FY 2022 SNAP Longitudinal Data

Description

Section 17(n) of the Act authorizes FNS to provide grants on a competitive basis to state agencies that participate in the SNAP Longitudinal Data Project (LDP). Up to $5 million in grant funding is available in FY 2022 to support state participation. Technology and data related projects often take more than one year, especially considering the procurement and implementation of associated projects. Therefore, this funding is available as a multi-year grant with a four-year period of performance from September 2022 to September 2026. States that received a LDP grant in FY 2021 are eligible to reapply and must propose a new and compelling project to pursue with FY 2022 grant funds. States that applied but were not selected for a LDP grant in FY 2021 will be given priority for FY 2022 grant awards.

States that want to participate in the LDP must work with the Census Bureau to draft a new or amend a current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Grant awardees will then begin sharing data, as documented per their MOU, and the Census Bureau will begin the process of creating the longitudinal linkages for the database. States that do not have a signed MOU within 30 days of award will not receive grant funding. FNS highly encourages states to begin the MOU process soon after submitting their grant proposals in order to ensure they are eligible for funding.

Eligibility

This grant opportunity is open to the 53 state agencies that administer SNAP. FNS will consider only one application per state agency. To establish eligibility, review the considerations or factors detailed in the RFA. Applications will not be considered for this project if the requested funding covers activities that do not align with the stated program objectives. To be eligible, the SNAP administering agencies must have the capacity to provide, on a periodic and ongoing basis, household and participant data derived from their eligibility system and other data sources of the state. No cost sharing or matching considerations exist for this project.

FY 22 Awards

On Sept. 16, 2022, USDA awarded approximately $1.2 million in grant funding that will enable research on the participation in and operation of SNAP over time and across state lines.

• New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), the state agency responsible for administering SNAP in New York. OTDA will construct an internal longitudinal database, build a data warehouse to support data transfer to the Census Bureau and develop dashboards to allow it to identify trends in its SNAP caseload and participation, and provide data to help drive better decision making.