FY23 School Foodservice Workforce | USDA FNS OPS SFWS 23

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.

• 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).

Apply for USDA FNS OPS SFWS 23

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