Cold Chain Grants for Emergency Food Assistance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), is requesting applications for the Cold Chain Grants for Emergency Food Assistance (CCG) program. The program aims to support cold chain equipment investments that enable food assistance entities to temporarily store, effectively package, and distribute fresh and minimally processed foods. Eligible applicants must be domestic entities owned, operated, and located within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The selected grant recipient(s) will provide management, oversight, consultation, and expertise necessary to advance the purpose and activities of the program, primarily through a subaward program to support cold storage within the middle of the supply chain. Some key points to consider: • The program has approximately $7.5 million in available funding. • The application deadline is October 1, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time. • Eligible entities for the subaward program include food banks, food pantries, faith-based organizations, and other public or private nonprofit organizations that provide nutrition assistance to people with low-income or challenging financial circumstances. • Subaward applicants must provide written evidence of critical resources and infrastructure necessary for the installation of proposed equipment. • A cost share is required from subrecipients in the form of cash contributions equal to 10% of the total federal funds received under the subaward.