Overview
The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) provides Federal funding for the delivery of science-based or evidence-based education to enable low-income individuals and families to engage in nutritionally sound food purchase and preparation practices.
The objectives of EFNEP are to assist low-income families and youth in acquiring knowledge, skills, attitudes, and changed behaviors necessary for nutritionally sound diets and to contribute to their personal development and improvement of the total family diet and nutritional well-being. EFNEP is authorized by section 1425 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3175), and appropriations are made available pursuant to section 3(d) of the Smith-Lever Act. Funds extend to State Land-grant Colleges and Universities established under the Morrill Act of July 2, 1862, as amended, and the Morrill Act of August 30, 1890, as amended. USDA/NIFA administers this capacity grant.
Request for Applications (RFAs)
EFNEP is a capacity grant. Grantees are required to submit an annual application and Federal Financial Report (SF-425), along with other designated program reporting requirements. The current and previous EFNEP Request for Applications (RFA) is in the link on the right, along with archived RFAs.
Submission Requirements
In addition to the Federal Financial Report, SF-425 that is required by the agency, program planning, budget, and end of year data submission requirements must be met for federal funds to be released. Most, but not all, EFNEP data is collected through a web-based nutrition education evaluation and reporting system (WebNEERS).
The chart below provides an overview of the EFNEP Submission Requirements. Detailed descriptions and instructions can be found in the EFNEP New Coordinator Guide and WebNEERS.
Information on statutory and regulatory responsibilities of recipients of NIFA federal funds is found in NIFA's Federal Assistance Policy Guide.
| Requirement | Due Date | Where to Submit | Other Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity Request for Application (RFA) | 30 days after RFA posted | Grants.gov | |
| Final Budget for current Fiscal Year | 45 days after the EFNEP final allocations are published* | WebNEERS | |
| Annual Update (AU) / 5-Year Plan and Preliminary Budget for next Fiscal Year** | July 1st | WebNEERS | AU: due every year except in years when 5-Year Plans are due 5-Year Plan: due once every 5 years |
| WebNEERS Year End Data | Nov 1st | WebNEERS |
*Actual due dates may vary from year to year. Due dates are not available until the Federal budget is approved and the final EFNEP allocation amounts for each university are calculated. They are announced over the listservs.
**Preliminary Budget and Final Budgets are two separate Reporting Requirements.
EFNEP Reporting Resources
The Policy Guide continues to provide comprehensive guidance on roles and responsibilities, application and review processes, award notification and administration procedures, award terms and conditions, uniform administrative requirements, allowable costs, reporting requirements, close-out...
EFNEP Reporting System The Web-Based Nutrition Education Evaluation and Reporting System (WebNEERS) is a secure system designed, hosted, and maintained by Clemson University. The system provides a variety of reports that are used to guide planning, manage programming, perform diagnostic assessments...