Farm and Food Workers Relief Grant Program Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Who are the eligible beneficiaries for these funds?

A: Eligible beneficiaries for this program are defined as hired workers in farming activities, meatpacking, or grocery store work. AMS expects beneficiaries across these worker types to be frontline workers, and not those working in management positions. The grant recipients of the FFWR Grant Program (State agencies, Tribal Entities, and non-profit organizations) will distribute funds to eligible beneficiaries.

Please see section 3.2 of the RFA (pdf) for more information.

Q2: I am an eligible worker seeking a relief payment. How and when can I expect to receive a payment?

A: USDA expects that FFWR Grant Program awardees will be announced in summer 2022 and posted on the FFWR Grant Program website.

In 2022, eligible workers may use this list to identify and contact the appropriate awardee for more information regarding how to request a relief payment and when relief payments will be available.

Note that once awarded, grantees may need time to establish their respective programs. Therefore, relief payments may not be available immediately after the USDA AMS funding announcement.

New questions added 1/20/22

Q3:  What documentation must beneficiaries submit to grant recipients to prove employment in an eligible sector?

A:  Based on expertise, grant applicants may determine what forms of documentation are acceptable to demonstrate employment eligibility. Acceptable forms of documentation, such as a W-2 tax form or paystub, should support program integrity and aim to mitigate fraud, waste and/or abuse.

Please see section 3.2 of the RFA (pdf).

Q4:  Do workers seeking a relief payment have to assert and/or provide documentation regarding citizenship status?

A: Immigration status is not one of the eligibility criteria under this program. While assertions and/or documentation regarding citizenship status are not required, workers must provide proof of identity and proof of employment.

Please see section 3.2 of the RFA (pdf).

Q5:  Is there a timeframe during which workers must be employed to be eligible for a relief payment? 

A: Yes, relief payments will be available to eligible workers who performed work in farming activities, meatpacking, and grocery store work between January 27, 2020, the date upon which the COVID–19 public health emergency was declared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, until HHS declares the end of the COVID–19 public health emergency. 

Q6: Who will have access to Personally Identifiable Information (PII) that I provide to an approved FFWR grantee organization?

A: The grant recipient receiving the application from the worker will have access to the PII to determine whether the applicant is eligible for a FFWR relief payment. Additionally, an independent contractor is aggregating this data through a secure portal to ensure accurate payments. This tool complies with all Federal data privacy requirements to protect PII. Individual data will not be provided to USDA unless required to meet statutory or regulatory obligations. 

 

Q1: How do I apply to AMS for a FFWR Grant Program grant?

A:  First, please verify that you are an eligible entity type (please see section 3.1 of the RFA (pdf)). If you are an eligible beneficiary, refer to the “Eligible Beneficiary” section of this FAQ. As described on the Grants.gov “Registering an Organization” webpage, applying for this grant requires a multi-stage process that includes:

(1) Obtaining a DUNS Number,

(2) Registering with the System for Award Management (www.SAM.gov),

(3) Registering with Grants.gov, and

(4) Submitting an application and required forms via Grants.gov.

Be aware that:

• The SAM.gov organization registration process can take up to four weeks to complete. Complete your SAM.gov registration early to ensure you have enough time to meet the application submission deadline.
  • SAM.gov registration is free. If you are visiting a website insists on charging for SAM.gov registration, please check the web address to ensure you are not visiting an unofficial registration link.
• AMS will only accept electronic applications in response to this RFA, and they must be submitted via Grants.gov. Complete your Grants.gov registration early to ensure you have enough time to meet the application submission deadline. Large files may take longer to load, so avoid waiting until the last minute to submit your application. For an overview of the Grants.gov application process, see Grants.gov’s Apply for Grants webpage. 

Q2: Will there be technical assistance available for those interested in submitting a proposal?

A: Yes, USDA AMS has partnered with two organizations, UFW Foundation and Corazón Latino, to provide applicants with technical assistance support as they prepare applications.

Before contacting a technical assistance provider, please fully read the FFWR RFA (pdf), this FAQ document and watch all FFWR webinars.

• If you are designing a program focused on serving eligible farm workers and need support, please visit UFW Foundation or contact them via email FFWRGrantsTA@ufwfoundation.org.
• If you are designing a program focused on serving eligible meatpackers and/or grocery store workers and need support, please visit Corazon Latino or contact them at usdagrants@corazonlatino.us.

The technical assistance providers may review a proposal synopsis and are available to help identify grant preparation resources, potential partners and key considerations when developing a competitive grant application and successful program. Technical assistance providers will not design programs, write grant applications nor provide assurance that a proposal will be accepted. Technical assistance support does not impact an application’s competitive standing in the USDA AMS panel review process, nor does it impact an applicant’s chance of being selected for a FFWR grant award.

Q3: What is a DUNS Number?

A:  A DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number is a nine-digit, unique DUNS Number free of charge to a valid business entity based on their legal business name and physical location that is assigned by Dun & Bradstreet. It is currently used by the Federal government to ensure the identify of those entities applying for grants and other forms of financial assistance as well as contracts.

Q4:  How long does it take to get a DUNS Number? 

A:  It can take up to five business days to receive a new DUNS number.  The applicant will be contacted at the email address or phone number that was provided in the request form.

Q5:  When should I request my DUNS Number?

A: AMS recommends that applicants request DUNS number no fewer than 10 days before the application deadline. A DUNS number is required to complete your application and can take up to five business days to generate. This short tutorial video will help guide you through applying for a Free DUNS Number. You can also visit the Dun & Bradstreet website to obtain a DUNS number.

Q6:  What if two applicants from the same State wish to apply for this grant?

