Food Waste Solutions Request for Proposals Phase I Date issued: November 16, 2015 Deadline for LOI submissions: December 2, 2015
Introduction The Walmart Foundation is pleased to release an open Request for Proposals (RFP) to non-profit organizations for an initiative focused on promoting ways to reduce food waste in the United States. The initiative seeks to support promising programs that have the potential to significantly reduce food waste at the production, processing and household levels. We are seeking two types of proposals: innovation proposals, focused on testing new approaches to reducing food waste; and scale proposals, focused on accelerating and replicating proven models. Requests between $100,000 and $500,000 will be considered. We expect to provide up to $3 million in funding for all projects. Grantees are encouraged to leverage resources through cash and in-kind cost-sharing contributions. The Walmart Foundation is seeking proposals from qualified organizations throughout the country that have experience in formulating, proposing and implementing food waste reduction efforts. We are seeking to support organizations that have a proven record of success in implementing programs with positive outcomes. Context Food waste is an urgent global issue, with substantial repercussions in terms of both food security and the environment. The United Nations Environment Programme reports that roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year approximately 1.3 billion tons gets lost or wasted. 1 Food is lost or wasted throughout the supply chain, from production to household consumption. Food waste is a pressing environmental issue worldwide and in the U.S., with significant implications for the waste stream, resource use and climate change. The EPA reports that food waste is the single largest category of municipal solid waste sent to landfills in the U.S. over 30 million tons each year. Food waste and organic matter in landfills produces 18% of U.S. methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. Research from Natural Resources Defense Council indicates that getting food from the farm to tables in the U.S. alone: consumes 10% of our total energy budget; uses 50% of our land; and swallows 80% of the freshwater consumed in the U.S. 2 Resource conservation along food value chains is also vitally important to global food security. Feeding those of us currently inhabiting the planet is already a challenge, and will only become more testing when global population surpasses more than nine billion in 2050. The United Nations has predicted that we will need up to 70% more food to feed that projected population, not only because there will be more mouths to feed, but also because reductions in poverty have meant people s daily intake has increased as well. In the U.S. alone, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that more than 48 million people were food insecure in 2014, meaning they might have lacked reliable access to a sufficient 1 The environmental crisis: The environment s role in averting future food crisis UNEP, 2009 2 How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill NRDC, 2012 Page 2 of 7
quantity of affordable, nutritious food. While millions of Americans face hunger, as much as 40% of food in the U.S. goes uneaten more than 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010. 3 The relationship between food waste and food insecurity is not linear both issues are part of complex systems, with a variety of solutions. Despite increased focus on these issues, significant inroads towards reducing waste have remained elusive. Objectives The purpose of this initiative is to reduce food waste in the U.S. and demonstrate that reasonable, practical solutions to do so are within our reach. We seek outcomes that: make meaningful progress in reducing food waste through replicable models; and address critical problems along food supply chains at the production, processing and household levels. We seek to support: innovative ideas that prove promising in the near term; and proven solutions that can be brought to scale. Potential to prove measurable impact in reducing food waste in the near term will be given important consideration. Illustrative activities to attain this objective may include, but are not limited to: Reducing losses in farming by finding ways to adopt and encourage full field consumption and make increased use of out-of-spec product. Optimizing processing so overruns are made available for donations, and uses become more efficient and aligning product with upstream and downstream processes, users and consumers. Retaining food quality for longer periods through innovations in packaging, technology and/or preparation. Rescuing food for distribution to food insecure people. Finding alternative uses for waste such as the use of bagasse for other industries, alternative energy sources, and compost. Developing, sharing and implementing best practices among institutions that can quickly replicate efforts and scale-them up in similar institutions such as education, hotels, cafes, restaurants, and hospitals. 3 The Estimated Amount, Value and Calories of Postharvest Food Losses at the Retail and Consumer Levels in the United States USDA Economic Research Service, 2014 Page 3 of 7
Solving systemic barriers in food waste, through projects such as: o Improving the quality of data regarding food waste along supply chains and make information available to consumers and managers to make more informed decisions. There exists a need to understand where the opportunities lie, be better informed, and increase transparency throughout food chains. o Increasing consumer and household awareness through education campaigns and the development of tools to make better decisions on nutrition, shopping and preservation. Definitions For the purpose of this RFP, food waste is defined as: any food substance designed for human consumption which is discarded or otherwise lost at any point along the food supply chain. Eligibility This is an open RFP. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. Being previously funded by the Walmart Foundation does not guarantee continued funding. Applicant Eligibility Applicant organization must be a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (other than a Type III supporting organization). Organizations may submit only one proposal. Collaborative proposals submitted by two or more eligible organizations will be considered. One organization must serve as the lead applicant. Project Eligibility Applicants must operate on a national scope through chapters/affiliates in many states around the country or through programs that operate regionally but seek funding to replicate program activities nationally. If selected, grantees will receive funding for up to one year. The minimum amount that can be requested is $100,000. The maximum is $500,000. Overhead and indirect costs must not exceed 10% of total project budget. Grant request must not exceed 20% of the applicant s total operating budget for the most recent fiscal year. Grant funds may not be used to cover more than 50% of personnel expenses for any single program-related position. Applicants should demonstrate a proven ability to execute the proposed project via expertise and/or past experience. Funding Exclusions Advertising, marketing venues, film or video projects Athletic sponsorships (teams/events) Page 4 of 7
