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FY 2026 CN Technology Innovation Grant for Child and Adult Care Food Program Integrity

Food and Nutrition Service · Opportunity USDA-FNA-CN-TIG-2026

Who can apply

• State governments

Eligible Applicants:In FY 2026, 57 State agencies are administering CACFP and, therefore, are eligible to apply for the FY 2026 TIG-CACFP. The term State agency means:1) the State educational agency; and 2) any other agency of the State which has been designated by the Governor or other appropriate executive or legislative authority of the State and approved by USDA to administer CACFP. In States with more than one State agency, the State agency operating CACFP may coordinate with another agency within their State that operates the CNPs, but the CACFP agency must be the primary. The CACFP agency will be responsible for submitting an application and meeting grant requirements, if awarded.Entities that do not meet the eligibility definition will be deemed ineligible and removed from competition without further consideration.

About this opportunity

Executive Summary Under the leadership of Secretary Brooke Rollins, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is committed to supporting State innovation, developing and implementing modernized systems, and minimizing instances of fraud, waste, and program abuse. To advance these priorities, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) is excited to announce the availability of $8.7 million to provide competitive grants to State agencies to strengthen the integrity of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Through the Technology Innovation Grant for CACFP Integrity (TIG-CACFP), as authorized under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (Public Law 119-4), States will have the opportunity to design and implement modernized information technology (IT) solutions that improve program operations, enhance accountability, and drive lasting improvements in CACFP integrity. Program Description FNA is investing grant funds to strengthen CACFP integrity and ensure that eligible children and adults who receive care at participating child care centers, day care homes, and adult day care centers receive the full benefit of the program. Recent high-profile fraud cases have demonstrated the urgent need for stronger safeguards to restore and maintain public confidence in CACFP. Although most program operators seek to comply with program rules in good faith, fraud—even when infrequent—undermines public confidence in government programs and jeopardizes their ability to serve the individuals who are in greatest need of assistance. Accordingly, FNA is committed to supporting State agency efforts to combat fraud, waste, and abuse. The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (Public Law 119-4) authorized funding for grants to States for the purposes of developing, implementing, and improving modernized information technology (IT) systems used to operate and manage the Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs). In previous years, Technology Innovation Grants (TIGs) have been provided on both a competitive and non-competitive basis. This competitive Request for Applications (RFA) is a new initiative specifically for modernizing systems that operate and manage CACFP to improve program integrity and accountability. State agency applicants should review the RFA thoroughly to ensure full understanding of the updated requirements and procedures. The TIG-CACFP will provide funds to CACFP State agencies for projects to develop, implement, and improve IT systems used to operate and manage CACFP. This grant opportunity is intended to encourage State agencies that administer CACFP to propose innovative technology solutions that improve program integrity, accountability, and efficiencies at both the State and local levels. Further, FNA encourages applicants to propose projects that will support implementation of the CACFP integrity strategies outlined in the February 11, 2026, letter titled Promoting Stronger Program Integrity and Oversight in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). public link: https://www.fna.usda.gov/cacfp/state-integrity-letter Key strategies include: · Using the onboarding process to help prevent bad actors from participating in CACFP. · Training for institutions in program integrity. · Monitoring, investigating, and correcting issues to support effective management of institutions. · Using the serious deficiency and suspension process as required. · Reviewing reimbursement claims for signs of program abuse. State agencies administering the CACFP maintain automated systems at the State level that rely on operational data from the local levels including, but not limited to, program applications, eligibility certifications, verification, meal counting and claiming, menu planning, program monitoring, and program reporting. CACFP Sponsoring Organizations (SOs) typically use automated systems, manual systems, or a combination thereof to capture the local program data reported to the State agency. In some States, local agencies may be using 30 or more different software systems to submit program data to the State agency. Others still rely on manual, paper-based methods to capture and report Program data or to receive information from the site level. These inconsistencies create duplication of effort, increase the risk of errors, and reduce visibility of program operations for monitoring purposes. The TIG-CACFP can be used to bridge such gaps by modernizing automation, improving the integrity of CACFP and minimizing risk of fraud, waste, and abuse. The TIG-CACFP can be used to bridge such gaps by modernizing automation, improving the integrity of CACFP and minimizing risk of fraud, waste, and abuse. For example, the funds could be used to support activities such as: · Enhance automated edit checks to validate data accuracy and consistency across program applications, meal claims, and monitoring reports, reducing errors and strengthening CACFP integrity. · Develop seamless interfaces that connect SOs systems with the State system in such a way that they perform seamlessly without duplicating effort yet remain as separate systems. · Improve State and SO systems to better comply with USDA/FNA, State, and local requirements by incorporating automated compliance checks, standardized reporting formats, and real-time validation tools. · Provide sub-grants to SOs for software to implement automated electronic systems for CACFP. · Enhance State and/or SO systems to be able to upload documentation for applications and reimbursement claims, bank records, support disaggregated data, review meal claim forms electronically, improve edit checks, improve record keeping. · Create a virtual statewide training system where the State agency provide SOs/sites access to program modules. · Expand existing State systems to allow for the routine monthly collection, maintenance, and analysis

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