A:  USDA AMS strongly encourages partnerships among organizations in general, and particularly with smaller organizations that have unique connections to hard-to-reach worker populations. Applicants should describe how they will partner with smaller organizations to facilitate payments to such populations. Subawards that support the overall program objectives will be allowed under this grant program.

If more than one entity in a particular state applies for and is awarded grant funds, AMS will expect to see cooperation among grant recipients to prevent duplicate payments.

Applicants are encouraged to work with USDA AMS’ technical assistance providers, UFW Foundation and Corazón Latino, to identify opportunities for partnerships and coordination among applications being developed. You may reach UFW Foundation at FFWRGrantsTA@ufwfoundation.org and Corazón Latino at usdagrants@corazonlatino.us.

Please see Q10, “Will there be technical assistance available for those interested in submitting a proposal?” for more information regarding the role of the technical assistance providers.

Q7:  Can an applicant apply for more than the maximum award?

A: Yes, applicants applying for farmworkers or meatpacking workers project types may request above the maximum award as long as they demonstrate that they are a national organization with sufficient capacity to issue payments in excess of $50,000,000 across multiple states and in partnership with smaller farmworker or meatpacking worker organizations.

These applicants must justify the requested funding amounts within the Project Narrative, indicating the dollar amount requested, estimating the number of workers to whom they expect to deliver relief payments and demonstrating their capacity to manage funds effectively. USDA AMS reserves the right to negotiate budgets and final award amounts based on the number of applications received, available resources, administration priorities and the need to equitably distribute funds across worker populations.

Please see section 2.3 of the RFA (pdf) for more information.

Q8: Can an organization submit an application for the grocery store worker project type only?

A: No. If an applicant seeks to serve grocery store workers, they must also submit an application that serves farmworkers and/or meatpacking workers. The applicant is required to submit two separate applications.

Q9: Can I apply for both FFWR program project types in the same application?

A: Applicants may apply for both project types and must submit two separate applications. Grant applicants must align each proposal to one of two project types:

• Farmworkers and/or Meatpacking Workers
• Grocery Store Workers

Applicants must select only one project type per application. Applicants seeking funds to serve grocery store workers must also apply to serve farmworkers and/or meatpacking workers.  

Please see section 1.3 of the RFA (pdf).

Q10: Can an organization submit more than one application for the same FFWR Grant Program project type?

A: AMS will only accept one application per entity per project type

Q11: Is there additional guidance available regarding how applicants can design a program that ensures that beneficiaries receive only one relief payment?

A: Yes, USDA AMS will provide grant recipients with compliance resources and technology to support program integrity. Grant recipients should have sufficient financial controls and payment processes in place to issue one relief payment to a single eligible worker.

Questions updated 7/10/23

Q1: What is a “$600 flat rate payment”?

A1: This relief may be paid only once to each verified worker. This is not a renewable or annual benefit. A worker must apply to a grant recipient by providing proof of identity and proof of employment. Once the grant recipient verifies that worker’s eligibility, the worker will receive a single $600 payment.   

Q2: Must the $600 flat-rate payment be released to beneficiaries in a specific form (e.g., cash, check, payment card, money order, etc.)?

A2: USDA/AMS did not define the payment methods grant recipients could use for relief payments. Grant recipients proposed disbursement methods that were transparent and appropriate to their target audience. All grant recipients are required to protect against potential program waste, fraud and abuse.

Q3: Is the $600 flat-rate payment subject to taxes?

A3: No, eligible FFWR beneficiaries do not need to declare their $600 disaster relief payments as taxable income.

These payments qualify as disaster relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act law exempts some disaster relief payments from taxable income, when those payments respond to a federally declared disaster (26 U.S.C. 139(b)(4) and (c)(2)). On March 13, 2020, the President issued major disaster declarations due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. These declarations meant that the public health emergency officially began on January 20, 2020. On May 11, 2023, the President declared an end to the public health emergency.

Questions added 7/10/2/23

Q4: How do I know which organization is currently accepting applications in my area?

A4: The interactive map on the State Program Coverage and Contact Information Dashboard | Tableau Public will help you find the approved organization operating in your area. You may contact any and/or all of them to see when they plan to start accepting applications (some may already be accepting applications in your area) and what the process is for each one.  

Q5: What happens if an organization runs out of grant funding?

A5: As of June 2023, funding is still available to provide relief payments to workers. If an organization runs out of all their available funds, those organizations will refer applicants to other approved organizations who may be able to provide relief payments.

Q6: I tried to register for an appointment to apply for relief, but none were available. How can I get my relief payment?

A6: If you reach out to an organization that does not currently have the availability to process applications, provide them with your contact information and ask them to connect you with another organization that may be operating in your area.

Q7: Someone offered to complete my FFWR relief application if I paid them $10. Is this required?

A7: No. It’s free to apply to the USDA Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) program. Anyone charging a fee for applications is not authorized by the USDA to participate in this program.

Q8: I saw a union logo at the FFWR relief application site. Do I have to be a union member to receive FFWR relief?

A8: No, membership in an organization is not required to receive FFWR relief funds.

Q9: I want to report improper activity in the FFWR program. How do I do that?

A9: You can contact the USDA Office of the Inspector General. You may visit their webpage or call 1-800-424-9121.

*Note: You can file a complaint anonymously. Please visit the USDA OIG website for details on how to make sure to provide enough information to thoroughly review the complaint.

Q10: Do I need to provide receipts for things like buying masks or paying for daycare?

A10: No. Instead of receipts, you will sign an application certifying that you had at least $600 of expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Q11: I worked on farms or in food processing throughout the pandemic. Can I get reimbursed once for each year I worked?

A11: No, this is a one-time COVID-19 related payment.