FY17 SNAP-Ed Community Capacity GrantRequest for Proposal

Vermont Department of Health

Sealed Bid

Request for Proposals

FY17 SNAP-Ed Community Capacity Building Grant

Request for Proposal

Project Title: SNAP-Ed Community Capacity Building Grant

Contract Period: February 1, 2017 - September 30, 2017

Date RFP Issued:December 5, 2016

Bidders Conference: Not applicable

Date of Bid Closing:January 6, 2017, 1:00PM

Date of Bid Opening:January 6, 2017, 2:00PM

Location of Bid Opening: 108 Cherry St., Burlington, VT, 05401, Suite 203

Single Point of Contact: Suzanne Kelley

Contact Address: Vermont Department of Health

Division of Health Promotion & Disease Prevention

PO Box 70, 108 Cherry Street

Burlington, Vermont 05402-0070

Contact Phone: (802) 657-4209

Contact E-mail:

Contents

I. Overview

1.1 SNAP-Ed

1.2 Proposals

1.3 Background and Need Statement

2. Scope of Work

2.1 Approaches

a. The Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF)

b. Social-Ecological Model (SEM)

c. Social Marketing Campaigns

2.2 Grant Requirements

2.3 Performance Measures

3. Proposal Requirements

3.1 Proposal Guidelines

3.2 Timetable

3.3 Questions and Answers

3.4 Proposal Submission

3.5 Proposal Format and Contents

4. Proposal Review

4.1 Method of Award

5. Proposal Evaluation

5.1 Minimum Requirements

5.2 Finalists Presentations

5.3 Method of Award

5.4 Scoring Information

APPENDIX I: Current Vermont SNAP-Ed Strategies

APPENDIX II: Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF)

APPENDIX III: SNAP-Ed Approaches

I. Overview

1.1 SNAP-Ed

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition benefits to eligible low-income households so they can purchase food from authorized food retailers.The FNS mission is to provide needy children and families’ better access to food and a more healthful diet through its food assistance programs and comprehensive nutrition education efforts.

In Vermont, the Department for Children and Families (DCF) administers all SNAP programming. This includes the federal Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention block grant program that FNS calls SNAP-Ed. This program is intended for SNAP participants and others who qualify for SNAP and other means-tested federal assistance programs.

The SNAP-Ed eligible population includes individuals who are:

  • participating in or eligible for SNAP, which is called 3SquaresVT in Vermont but referred to as SNAP for the purpose of SNAP-Ed planning
  • eligible for other federal assistance such as child nutrition programs (e.g., Women, Infants and Children, school meals, summer or child care meal programs) or TANF benefits (called Reach Up in Vermont)
  • served in certain venues likely to reach individuals eligible for SNAP-Ed, such as public housing sites, food banks, or job training program or Parent Child Center sites serving Reach Up participants
  • served in venues where it can be documented that more than 50% of the audience are people in households with incomes at or below 185% of federal poverty limits (FPL), such as schools where >50% of the students qualify for free or reduced price meals, childcare centers, WIC clinics, community centers, or grocery stores with a high volume of SNAP sales.

The SNAP-Ed goal is to improve the likelihood that people eligible for SNAP will make healthy food choices within a limited budget and choose physically active lifestyles consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA food guidance, MyPlate. The federal program focuses on:

•Health promotion to help SNAP-Ed eligible people establish healthy eating habits and physically active lifestyles.

•Primary prevention of diseases to help eligible people with risk factors for diet related chronic disease prevent or postpone the onset of disease by establishing healthier eating habits and more physically active lifestyles.

SNAP-Ed programs are expected to utilize behaviorally-focused, evidence-based physical activity, nutrition education and obesity prevention interventions, projects, or social marketing campaigns consistent with FNS mission and the goal and focus of SNAP-Ed. Nationally, FNS targets three key SNAP-Ed behavioral outcomes:

•Make half your plate fruits and vegetables, at least half your grains whole grains and switch to fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products

•Increase physical activity and reduce time spent in sedentary behaviors as part of a healthy lifestyle

•Maintain appropriate caloric balance during each stage of life

This Guidance references the FY 2017 USDA SNAP-Ed Guidance issued by FNS. If updated federal regulations or guidance are issued, SNAP-Ed projects may need to adjust for compliance where applicable.

