The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is seeking applications for a $5 million grant to help expand Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program online shopping-enabled retailers. The SNAP EBT Modernization Technical Assistance Center grant will specifically fund an organization’s efforts to support retailers with technology and related systems used for SNAP shopping.
SNAP participants will be able to access a larger diversity of retailers when grocery shopping online. Larger retailers like Meijer and Wegmans have already begun offering this service; however, smaller and independent retailers in particular face technical challenges to deploying this service that the grant hopes to alleviate.
“Online grocery shopping is a vital resource that improves access and convenience for all, including low-income families,” said Stacy Dean, USDA’s deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services, in a statement. “We are excited about this grant’s potential to provide new and existing retailers with tools to redeem SNAP benefits in ways that improve customer service for SNAP participants, especially those that face barriers in traveling to a physical store.”
In May 2022, over 3 million SNAP households shopped online, a notable increase from March 2020 when only 35,000 did the same.
“SNAP online purchasing is particularly important to the communities we serve because of continued fear of contracting COVID-19 in a grocery store, the risk of exposure to other transmissible diseases, accessibility issues both in-store and with transportation, and pre-existing burdens on family caregivers,” said Cyrus Huncharek, senior public policy analyst at the National Disability Rights Network, in a statement. “We appreciate USDA’s thoughtfulness and stewardship of this crucial technical assistance.”
The grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan, a pilot program spearheaded by the USDA and in conjunction with federal agencies to provide support to Americans through nutrition assistance; farmer and food supply chain aid; farmer of color equity assurance; and infrastructure, housing, and healthcare assistance.
Related: Biden Administration Strengthens Child Nutrition Programs; Rogers: Many Small Businesses Unaware of FSVP Requirements