Frequently Asked Questions

• The total number of awards this cycle depends on the number of applications we receive.
• We plan to award approximately 8-26 Spark Awards, and 5-10 Innovation Collaborative Awards this cycle.

No. Applicants can submit as many as they would like. The application portal (Salesforce) has a 25-file limit, but applicants may combine files into one attachment if they have more than 25 attachments to submit. 

No, although all applications will be screened for completeness by the IPHI Innovation Hub team. If any applications are missing components, the applicant will be notified and have until February 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. CST to submit any missing materials. Early submission is encouraged! 

The Innovation Hub Team has not defined the word “regional,” on purpose! We understand that regions exist within and between states, and different regions are appropriate for different school food system innovation projects. That being said, reviewers will be seeking projects that are best suited to make significant impact to the school food system across Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and/or Indiana.

Yes, this is possible. The Innovation Hub team anticipates offering selected grantees awards for the amount of funding they request. That being said, in an effort to support as many strong proposals as possible and to ensure all awarded projects are adequately resourced, we may offer award(s) for an alternative amount of funding than requested.

Per section 2 CFR 3474.20, any new work developed or pre-existing work that is modified with grant funds, can be copyrighted and owned by the recipient. The federal agency who awards the funds (USDA) reserves a “royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the work for Federal purposes.” This license grants the public the right to use the work, but the recipient maintains ownership of all existing intellectual property. Recipients should be aware of this open license for new work or modification of pre-existing work and must openly license work if doing so does not violate their or another party’s prior license restrictions.  Additional work product ownership terms will be included in recipients’ contracts with the Illinois Public Health Institute, in alignment with 2 CFR.

The USDA is looking for projects that align with the Spark and Innovation Collaborative Request for Applications, including projects that are focused on bringing more local, nourishing and loved meals into schools through systems change. Projects can include local partnerships, product creation, community-tailored products, scratch cooking, regenerative agricultural practices, and more.

The number of objectives should align with the goal(s) and scope of the project. Some projects may only have one objective, while others may need to add more rows to the Work Plan Template.

The timelines should be realistic and achievable and should incorporate important milestones the project team hopes to achieve. These milestones help reviewers better understand project goals and overall scope. Applicants are encouraged to include projected, approximate dates and milestones while also allowing for flexibility. Selected grantees will have the opportunity to update and further develop their Work Plans.

A letter of support is required from every organization listed in the Project Team Information section of the application who would receive funding from the project, if awarded. Organizations that specialize in and are paid to do a specific task (e.g., translation services) are not required to be listed in the Project Team Information section or provide a letter of support. Including a letter of support from any organization that would be involved in the project, if awarded, is recommended.

• Yes, but for different projects. Your organization cannot be awarded two sources of USDA funding for the same project or scope of work. 

• Your organization cannot be the lead on two Innovation Hub Awards (e.g., Spark and Innovation Collaborative) at the same time. However, your organization could be a funded partner on an Innovation Collaborative project and the lead on a Spark Award project, as long as the projects are for different scopes of work, for example.  

• Current Innovation Hub Innovation Collaborative Award leads, as well as organizations that support the administration of or receive funding as the primary lead from Project SCALES (Supporting Community Agriculture and Local Education Systems), PLANTS (Partnerships for Local Agriculture and Nutrition Transformation in Schools), or Full Plates Full Potential’s School Food System Innovation Grant, are not eligible to apply as the lead applicant for this Innovation Hub cycle. While they cannot serve as the lead applicant, these organizations may still participate as a funded partner on an Innovation Collaborative or Spark Award application.  

No, although all projects must be intended to benefit at least one school in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and/or Indiana. Any application for which a school or school district is not the lead applicant will require a letter of support from a school, school district, or group of schools. Additional guidance and a school letter of support template can be found in “Appendix E: Letters of Support Templates and Guidance of the Spark Award and Innovation Collaborative Award Requests for Applications”.