1.2 Proposals

The Vermont Department of Health (VDH) is issuing this Guidance on behalf of DCF. The Guidance requires Subrecipients to identify and convene partners from the target population,SNAP eligible parents with children ages 2-12, and key sectors (early childcare, school, retail, health care, worksite, municipality). The Subrecipient(s), with partners, will assessexisting nutrition and physical activity programs and policies, and develop an implementation plan to address identified gaps and improve coordination among services in Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18), which runs from October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019.

The federal SNAP-Ed guidance requires implementation of obesity prevention strategies that address nutrition and physical activity and include a combination of educational strategies accompanied by environmental supports designed to facilitate voluntary adoption of healthy food choices and active lifestyles conducive to the health and well-being of SNAP-Ed eligible people. It states that “SNAP-Ed has the greatest potential to impact obesity prevention related behaviors of the overall low income population when it targets women and children”. It requires SNAP-Ed programs use evidence-based or best-practice informed, behaviorally-focused interventions that maximize impact by focusing on the key behavioral outcomes identified in part 1.1 and that combine direct educational interventions with environmental and/or policy level strategies.

$20,000 will be available to support 1-2 Subrecipients to implement thestrategies described herein during the FY-2017, which runs from October 1,2017 through September 30, 2018.The amount of funding requested needs to be commensurate with the work proposed. Funding will be based upon anticipated Subrecipient performance and available funding. The VDH reserves the right to change the length of the grant period, reduce the amount of the funding award, and/or terminate the grant based on Subrecipient performance, non-compliance with grant terms and conditions, or funding cuts.

The Vermont SNAP-Ed program aims to maximize the coordination and collaboration occurring at multiple levels of interventions, and to serve the greatest possible number of SNAP-Ed eligible women and children.

Subrecipients will be expected to coordinate their SNAP-Ed efforts with other public and privately funded health promotion, physical activity,and nutrition programs, especially federal nutrition programs. Recipients of this funding must:

•be located or work directly with SNAP eligible families in the Barre, Bennington, Newport, Rutland, or St. Johnsbury DCFdistrict areas (1 or several towns from these designated areas may be included)

•have experience with the type of work described in this RFP

•understand issues of disparities related to socioeconomic status in Vermont communities

•be able to reach SNAP-Ed eligible women and children in the targeted region

•have the ability to use actual cost reimbursement method for claiming reimbursement

•conduct all record keeping according to federal, state and program requirements

•have an accounting system that can support expenditures billed to a federal award (accounting system at minimum shall consist of chart of accounts, cash receipts journal

•cash disbursements journal and general ledger)

•have the capacity to manage the required assessment and planning requirementsof the award within the FY-2017time frame

•have the capacity to conduct programming with fidelity

•demonstrate the capacity to coordinate activities with local coalitions or community partnerships in order to address multiple strategies

•have a federal tax ID number or identify a fiscal agent with a federal tax ID number;if a fiscal agent relationship is used, the fiscal agent is the applicant and responsible party for complying with all grant requirements.

1.3 Background and Need Statement

Vermont aims to be one of the healthiest states in which to live, work, and play. Despite our reputation for good health, over half (60%) of Vermont adults are above a healthy weight, placing them at risk for associated chronic conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers.

