Healthy Retail Grant

NEW GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: 

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HEALTHY RETAIL GRANT

The Alameda County Social Services Agency, with support from the Hellman Foundation and Alameda County Nutrition Services, is pleased to announce the Healthy Retail Grant. This one-time grant helps corner stores in Alameda County promote and sell more healthy, affordable, and culturally important foods. A healthy store offers healthy (e.g., low-fat, low-sugar, low-sodium, nutrient-dense), high-quality, and culturally relevant food options not traditionally available in their neighborhood. 

Grant Purpose 

Funding is intended to help neighborhood stores expand healthy food options for families by supporting store improvements and outreach, such as: 

  • New refrigeration or cold storage 
  • Display shelving and store layout enhancements 
  • In-store signage, pricing, and product placement for healthy items 
  • Local sourcing and culturally relevant product expansion 
  • Community outreach and activities that encourage healthy food access 

Grant Awards 

  • Stores may request up to $25,000 in grant funding. 
  • Final award amounts will depend on the strength of the proposal, store needs, and plan for using funds. 
  • Stores will be selected through a competitive application process and evaluated on potential community impact. 

Note: By applying to this grant program, applicants are not guaranteed to receive award funds. 

Allowable Use of Funds 

Stores are encouraged to propose solutions tailored to their unique challenges and community needs. Examples include equipment (e.g., refrigeration), fixtures (e.g., shelving), signage and merchandising for healthy foods, expanding culturally important products, and outreach or activities that increase awareness and demand for healthy options. 

Grant funds may not be used for expenses unrelated to the goals of the program. This includes personal expenses, payment of debts or bills, legal or tax obligations, vehicle or fuel purchases, political or religious activities, or any other costs not directly connected to increasing access to healthy food and beverages. 

Eligibility Criteria — Who Can Apply? 

Stores must meet all the following: 

  • Located in Alameda County. (Find your neighborhood on the map here: Map 
  • Stores that serve economically challenged areas where access to healthy, nutritious food is limited are strongly encouraged to apply. 
  • Small neighborhood store (e.g., corner store or small grocery store). 
  • Demonstrate a commitment to promoting and selling healthy food and beverage options. 
  • Able to implement proposed solutions independently with grant support (using existing infrastructure, contacts, or capacity). 
  • Be an Alameda County Registered Vendor – You do not need to be a registered vendor in order to apply; however, if your application is selected, you must register to receive payment. Registration can be completed by submitting a W-9 Form (IRS Version Rev. March 2024, signed and dated in 2025), applicants are encouraged to submit the form with their application. 

[More information on this form can be found here.] 

Note: Failure to complete this requirement will disqualify applicant from receiving funds.  

Evaluation Process 

Applications will be reviewed by the Alameda County Social Services Agency’s Grant Review Committee, which includes Agency staff, community representatives, and other qualified reviewers with relevant expertise. 

  • Grant awards will be recommended by the Committee to the Director of SSA for final approval. 
  • All funding decisions are final. There will be no appeal process. 
  • Late applications will not be accepted. 

How to Apply 

Applicants should first review the Healthy Retail Grant Informational Guide before beginning the application.  

Found in other languages here: Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Farsi, Cambodian 

Applicants must complete and submit the following items to have their application considered: 

  • W-9 Form (required if store has not previously received payment from Alameda County) 
  • Photos of the current store layout 

All application materials must be submitted via email to: SSAInnovations@acgov.org  

Deadline:  

All applications and required documents must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 10, 2025. 
All application materials must be submitted via email only, no hard copies will be accepted. 

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.  

Contact Information 

If you still have questions after reviewing the guide, please feel free to reach out to: 

Alameda County Social Services Agency – Office of Policy, Strategy, and Innovation 
SSAInnovations@acgov.org