USDA FNA Seeks Applications for SNAP Fraud Framework Grants

As the federal government scrutiny continues to grow over the improper spending of dollars under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) is offering grants to states that can use USDA’s SNAP Fraud Framework to take steps to improve integrity within the program. However, applicants must be quick as the deadline for these awards is mid-July.

FNA announced on Tuesday that it will make some $5 million available for states under the federal fiscal year 2026 SNAP Fraud Framework Implementation Grant (Assistance Listing No. 10.535), with individual awards of up to $750,000, to implement tools to fight SNAP fraud. FNA also encourages states to submit proposals that aim to strengthen front-end identity verification and implement system enhancements to identify high-risk SNAP applications.

The agency will assess applications to determine how well they meet the goals of the SNAP Fraud Framework, which contains the following seven objectives:

• Organizational management: Aims to help states establish and communicate priorities, organize employees and manage both large-scale and day-to-day processes. Many of the concepts in this component set the foundation for successful program integrity initiatives.
• Performance measurement: Offers recommendations encouraging states to consistently capture and analyze their own performance.
• Recipient integrity education: Provides targeted integrity education initiatives to help ensure recipients have the necessary information and tools to use SNAP benefits as intended — preventing fraud before it occurs. When producing recipient integrity education materials, states are encouraged to educate the public and applicants about SNAP fraud, rather than emphasize the consequences as a deterrent to applying.
• Fraud detection: The framework stresses the importance of proactively detecting fraud from the application process and continuing throughout the recipient’s time in the program.
• Investigations and dispositions: Aims to provide states with tools and suggestions to improve fraud case management from initial fraud referral through disposition.
• Analytics and data management: Details the necessary people, processes and technology to launch and maintain an analytics capability. Data analytics can play a valuable role in preventing, detecting and investigating SNAP fraud.
• Learning and development: Contains recommendations for states to invest in training and professional development opportunities to promote employee engagement and to ensure employees are aware of new and emerging trends in fraud.

However, this year’s request for applications introduces a new, eighth objective:

• Innovation and technology advancements. This objective encourages states to adopt new or enhanced processes, tools, technologies or practices that will improve their ability to prevent, detect or investigate fraud more efficiently, accurately and proactively. Applicants should reference the chart in the “Use of Advanced Automation in SNAP” memo. Applicants must clearly outline the type, scope, and use of advanced automation that will be involved in their projects in the application.

The program is only open to state agencies that administer SNAP, consistent with the SNAP regulatory definition of “state agency” at 7 C.F.R. §271.2. For state agencies that are county-administered, a county agency that submits an application must include a letter of commitment or letter of endorsement from the relevant SNAP agency with the application package to be considered for funding. State agencies that are county-administered include: California, Colorado, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. FNA will consider only one application per state agency.

The program has a three-year period of performance beginning in September 2026. The request for applications closes at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 17, so state SNAP agencies must be quick in submitting their proposals.

Join us for our following Thompson Grants event:
Thompson Grants Workshop: Audits | August 4, 2026 | Virtual Event