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Healthy food environments

A variety of brightly colored vegetables laid out on a wooden table

RFA #41106 Healthy Food Incentive Program

  • The deadline to apply for RFA #41106 closed on December 30, 2022.

Funding opportunity details

  • RFA #41106 was created to fund a statewide not-for-profit organization to provide healthy eating incentives to Colorado’s low-income populations. 
  • The funds were to be used for improving access to fresh Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables ensuring more families have access to healthy food, local farmers gain new customers, and more food dollars stay in the community. 
  • The General Assembly intended that the statewide not-for-profit organization awarded can use a portion of this appropriation for administrative expenses up to 5% (e.g., personal services, supplies, and operating expenses). The remainder of these funds are solely for healthy eating incentives.

Awarded organization

Nourish Colorado currently holds the contract for this work and is administering two programs with the funding:

  • Colorado Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP)
    • Colorado Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) provides produce via Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares, i.e. Colorado produce boxes, delivered to participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Older Adult Congregate Meal Program. 
  • Double Up Food Bucks Program
    • Double Up Food Bucks Program doubles the value of SNAP benefits spent at participating farmer’s markets and food retail stores by providing up to $20/day in additional SNAP dollars for every dollar spent on fruits and vegetables, helping people bring home more healthy fruits and vegetables while supporting local farmers. This program is also funded via the USDA’s Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program which goes to the nonprofit and could match up to $5 million over a three-year grant cycle.

The contract period is July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2029.
 

 

  

Future funding opportunities

The next funding opportunity will open in the Fall of 2027 for an award to begin July 1, 2028.

Healthier food and beverage initiatives

Promising strategies underway in Colorado include increasing the availability of healthier food in retail stores, including corner stores or small grocery stores, and promoting the adoption of food service guidelines and nutrition standards in hospitals and state agencies. For more information about these and other strategies, visit the CDC's Healthy Food Environment webpage.

Additional resources

  • Changelab Solutions
  • The Food Trust
    • The Food Trust is a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food and information to make healthy decisions.
  • Healthy Food Access Portal
    • Healthy Food Access Portal provides data and resources to support the successful planning and implementation of policies, programs, and projects to improve access to healthy foods, including funding opportunities and successful retail strategies.