Substance Use Prevention Education in the WIC Program | USDA FNS WIC SUPE 24

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FNS WIC SUPE 24

The Substance Use Prevention Education in the WIC Program grant is a USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) funding opportunity focused on strengthening how the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) addresses substance use prevention in day-to-day service delivery. The core goal is practical: give WIC State and local agency staff better tools, training, and up-to-date resources so they can talk with WIC participants about alcohol and drug use in a consistent, informed, and supportive way, and make appropriate referrals when needed. The project is designed to improve staff readiness and participant-facing education without turning WIC into a treatment program; it is about prevention education, early identification, and stronger referral pathways.

This opportunity is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, which typically means the selected awardee will work closely with FNS throughout the project rather than operating with minimal federal involvement. FNS is seeking one award (ExpectedAwards: 1), with an award ceiling of $1,550,000. The posted closing date for applications is July 8, 2024. The funding activity category is Food and Nutrition, and the CFDA/Assistance Listing number connected to WIC is 10.557. The opportunity number is USDA FNS WIC SUPE 24.

The funded project must deliver four main outputs that fit together as a coordinated package WIC agencies can actually use. First, the awardee must develop and deliver a train-the-trainer substance use education program. The idea behind this model is scalability: instead of training every WIC staff member directly, the project prepares WIC State agency trainers who can then train staff across local agencies and clinics. The content is explicitly about substance use (drug and alcohol) and is meant to support prevention education and referrals in the WIC context.

Second, the project must revise the existing WIC Substance Use Prevention Guide. That implies the government already has a guide in place, and this grant is intended to update it so it reflects current evidence, best practices, appropriate language, and the realities of WIC service delivery. A revision effort like this typically includes clarifying recommended approaches, aligning messaging with public health guidance, and ensuring the material is usable by front-line staff and supervisors.

Third, the awardee must develop a custom online training course for WIC staff. This is important because WIC agencies vary widely in geography, staffing, and training capacity, and an online course can support standardized learning, onboarding, and refresher training. A custom course also suggests the content should be tailored to WIC workflows, common participant questions, staff roles, and the kinds of referral conversations that occur in nutrition education or certification appointments.

Fourth, the project must create at least two participant education materials. These are resources intended for WIC participants rather than staff, meaning they should be written in accessible language and designed to support prevention-focused education. In practice, participant materials might cover topics like risks of alcohol and drug use during pregnancy and postpartum, how to seek help, what support services exist, and how to talk to a provider, but the solicitation only specifies the minimum quantity and general intent: substance use prevention education for WIC participants.

In addition to developing these deliverables, the awardee is required to develop and present outcomes of these four activities to FNS staff. This indicates FNS is expecting more than just products; they want documented results and learning from the development and delivery process. Outcomes could include training reach, participant feedback from trainers or staff, measures of knowledge gain, usability findings, implementation considerations, and recommendations for national rollout, but the opportunity summary frames it broadly as presenting outcomes tied to each of the four required activities.

Eligibility is limited to accredited U.S. universities and colleges, whether publicly or privately funded, as long as they are institutions of higher education. That restriction signals FNS is looking for an organization with research, curriculum development, evaluation, and public health education capacity, and the ability to produce training and educational resources at a national scale.

Overall, this grant is aimed at building a modern, scalable training and resource suite that helps WIC staff approach substance use prevention and referrals more confidently and consistently, while also giving WIC participants clearer, more supportive educational materials. The end result FNS appears to be seeking is a set of updated, field-ready tools (train-the-trainer program, revised guide, online course, and participant materials) plus evidence and lessons learned that can inform broader adoption across WIC agencies.

• The Food and Nutrition Service in the food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Substance Use Prevention Education in the WIC Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.557.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,550,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA FNS WIC SUPE 24

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: