2027 California Nutrition Incentive Program Expansion: WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Office of Farm to Fork opened this new 2027 competitive grant cycle on October 30, 2026. Funding supports authorized Certified Farmers’ Markets and eligible nonprofit partners distributing or supporting incentives for shoppers using WIC, WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) benefits to purchase California-grown fruits and vegetables. This is a distinct 2027 WIC/Senior FMNP expansion competition, not the separate 2026 CalFresh CNIP competition.
Funding and deadline
Individual applications must request $10,000 to $300,000. CDFA expects to make up to $750,000 in total program funding available; this total is not an individual award amount. Projects run for nine months, April 1 through December 31, 2027, and receive funds on a reimbursement basis. CDFA expects to announce awards in January 2027.
The controlling application deadline is December 4, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PST on that date). Late applications are excluded. Submit through the CDFA Grant Opportunity and Administration and Tracking System (GOATS), not by email, paper mail, or fax.
Who may apply
Eligible applicants are (1) Certified Farmers’ Markets authorized to accept WIC, WIC FMNP, and/or SFMNP benefits and (2) nonprofit organizations applying in partnership with such authorized markets. This is not a general grant to all grocery stores or food-service providers, and individuals are ineligible. Applicants must cooperate with CDFA sales, incentive-distribution and evaluation reporting. Administrative screening also checks good standing with CDFA, USDA and California, including applicable SNAP, direct marketing, grant and wage-claim requirements.
Allowable activities and funding conditions
The 2027 solicitation offers one grant track: Incentive Distribution and Support. Eligible activities include incentives for qualifying WIC and senior shoppers, tracking and distribution systems, tokens and coupons, mobile hotspots and tablets, outreach, farmer and market-manager training, assistance using electronic Farmers’ Market Cards, and transportation and other assistance that helps eligible shoppers reach authorized markets. Proposed costs must relate to authorized project work during the stated project period.
No cost share is required; voluntary cash, donated materials or in-kind support may strengthen scoring. Pre-project or unrelated costs do not count as cost sharing. The RFP caps indirect costs at 10% of eligible operating expenses (personnel, travel and other direct costs, excluding incentive and subaward/contractual costs), except for University of California or California State University applicants eligible for the qualifying negotiated state rate. Reimbursement invoices and final reporting requirements apply.
Application package and submission
Create a GOATS account, find 2027 California Nutrition Incentive Program Expansion under Funding Opportunities, and download the current proposal and budget templates. Upload the completed application, proposal template in Word format (DOC or DOCX), budget worksheet in Excel format (XLS or XLSX), relevant resumes/CVs, and partner letters of support. Nonprofits partnering with farmers’ markets must provide required letters from their participating markets. The proposal is limited to 15 pages in 12-point font excluding the designated sections and attachments. The funder recommends allowing one to two days for the GOATS submission process. A webinar is scheduled for November 18, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
Official application sources
CDFA CNIP program and current application announcement; controlling 20-page 2027 CNIP Expansion Request for Proposals; California Grants Portal entry 194241; CDFA GOATS application portal. Applicants should follow any officially released amendments and template instructions. Source research verified October 31, 2026.