such as a school district or school food authority) and across the broader industry. Another theme is identifying the skills workers use on the job by role and examining whether those skills transfer easily to other industries, which can help explain mobility, turnover, and how competitive school foodservice jobs are compared to other employment options. The opportunity also calls for research that measures worker satisfaction and describes workplace conditions, including both how workers perceive their environment and more objective indicators of working conditions. Importantly, the RFA encourages analysis of how these factors differ across job roles, worker demographics, school or School Food Authority (SFA) characteristics, and geography, so the findings can reflect real variation rather than a one-size-fits-all summary.
The agency plans to make a single award, with an expected award ceiling of $1,500,000. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with further clarification referenced in the opportunity's additional eligibility information (not included in the text provided), which typically signals that a range of non-federal entities may be able to apply depending on the detailed eligibility language. The opportunity was created on June 22, 2023, and the original application deadline was August 21, 2023. Overall, the grant is designed to generate actionable research insights that can guide policy, program design, and workforce investments aimed at strengthening the school foodservice workforce and improving working conditions, training pathways, and retention outcomes across different contexts.Apply for USDA FNS OPS SFWS 23
- The Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service in the food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY23 School Foodservice Workforce" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.579.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 22, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 21, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FY23 School Foodservice Workforce (USDA FNS OPS SFWS 23) FAQs
What is the FY23 School Foodservice Workforce opportunity?
It is a discretionary federal funding solicitation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) focused on funding a research project about the school foodservice workforce.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USDA FNS OPS SFWS 23.
What type of award is this?
This opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement means the selected recipient is expected to work collaboratively with USDA FNS during the project period, rather than operating with minimal federal involvement.
What is the funding activity area?
The funding activity area is Food and Nutrition.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 10.579.
What is the main purpose of the project being funded?
The purpose is to fund a research project that produces practical, decision-ready information about the school foodservice workforce, with particular emphasis on worker satisfaction, day-to-day workforce experiences, and the availability and effectiveness of training and professional development.
What kinds of outcomes is USDA FNS looking for from the research?
The project is intended to generate actionable research insights that can guide policy, program design, and workforce investments aimed at strengthening the school foodservice workforce and improving working conditions, training pathways, and retention outcomes across different contexts.
What workforce topics does the solicitation emphasize?
The solicitation emphasizes worker satisfaction, daily workforce experiences, training and professional development, and factors shaping recruitment, retention, performance, and career growth in school foodservice.
Does the opportunity focus on describing what it is like to work in school foodservice?
Yes. A central goal is to build an evidence-based picture of what it is like to work in school foodservice and what factors shape workforce outcomes.
What research directions are highlighted in the RFA?
The RFA highlights multiple directions, including research on career pathways, promotion and advancement patterns, training and skill-building opportunities, tenure and retention, skills used on the job by role, transferability of skills to other industries, worker satisfaction, and workplace conditions.
What does the RFA say about career pathways in school foodservice?
It encourages mapping and explaining career pathways, including what training and skill-building opportunities exist, how promotion typically works, and what tenure and retention look like within a specific employer (such as a school district or School Food Authority) and across the broader industry.
Does the opportunity include studying retention and turnover?
Yes. The opportunity calls for research that helps explain recruitment and retention, including examining tenure, retention patterns, mobility, and turnover.
What does the opportunity say about skills in school foodservice jobs?
It calls for identifying the skills workers use on the job by role and examining whether those skills transfer easily to other industries, which can help explain mobility, turnover, and how competitive school foodservice jobs are compared to other employment options.
Is worker satisfaction a required focus area?
Worker satisfaction is a particular emphasis of the project, along with day-to-day workforce experiences and training and professional development.
What does the RFA mean by workplace conditions?
The RFA includes workplace conditions in two ways: how workers perceive their environment and more objective indicators of working conditions.
Does the solicitation encourage breaking results out by different groups or settings?
Yes. The RFA encourages analysis of how factors differ across job roles, worker demographics, school or School Food Authority (SFA) characteristics, and geography so findings reflect real variation.
What is an SFA in this context?
SFA refers to a School Food Authority, as referenced in the opportunity description.
How many awards does USDA FNS plan to make?
The agency plans to make a single award.
What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount expected?
The expected award ceiling is $1,500,000.
Is this a formula grant or a competitive/discretionary opportunity?
This is described as a discretionary federal funding solicitation.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the opportunity's additional eligibility information (not included in the text provided). This typically indicates a range of non-federal entities may be eligible depending on the detailed eligibility language.
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on June 22, 2023.
What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline was August 21, 2023.
Is this opportunity focused on program operations or research?
Based on the description provided, it is focused on funding a research project intended to produce practical, decision-ready information.
What makes the research "decision-ready" according to the description?
The research is intended to be practical and actionable, supporting decisions related to policy, program design, and workforce investments connected to the school foodservice workforce.
Does the RFA specify that findings should be useful across different contexts?
Yes. It emphasizes analyzing variation across roles, demographics, SFA and school characteristics, and geography, which supports findings that can be applied appropriately across different contexts rather than as a single general summary.
What kinds of comparisons does the opportunity suggest regarding job competitiveness?
It suggests examining whether skills transfer to other industries to help explain mobility and turnover and to understand how competitive school foodservice jobs are compared to other employment options.
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