The overarching goal of the Vermont SNAP-Ed Plan is to increase the extent to which SNAP-Ed eligible residents lead active, healthy, nutritionally sound lifestyles that reflect Dietary Guidelines and MyPlate objectives. Within that broader context, SNAP-Ed initiatives will focus special attention on encouraging more fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity by SNAP-Ed eligible Vermont women with children ages 2-12. The SNAP-Ed Plan objectives are consistent with the following Healthy Vermonter 2020 goals:

  • Reduce the proportion of Vermonters who are obese: adults to 20%, youth to 8% by 2020.
  • Increase the proportion of Vermonters who eat 2+ servings of fruit each day: adults to 45%, youth to 40% by 2020.
  • Increase the proportion of Vermonters who eat 3+ servings of vegetables each day: adults to 35%, youth to 20% by 2020.
  • Decrease the proportion of Vermonters who engage in no leisure time physical activity: adults 21% to 15% by 2020.

The Vermont SNAP-Ed program aims to maximize the coordination and collaboration occurring at multiple levels of interventions, and to serve the greatest possible number of SNAP-Ed eligible women and children. Some of its key objectives are:

  • New partnerships will be established and a collaborative, multi-level, multi-sector obesity prevention initiative addressing nutrition and physical activity aimed at the target population in Vermont’s SNAP-Ed communities will be developed.
  • For each year of the plan term, 15% of direct education participants will indicate intention or actual increase in their daily consumption of fruits or vegetables they are consuming,
  • SNAP-Ed community leaders will identify and engage partners to implement at least one evidence based physical activity intervention reaching the SNAP-Ed target audience that will complement and enhance the nutrition strategies underway.

For the past three years, the State has been funding the Vermont Foodbank and Hunger Free Vermont to conduct evidence based strategies (Appendix I) in the Barre, Rutland, St Johnsbury, Newport and Bennington district areas, referred to as “Vermont’s SNAP-Ed communities”. These communities were selected based on several factors including: household income, rates of obesity and other chronic conditions, and numbers of families eligible for SNAP. The intention of this RFP is to identify a local organization in one of the existing SNAP-Ed communities(those listed above) to identify and convene local partners,assess, and plan for eventual implementation of a coordinated, multi-sector obesity prevention approach.The Subrecipient(s) must include Hunger Free Vermont and the Vermont Foodbank throughout the process to ensure coordination among all SNAP-Ed programs.

2. Scope of Work

2.1 Approaches

This section briefly describes the framework and theoriesthat both the State and FNS use to guide SNAP-Ed programs and activities. Subrecipient(s) will be required use these for their project.

a. The Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF)

The Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) public health planning process is described in detail Appendix II. To meet the grant goals and objectives of this award, the Subrecipient will be expected to lead their community though the first 3 steps of the SPF: Assessment, Capacity Building and Planning to improve fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity among low income women with children ages 2-12.

b. Social-Ecological Model (SEM)

FNS uses the Social-Ecological Model (SEM), also referred to as the Vermont Prevention Model to guide SNAP-Ed programs.

The SEM illustrates how all sectors of society including individuals and families, educators, communities and organizations; health professionals; small and large businesses; and policymakers combine to shape an individual’s food and physical activity choices.

Changing health behaviors at any level is complicated,yet consistent evidence shows thatimplementing multiple changes at various levels of the Social-Ecological Model is effective inimproving eating and physical activity behaviors. Therefore, FNS identifies three approaches based on the SEM that states must implement. These should be included in Subrecipient Implementation Plan, to be implemented in future years. The Subrecipient themselves may or may not be the agency responsible for implementing each strategy but should identify partners who currently are, or can, participate in meeting this requirement.

Approach 1 (required):

  1. Individual or group-based nutrition education, health promotion, and intervention strategies

With Approach 2 and/or Approach 3:

  1. Comprehensive, multi-level interventions at multiple complementary organizational and institutional levels
  2. Community and public health approaches to improve nutrition

See Appendix III, SNAP-Ed Approaches, for detailed description and examples of each of these approaches.

In addition, interventions must be evidence based. SNAP-Ed defines evidence-based as “the integration of the best research evidence with the best available practice-based evidence and is identified using three categories: research-tested, practice-tested, and emerging” (The SNAP Ed Strategies and Interventions: An Obesity Prevention Toolkit for States

c. Social Marketing Campaigns

Social marketing campaigns are an evidence-based strategy to be used in conjunction with interventions at other SEM levels described above.

