Data and Technical Assistance (DATA) Grants Program | USDA FNS SNAP 21 DATA

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FNS SNAP 21 DATA

The Data and Technical Assistance (DATA) Grants Program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), focused on strengthening how states collect, manage, and report data for the SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program. The main goal is to help state SNAP agencies build or upgrade the data systems and processes they need to accurately track participant outcomes, especially employment and earnings, and to meet federal reporting requirements in a more reliable and efficient way. A central emphasis of the program is moving states toward using administrative data sources, particularly Quarterly Wage Record (QWR) information, as the preferred method for measuring employment and earnings outcomes for SNAP E&T participants and former participants.

A key point in this funding announcement is that FNS wants states to transition away from long-term reliance on random sampling approaches for collecting outcome information. Random sampling is described as an interim solution used while states work toward implementing administrative data connections and systems. Because of that, proposals that treat random sampling of participants or former participants as a permanent or long-term strategy will not be considered for funding. In practical terms, the program is encouraging investments that create sustainable, system-based access to outcomes data rather than ongoing manual or survey-based workarounds.

The grants are designed to improve states' ability to report outcome measures for SNAP E&T, meet performance and reporting expectations, and support more data-driven program management. Proposed projects are expected to directly increase a state's capacity to track participant outcomes accurately and efficiently, improve understanding of what strategies actually raise employment and earnings for SNAP E&T participants, and/or strengthen a state's ability to use outcomes data for continuous improvement of its SNAP E&T services. Another important restriction is that funds cannot be used to pay for the ongoing costs of existing operations; the grant is meant for development, improvement, and capacity-building work rather than sustaining routine program functions already in place.

FNS frames eligible project uses broadly to cover the full lifecycle of outcomes data: development, collection, reporting, analysis, and practical use for program decisions. Applicants can propose one or more of the following major activities. First, training and capacity building, including efforts that specifically improve SNAP E&T data quality, staff capability, and internal practices for managing and validating outcomes data. Second, information technology (IT) systems development that supports the collection, reporting, and analysis of SNAP E&T data, which can include building system interfaces, improving data integration, and enabling better reporting pipelines using administrative wage data. Third, continuous program improvement activities aimed at making SNAP E&T services more effective and efficient in helping SNAP participants move toward stable, quality employment. Applicants are allowed to combine these purposes, but they must clearly explain how they intend to use the funds and how the work will strengthen outcomes tracking and program performance.

Administratively, this opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number USDA-FNS-SNAP-21-DATA and falls under CFDA 10.537 (Food and Nutrition). Eligible applicants are state governments and county governments. The original posting date was February 22, 2021, with an original closing date of April 29, 2021. FNS anticipated making about 9 awards, with an award ceiling of $1,000,000 per award. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an investment in modernizing and strengthening SNAP E&T outcomes infrastructure so states can rely on high-quality administrative data, report results with confidence, and use those results to improve services and employment outcomes for participants.

• The Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service in the food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Data and Technical Assistance (DATA) Grants Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.537.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 22, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 29, 2021. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 9 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments.

Apply for USDA FNS SNAP 21 DATA

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