Grant Guidance

Grant Year 2027-28 Guidance

The 2027-28 RFFM Application Guidance provides details for all grant applications that will be offered for the upcoming grant period. The Grant Portal is anticipated to be open from December 9, 2026 through January 27, 2027. We expect to offer five different 1 -year applications for awards with a project period of April 1, 2027 - March 31, 2028. Use the link below for access:

2027-28 RFFM Application Guidance | PDF

Grant Year 2026-27 Guidance Documents

The 2026-27 RFFM Application Guidance covers all 1- year awards with a project period of April 1, 2026 - March 31, 2027. Updates have been made to address changes to maximum award amounts for the Training and Mentee Optional Add-Ons. Use the link below for access:

2026-27 RFFM Application Guidance | PDF

The 2026-27 RFFM Post-Award Guidance covers grantee responsibilities for the current award year, with detailed instructions for Grant Portal Access, Required Reporting, Annual Deliverables, Requesting Payments, and Additional Instructions for Track 3 Grantees.

Key reporting dates and requirements include:

  • Interim Progress Reports are due October 15, 2026.
  • All 2026-27 grantees (Tracks 1, 2, and 3) must enter their SA9 and CSIP information into the RSA Tool by the end of the project year. Now is the best time to register for and begin using this new tool. For complete information, please access the Retail Program Standards Assessment (RSA) Tool webpage.
  • All 2026-27 activities must be completed by March 31, 2027 when the annual project period ends.
  • Final or Annual Progress Reports must be submitted by May 14, 2027, and must include an RSA Tool export of a complete CSIP covering all 9 Standards.

Use the link below to access the complete Post-Award Guidance:

2026-27 RFFM Post-Award Guidance | PDF

If (and only if) you are submitting a Final or Annual Progress Report that includes a reimbursement request for either Capacity Building or Training Optional Add-On funding, please download the Summary Spreadsheet for Traditional Funding Categories. This document needs to be completed and uploaded to your final report, but only when requesting reimbursement for Capacity Building or Training Optional Add-On expenses | Spreadsheet