*Updated April 19, 2022
The Youth and Family Empowerment (YFE) Division of the City of Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is seeking applications from organizations and farmers interested in food equity for Seattle Preschool Programs serving low-income children and families. This Farm to Table Support Services RFP invests in healthy, local, sustainable, culturally relevant food access and education in approximately 50 Seattle Preschool Programs located across the City of Seattle serving 2,000 children ages 3-5 years old. This RFP investment has two program components:
Component 1- Nutrition Education: Increase education on healthy, nutritious, and culturally relevant foods for children, families, and staff in Seattle Preschool Programs:
- Increase nutrition awareness
- Reduce health disparities among preschool children and their families
- Increase connections and relationships between farmers, children, and families
- Increase education about water consumption
Component 2- Farm to Family Food Bags: Increase access and consumption of fresh and local produce to Seattle Preschool Program children, families, and staff by providing take-home Farm to Family Food Bags including:
- Food that is culturally relevant
- Food sourced from Washington State farmers
- Food sourced from farms owned and operated by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers and business owners, immigrants and refugees, and women
Applicants may apply for one or both program component(s). All funded organizations in both program components will be required to participate in a community-based program evaluation designed by program participants and facilitated by a community-based evaluator.
This RFP is investing approximately $839,815 from the following sources: $766,158 in Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax (SBT) funding and $73,657 in City of Seattle General Fund. Initial funding will be for the period of January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.
While it is the City’s intention to renew agreements resulting from this funding opportunity on an annual basis through the 2026 program year, future funding will be contingent upon performance and funding availability. HSD seeks to contract with a diverse group of providers to help ensure that the result of HSD’s Farm to Table Support Services investment is that all people living in Seattle can meet their basic needs.
This is an open and competitive process. For more information, and all RFP materials, please visit HSD’s Funding Opportunities web page: http://www.seattle.gov/humanservices/funding-and-reports/funding-opportunities. Completed application packets are due by 4:00 p.m. PDT, on Thursday, May 5, 2022.
If you have any questions, or would like to receive a copy of the RFP in the mail or by email, please contact Pamela Maskara, Funding Process Coordinator, at pamela.maskara@seattle.gov.