Healthy Cooking in Communities

The Healthy Cooking in Communities funding opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. This program is designed as a cooperative agreement to support a nationwide initiative focused on improving nutrition literacy and cooking skills across communities. The funder’s broader mission is to promote public health and well-being, and this initiative aligns with federal priorities emphasizing chronic disease prevention and improved dietary behaviors. The primary purpose of the grant is to establish and implement a large-scale, coordinated network of community-based cooking demonstrations and nutrition education activities. Award recipients are expected to organize and oversee regional and local implementation partners to deliver recurring, hands-on cooking demonstrations that teach participants how to prepare nutritious meals consistent with federal dietary guidelines. These activities aim to improve participants’ knowledge, confidence, and practical skills related to meal preparation, budgeting, food selection, and healthy eating behaviors. Funding under this opportunity supports a wide range of allowable activities, including staffing, food and supplies for demonstrations, outreach and engagement efforts, educational materials, and data collection and evaluation. Recipients may also provide subawards or subcontract support to local partners such as grocery retailers, community organizations, and health-focused entities. While cost sharing is not required, applicants are encouraged to leverage additional funding sources to expand program reach and sustainability. Certain restrictions apply, including prohibitions on funding activities that conflict with federal policies or statutory requirements. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and includes public and private entities located in the United States and its territories. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, tribal entities, and for-profit organizations. Applicants must demonstrate the capacity to coordinate large-scale national initiatives, including the ability to manage at least 40 geographic locations and conduct a minimum of 600 cooking demonstrations during a defined activation period. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and includes standard federal forms, a project narrative, appendices, and a detailed budget package. The project narrative must address organizational capacity, geographic targeting, implementation strategy, and evaluation plans. Applications are evaluated through a multi-step review process that includes eligibility screening, responsiveness checks, and a merit review based on criteria such as organizational experience, implementation feasibility, and cost effectiveness. The application deadline for this opportunity is August 17, 2026, with anticipated awards issued by September 30, 2026. The period of performance is expected to be 12 months, including a primary 15-week national activation period during which demonstrations will occur. Following implementation, recipients will complete evaluation, reporting, and closeout activities. Contacts for programmatic and administrative questions are provided within the funding announcement, including designated federal staff responsible for oversight and support.

Emphasize demonstrated national implementation capacity; clearly outline ability to manage 40 locations and 600 demonstrations; provide strong partner network evidence; align activities with Dietary Guidelines for Americans