Equitable Food Access Initiative: Healthy Corner Stores Grant Program

The Equitable Food Access Initiative: Healthy Corner Stores grant, issued by the District of Columbia Department of Health (DC Health) through its Community Health Administration (CHA), aims to address significant food inequities experienced by underserved communities in the District. Specifically, this funding opportunity targets neighborhoods with high food insecurity and related chronic health disparities—most notably in Wards 5, 7, and 8—by transforming corner stores into healthier retail environments. The initiative is designed to support sustainable improvements in food access by implementing evidence-based, multi-level interventions across five strategic service areas outlined in the Chronic Disease Framework. DC Health’s Community Health Administration works to prevent leading causes of death, protect maternal and child health, and eliminate racial health disparities. The Healthy Corner Stores initiative continues this mission by leveraging local funding to increase availability and affordability of healthy food options in small neighborhood retail outlets. The program framework emphasizes structural changes to the food environment, such as increasing the inventory of fresh produce, low-sodium and low-sugar options, whole grains, and dairy alternatives. This includes establishing procurement pathways with local vendors and implementing healthy food incentive programs that enhance the purchasing power of residents who utilize Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Participating stores must be located within the District, with priority given to those in underserved wards. To strengthen the effectiveness and sustainability of the intervention, applicants must address all five service areas defined in the Chronic Disease Framework: improving food environments, implementing policy and systems change, facilitating community-clinical linkages, advancing health systems interventions, and conducting data surveillance and evaluation. Minimum requirements include serving at least 15,000 residents and partnering with 50 corner stores across the District. Projects must also incorporate at least one additional activity under each service domain beyond the minimum requirement, with flexibility in tailoring activities to community needs. Program strategies should include multilingual marketing campaigns, training for food navigators (store champions), community engagement, development of referral systems, and establishment of partnerships with at least two health or social service organizations. Applicants must be for-profit or community-based nonprofit organizations located and licensed in the District of Columbia. Individuals are not eligible. All applicants are required to register in the System for Award Management (SAM) and DC Health’s Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS). Proposals must include a project narrative, budget, staffing plan, logic model, evaluation plan, and documentation of organizational capacity. Submission must be completed through EGMS by April 28, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Only one award will be issued, with an anticipated ceiling of $750,000 and a minimum floor of $500,000 for the initial 12-month project period beginning October 1, 2026. The program may continue for up to five years, pending future funding and satisfactory performance. Applications will be scored on need, implementation strategy, evaluation measures, and organizational capacity. A robust monitoring and evaluation system must be developed, tracking both process and outcome metrics such as benefit redemption rates, changes in store inventory, and impact on food environments. Grantees must submit quarterly reports and participate in annual evaluations and trainings. DC Health reserves the right to rescind or amend the RFA and will conduct internal and external reviews prior to award. Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Grant Award (NOGA), be subject to audits and insurance requirements, and must adhere to all grant terms and reporting requirements for continued funding consideration.

Applicants should highlight their partnerships and capacity to serve at-risk wards and implement data-driven, equity-focused interventions.