Memberships, including association/chamber memberships Capital campaigns and endowments (defined as any plans to raise funds for a significant purchase or expense, such as new construction, major renovations or to help fund normal budgetary items) Faith-based organizations when the proposed grant will only benefit the organization or its members General operating expenses Political causes, candidates, organizations or campaigns Programs that directly benefit Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in any way (e.g., driving customer traffic to stores, purchasing only Walmart product or gift cards, supplying candidates for Walmart employment, etc.) Projects that send products or people, or provide direct goods or services for relief efforts to a foreign country Scholarships (tuition, room and board or any other expense related to college, university, or vocational school attendance) Sponsorship of fundraising events (galas, walks, races, tournaments, etc.) Travel or lodging expenses for groups or individuals, where travel is the primary reason and/or majority cost for the proposal Review and Selection Process The application process will consist of submission of a LOI and proposal through the CyberGrants online application system. All prospective grantees must agree with the Walmart Foundation Memorandum of Understanding prior to submitting the LOI. Only those applicants selected as semi-finalists will be invited to submit a full proposal. Once finalists are selected, applicants may be asked to revise their application to strengthen methodologies, adjust budgets or answer questions about their proposed program before the Walmart Foundation selects winners for funding. LOIs and proposals will be reviewed based on the guidelines and criteria listed below. Applicants should address each of the criteria in their proposals. The narrative should provide reviewers with sufficient information to effectively evaluate the merits of the proposal according to each criterion. Please note that language in the project narrative should be understandable to a lay reviewer. The Foundation reserves the right to consider factors such as geographic diversity and a balanced slate of grantees. The Walmart Foundation will have the sole authority to select the grantees. Page 5 of 7
Review Criteria Key considerations include: Proposed plan of work, project design and implementation o Organizational eligibility. o Fit with the Foundation s objectives. Be sure to specify whether your project is an innovation proposal or a scale proposal. o Clear description of activities in the proposed plan of work that will lead to or produce the objectives and results. o Viability of the implementation plan. o Potential to scale to a multi-state or national level either through the proposed project or in the future. o Strength of partnerships required for project execution, if applicable. Proposed outcomes and results o Clear articulation of expected results. Be sure to describe the project goals, objectives, outputs and outcomes. In your LOI, please use the Program Description question to detail your response. Monitoring and evaluation o Strength of plan to monitor and evaluate project results and impact. In your LOI, please use the Program Description question to describe your plan. Budget and cost sharing o Clarity of budget narrative that describes how the costs listed are derived (only the direct costs requested in this application need to be justified). o Description of how the resources provided by Walmart Foundation will be used to pursue the proposed plan of work. o Description of the matching resources financial and otherwise that will be leveraged by the partner organizations to pursue the proposed plan of work. o Cost effectiveness of the proposed plan. Submission Format, Procedures and Timeline All submissions will be made using the CyberGrants online system. To begin a Letter of Intent, visit: http://www.cybergrants.com/walmart/national_loi Invitation Code: natinvk1 * Please note that you will need to enter this invitation code each time you log in. If you are a first-time user, you will need to create an online profile before accessing the LOI form. When completing an online LOI, the form will require you to select a focus area and a subcategory. Select sustainability as your focus area and food system support as your subcategory. Once the LOI and proposal forms are filled out in CyberGrants, please click Submit. Page 6 of 7
Timeline 2015 November 16 System is open for LOIs November 20 Optional technical assistance call, open to all potential applicants. Walmart Foundation staff will review the RFP and host a Q&A discussion at 11am CT. To join: 1.855.797.9485 Passcode: 746701151 December 2 LOI acceptance period ends. All LOIs must be submitted by 11:59PM PDT/PST December 11 All applicants notified with decision regarding LOI. Applicants invited to submit full proposals receive application instructions. 2016 January 4 Full proposals due. All proposals must be submitted by 11:59PM PDT/PST January 25 All applicants notified with decision regarding full proposals. Awardees announced. Grantee Requirements Grantees will be required to submit reports at the end of the one year grant period. The Walmart Foundation will provide reporting instructions to grantees. Questions If you have questions regarding this RFP, please contact: WMFDRFP@email.wal-mart.com If you have technical questions about using the CyberGrants system, please contact: WMFFAST@wal-mart.com Statement of Non-Commitment Issuance of this RFP does not commit the Walmart Foundation to award a grant or to pay any costs incurred in preparation of the proposals to respond to the RFP. Those responding to this RFP must follow its procedures and requirements. Failure to comply with or complete any part of this RFP may result in rejection of the proposal. The Walmart Foundation reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or to negotiate separately with competing applicants for funds described in this RFP. The Walmart Foundation reserves the right to modify these RFP guidelines, submission deadlines and notification dates without prior notice. Page 7 of 7