NOW OPEN for WIC State Agencies:
WIC Online Shopping Project Request for Proposals
Introduction and Purpose
Since 2020, the Center for Nutrition & Health Impact (CNHI) awarded nine projects representing 15 WIC State agencies to plan, design, and implement WIC online shopping. CNHI is using lessons learned from the first two rounds of WIC Online Shopping Projects to solicit and administer a third and final round of projects. Online shopping in WIC leverages existing retailer and industry technology practices to increase program efficiency and reduce burden. The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit applications from WIC State agencies to implement WIC online shopping through a competitive sub-grant opportunity.
Apply Now.
Application Deadline:
Proposals can be submitted by 5 p.m. CT on May 9, 2025 to be reviewed for the first notice of awards. All proposals submitted thereafter, up until 5 p.m. CT on June 27, 2025, will be reviewed for the second and final notice of awards.
Submitting by the first submission deadline provides the applicant with the opportunity for earlier award and a longer project period. If a WIC State agency submits a proposal with the first deadline and does not receive funding, they can reapply, though funding available for the second round of submissions may be limited.
All projects must end by December 31, 2026.
Preview the proposal template before submitting.
Planning Project Template
Implementation Project Template
Home Food Delivery Project Template
This round of projects will include three project types.
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Planning Projects are ideal for WIC State agencies who:
are EBT online or offline,
are in the early stages of planning or preparing for WIC online shopping, and/or
have limited internal capacity or need assistance with partner engagement.
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This project type is ideal for online EBT WIC State agencies that are ready to develop, implement, and/or scale a WIC online shopping solution. The available project sub-types are:
EBT enablement with vendor development and validation: Under this sub-type, WIC State agencies will work with:
an EBT processor that has enabled WIC online shopping for another WIC State agency, and
a vendor partner, with or without an e-Commerce platform, that does not currently offer WIC online shopping, OR
a multi-vendor e-Commerce platform or single vendor e-Commerce solution (in-house or third-party platform) supporting non-WIC online shopping for one or more WIC-authorized vendors.
EBT enablement with vendor validation: Under this sub-type, WIC State agencies will work with:
an EBT processor that has enabled WIC online shopping for another WIC State agency, and
a WIC-authorized vendor that currently offers WIC online shopping.
Vendor validation: This project sub-type is intended for WIC State agencies that:
already have WIC online shopping enabled with their EBT processor, and
plan to work with one or more additional WIC-authorized vendors to validate their e-Commerce solution that currently offers WIC online shopping in another state.
Development and validation: Under this sub-type, WIC State agencies will work with:
an EBT processor that has not implemented online shopping for WIC, and
a vendor partner with or without an existing WIC online shopping solution and/or e-Commerce platform, OR
a multi-vendor e-Commerce platform or single vendor e-Commerce solution (in-house or third-party platform).
See Table 2 in the full RFP for a comparison table of each project sub-type.
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This project type is ideal for online EBT WIC State agencies interested in solving a unique food availability issue in their jurisdiction. WIC State agencies can partner with a non-retail, home delivery contractor* with the capacity for or interest in developing a solution for WIC online benefit transactions and delivery.
*Companies that contract with a WIC State agency to deliver authorized supplemental foods to a WIC participant under a home food delivery system per 7 CFR 246.2 "Home food delivery contractor" and 7 CFR 246.12(m).
To learn more about the opportunity, including eligibility information and requirements, please refer to the full RFP.
Key Dates and Resources
March 18, 2025
WIC Online Shopping Project RFP released
April 1, 2025
Webinar for interested applicants (April 1, 2025 at 11 a.m. CT)
April 7, 2025
First round of RFP questions (due by 5 p.m. CT)
Check back on April 21, 2025 for answers to RFP questions.
April 15, 2025
Optional Letter of Intent (Due by 5 p.m. CT)
April 21, 2025
Responses to first round of questions anticipated to be posted on the Funding page of WICShop+. Check back on April 21, 2025 for answers to RFP questions.
Week of April 28, 2025
First virtual office hour session (registration page forthcoming)
Office hours provide applicants with opportunities to ask questions and receive support with preparing a proposal.
May 9, 2025
First (early) submission deadline (due by 5 p.m. CT)
Email completed proposals in a single (combined) PDF file to wic@centerfornutrition.org with the subject line “WIC Online Shopping Project Proposal”.
View detailed proposal submission instructions in Part B of the full RFP.
Preview proposal questions before submitting:
Week of May 12, 2025
Second virtual office hour session (registration page forthcoming)
Office hours provide applicants with opportunities to ask questions and receive support with preparing a proposal.
May 16, 2025
Second round of RFP questions (due by 5 p.m. CT)
June 2, 2025
Responses to second round of questions anticipated to be posted on the Funding page of WICShop+
Check back on June 2, 2025 for answers to RFP questions.
June 6, 2025
Anticipated first notice of awards
June 27, 2025
Second and final submission deadline (due by 5 p.m. CT)
Email completed proposals in a single (combined) PDF file to wic@centerfornutrition.org with the subject line “WIC Online Shopping Project Proposal”.
View detailed proposal submission instructions in Part B of the full RFP.
Preview proposal questions before submitting:
July 30, 2025
Anticipated second notice of awards
Applicant Frequently Asked Questions
Thank you for your interest in the WIC Online Shopping Project Request for Proposals (RFP). Please submit any questions you have about the RFP below.
CNHI will post answers to RFP questions on the following dates.
Questions submitted by April 7, 2025, 5 p.m. CT anticipate being answered on April 21, 2025.
Questions submitted by May 16, 2025, 5 p.m. CT anticipate being answered on June 2, 2025.