Request for Applications
Taste of CA Standardized Recipe Challenge Grant
Note: The due date for the request for applications has passed. This page is for reference and administration of funding.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) awarded the California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) the 2021 Team Nutrition (TN) Training Grant for School Meal Recipe Development in the amount of $300,000. The TN Taste of California Standardized Recipe Challenge (Taste of CA Challenge) grant total for school food authorities (SFA) is $266,000. The NSD will award up to 24 SFAs $8,500 to $24,000 to develop standardized recipes. These recipes must use locally grown products, with an emphasis on connecting healthy school meals with nutrition and food literacy education. Finally, the successful applicants will engage the community in their recipe development process and collect their feedback during recipe promotional or educational events as well as normal meal service.
Program Questions: Crystal Young, email: cyoung@cde.ca.gov, phone: 916-322-3435
Downloading Questions:
Taste of CA Challenge grant team, email:
CArecipes@cde.ca.gov
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
Online Application
 |
Online grant application using Snap Survey. Printable version available for content review. The NSD will only accept online applications. |
| Grant Eligibility | Details of who is eligible to apply for the grant and the minimum criteria that must be met in order to receive a grant. |
| Taste of CA Challenge Project Guidelines | Guidelines to help SFAs complete the grant application and effectively implement the Taste of CA Challenge grant. All SFAs that receive a Taste of CA Challenge grant must follow these guidelines and comply with the budget requirements. |
| Instructions | Instructions to complete the online grant application. |
| Funding Profile | Public notification of the grant program and funding information. |
| Grant Evaluation and Scoring | The NSD will evaluate applications under this competition criteria to select grantees after screening all applications for required information. |
| Resources | Useful resources for the grant. |
| Grant Appeal Request Form (PDF) | Grant Appeal Procedures and Request Form may be used to file an official appeal after grant recipients have been posted. |
| How to Apply for the TN Taste of CA Challenge Grant YouTube Recording
(Video; 46:08) |
A YouTube recording of the informational webinar NSD presented on January 12, 2021 that reviewed the application process and resources available. |
| How to Apply for the TN Taste of CA Challenge Grant Webinar Slides (PPTX) | A printable version of the informational webinar NSD presented on January 12, 2021 that reviewed the application process and resources available. |
| Taste of CA Challenge Grant Request for Applications Handbook (DOCX) | A printable version of the grant overview, program guidelines, instructions, and resources. |
Certifications and Assurances
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| General Assurances and Certifications | Required as a condition of receiving funds. Applicants do not need to sign and return them with the application; they must be downloaded and kept on file for compliance reviews, complaint investigations, or audits. Applicants that participate in the Consolidated Application should have a copy on file and do not need another copy. Program-specific assurances are not included here and should be listed separately on the Request for Applications. |
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