VDH developed a social marketing campaign based on findings from focus groups that were conducted of the target audience in 2014. The campaign is referred to as “Heathy in a SNAP VT”, Its goal is to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables among low income women and children. Physical activity messaging will be incorporated in FY17.

2.2 Grant Requirements

The Subrecipient must work with the State, Hunger Free Vermont, and the Vermont Foodbank staff to implement the following activities:

A.Build partnerships: Identify, engage and coordinate local partnerships that include individuals, agencies and organizations that work with low income women and children ages 2-12 and can host, implement, or promote nutrition or physical activity strategies.

Potential partners to engage include:

  • SNAP eligible parent(s) of child(ren) 2-12 years old (required)
  • Local Health Department staff(required)
  • Economic Services Division (ESD) District Office
  • Municipal leader(s) – planners, recreation staff, select board member (at least 1 required)
  • Local Community Action Agencyor other community based organizations
  • Local or regional health prevention coalitions and health advocates
  • Early childcare providers
  • Schools: administrator(s),school wellness team, food service director
  • Local employers or business associations
  • Food retailer(s) – grocery stores, corner stores
  • Hospital community outreach programs
  • Community Health Centers, Federally Qualified Health Clinics, Free Clinics
  • Food access organization (farmers market, community garden leads)

B.Conduct a community assessmentof nutrition and physical activity services, programs, infrastructure and polices to identify strengths and gaps.

Subrecipient may use: assessments previously completed, such as Community Health Needs Assessments (no more than five years old),their own assessment tools, or tools recommended by the State. The goal is to understand the needs and what currently exists, or not, related to obesity preventionprograms, services, policies available to the target population in various sectors and various levels of influence across the Vermont Prevention Model.

C.Develop an implementation plan: Based on assessment findings, identify and prioritize strategies needed to fill the gaps to ultimately establish an increasingly comprehensive andcoordinated obesity prevention program for the SNAP-Ed target population.

Review assessment findings and develop a plan that includes SEM approaches and strategies that:

  • engagesmultiple sectors
  • demonstrates coordination among sectors to reach the target population where they live, work, shop, learn, and/or play.
  • includesevidence based nutrition and physical activity strategies.

Plans must include the combination Approaches described in Section 2.1. b. Scope of Work, Social-Ecological Model and must incorporate the Heathy in A SNAP Social Marketing Campaign.

Applicants will be encouraged to use strategies provided in the FNS Toolkit of evidenced-based obesity prevention strategies and interventions appropriate for SNAP-Ed

Note: the Subrecipient may or may not be the agency responsible for implementing identified strategies. Rather, the Subrecipient will lead the assessment and planning phases and identify potential partners to implement strategies incorporating various levels of the SEM.

The Subrecipient will be expected to inform the target audience about physical activity opportunities and nutrition resources available to them, especially SNAP and other FNS nutrition programs.

D. Evaluate and reporton progress toward meeting goals and objectives using formats provided by or approved by the State. This will include close review of how the target population is involved and engaged in the planning process and how they will be reached by the selected interventions.

2.3 Performance Measures

1. To meet Activity A, building partnerships, Subrecipient will submit to the State, evidence of at least 4 partnerships established, through sign-in sheets at meetings, meeting minutes, Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs), or other method.

2. To meet Activity B, community assessment, Subrecipient willsubmit a summary of assessments used and findings (due no later than 6 months into grant year).

3. To meet Activity C, implementation plan, Subrecipient will submit the proposed plan to the State, in a format approved by the State.

4. Written financial reports will identify actual expenditure amounts as compared to the approved line item grant budget. Quarterly program reports will include specific and quantifiable data indicating progress on the planned activities. Special end-of-year reports will contain the evaluation results and participant demographic data that the State must report to FNS. The Subrecipient also will make copies of curricula and other materials used for SNAP-Ed available to the State.