California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP)

The California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP), administered by the Office of Farm to Fork within the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), is offering competitive grant funding through its 2025 CNIP Expansion for the WIC, WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP), and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). This initiative is grounded in state legislation and federal partnership through GusNIP, and it aims to increase access to healthy, California-grown fruits and vegetables for low-income and nutrition benefit-eligible individuals. The purpose of the 2025 CNIP Expansion is to provide funding to distribute monetary incentives for the purchase of California-grown produce by participants using benefits from WIC, WIC FMNP, or SFMNP at Certified Farmers’ Markets. This funding opportunity focuses especially on projects that reach underserved populations, particularly those in low-access areas or communities with high rates of diet-related diseases. The program supports both direct incentive distribution and technical support for transitioning to electronic benefit systems. There are two tracks available in the current grant cycle. Track 1 supports both incentive distribution and related services such as outreach and training for using the new electronic benefit platforms. Track 2 funds only technical assistance and outreach, without direct incentive distribution. The 2025 grant cycle will be the first in which SFMNP benefits will be distributed exclusively electronically, and WIC FMNP is transitioning to an electronic card system. Participating vendors will need access to smart devices and internet to accept these benefits. Eligible applicants include Certified Farmers’ Markets authorized to accept the targeted benefits and nonprofit organizations working in collaboration with those markets. All applicants must agree to comply with CDFA’s evaluation and reporting requirements and must be in good standing with related state and federal programs. The total anticipated funding for the 2025 cycle is $750,000, with grants starting as early as April 1, 2025, and funds to be expended by December 31, 2025. This is a reimbursement-based program, and while cost sharing is not mandatory, it is encouraged and evaluated in the review process. Proposals must be submitted via email by December 16, 2024, at 5:00 PM PT, using the subject line “2025 California Nutrition Incentive Program Expansion Proposal.” All application materials must be submitted in a single email, and incomplete or late submissions will not be accepted. Applications will be evaluated in two phases: an administrative review for eligibility and completeness, and a technical review based on defined criteria including community reach, operations, previous experience, partnerships, and budget effectiveness. Awards will be announced in January 2025. The grant program includes regular reporting requirements, including monthly incentive reports for Track 1 grantees and a final report for all grantees.