Yes, early care and education facilities may apply if they operate the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program. Otherwise, an application that includes these facilities would also need to include a letter of support from a school, school district, or group of schools within Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and/or Indiana that shows the school’s (or schools’) interest in the project.

Yes. Several entities listed in the “Eligibility” section of the Spark Award and Innovation Collaborative Requests for Applications are for-profit organizations, including farmers, food producers, food suppliers, and more.

Organizations do not have to be a formal nonprofit to be eligible. However, formal nonprofits may more readily be able to comply with the requirements to be a Lead Applicant. Please review “Appendix C: Lead Applicant Guidance in the Spark Award and Innovation Collaborative Award Requests for Applications” for more information.

Yes, fiscally sponsored organizations are eligible to apply, if they meet other Innovation Hub eligibility criteria. All organizations should consider if they are the best fit as the “Lead Applicant.” For more information, please see the “Eligibility” and “Appendix C: Lead Applicant Guidance in the Spark and Innovation Collaborative Requests for Applications” sections. 

The level of involvement from a school or school district depends on the proposed project. At a minimum, the involved school(s) and/or school district(s) should support the project’s aims to address the school or school district’s needs. Any application for which a school or school district is not the lead applicant will require a letter of support from a school, school district, or group of schools from Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and/or Indiana that shows the school’s (or schools’) interest in the project and willingness to respond to students’ dietary needs and preferences. Additional guidance and a school letter of support template can be found in section “Appendix E: Letters of Support Templates and Guidance in the Spark Award and Innovation Collaborative Award Requests for Applications.”

For this round of Innovation Hub grants, the Spark Awards grant period ends 12 months after the contract start date and includes an optional 4-month no-cost extension period. The Innovation Collaborative Awards grant period ends in September 2028. All funds must be spent by the end of the grant period. The Innovation Hub anticipates awarding one more round of Spark Awards in 2027. This is the final round of Innovation Collaborative Awards.

Equipment is defined as tangible, durable, personal property having a continual useful life of more than one year, and a cost of $10,000 or more per unit. Equipment is an allowable expense if it receives prior approval. To receive prior approval, equipment must be deemed essential to your project, meaning that it is directly related to the project’s outcomes. You will need to demonstrate that your equipment purchase is necessary and how you will ensure that it is cost effective. In order to demonstrate cost effectiveness, you will need to provide 3-4 estimates for the equipment you wish to purchase, to show you have searched for the best value. You can upload these estimates when you submit your application. Please note that equipment has separate terms and conditions, as listed in 2 CFR Part 200, and other capital expenditures related to enhancing an existing facility other than the purchase of equipment are not allowable. Please see “Appendix B: Allowable Costs in the Spark Award and Innovation Collaborative Award Requests for Applications” or visit the Application Information page for more information. 

Estimates are only required for equipment that costs $10,000 or more per unit. This helps to ensure the equipment purchased is the most cost effective and efficient.

Any entity receiving federal funds must have a UEI by the time the award is finalized (i.e., registration may begin at the time of the application and must be completed by the time a contract is executed for awarded grantees). Lead applicants must be registered in SAM.gov and have a current UEI number. Project partners who would receive grant funding, if awarded, must also have a UEI, but do not have to go through full SAM.gov registration. Unfunded collaborators are not required to have a UEI. Please visit the How We Help page for help with this process.

No, the Innovation Hub has not set a maximum indirect cost rate. Applying organizations may update the budget template with their federally negotiated indirect cost rate if it differs from the 15% de minimums indirect cost rate. 

All award finalists must participate in a Financial Assessment with the Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI) before an award is finalized. The findings of this assessment will determine whether a grantee will receive a quarterly fixed cost or monthly reconciliation award. Regardless, IPHI provides 20% of the annual award up front on contract execution. Future payments will be provided quarterly or monthly, as outlined in the grant agreement. The final 10% of the award will be paid upon project completion and submission of all grant deliverables, reports, and the final invoice. Please visit Compliance Support office hours or schedule an appointment for more information. The schedule and links to join office hours and to schedule an appointment are available on the How We Can Help page.