HealthierHere is pleased to announce a new Request for Proposals (RFP) for 2026 Food Security Infrastructure and Sustainability Funding, designed to strengthen the long-term capacity of food assistance providers serving communities across King County.

This investment will support food banks, food pantries, mutual aid networks, and community food programs to improve or expand essential food storage, distribution, and technology infrastructure—helping ensure residents can access food with dignity, reliability, and cultural relevance.

About the Investment

HealthierHere intends to invest in King County food assistance providers to address long-term infrastructure and sustainability needs. Funding must be used to purchase, replace, install, or improve essential food storage and distribution equipment, and/or to make technology investments that support food distribution operations.

This opportunity is part of HealthierHere’s role as the Community Hub for King County, supporting a coordinated system of whole-person care.

Available Funding

Funding amounts vary based on organizational size:

• Large organizations (Distributing more than 5.0 million pounds of food annually, or 1.0 million pounds for sovereign Tribal entities): Up to $100,000
• Small organizations (Distributing between 100,000 and 5.0 million pounds of food annually): Up to $50,000

All awarded funds must be fully spent by June 30, 2026.

Who Is Eligible to Apply

Eligible applicants include food assistance providers serving King County, such as:

• Food banks
• Food pantries
• Mutual aid networks
• Community food programs

To be eligible, organizations must:

• Operate as a nonprofit entity in King County
• Be registered and active with the Washington Secretary of State
• Demonstrate experience reducing food insecurity
• Demonstrate experience providing culturally tailored food assistance to priority populations

Individuals and for-profit entities are not eligible to apply.

Allowable Uses of Funds

Funds may be used for:

• Purchasing or replacing food storage equipment
• Purchasing or replacing food distribution equipment
• Installation or setup of food storage or distribution equipment
• Investing in new or existing technology that supports food distribution
• Other items related to essential food storage and distribution equipment that support food distribution.

Up to 10% of awarded funds may be used for related costs such as delivery, installation, mileage, or staffing directly tied to the infrastructure investment.

See the full RFP for a list a impermissable uses of funding.

Application Timeline

• RFP released: Monday, February 9, 2026
• Question & Answer Webinar: Thursday, February 12, 2026
• Applications due: Monday, March 2, 2026
• Partner notifications: Monday, March 16, 2026
• Contracts begin: Monday, April 6, 2026

How to Apply

To be considered, applicants must submit:

• A completed RFP application (via Google Form)
• A proposed budget
• A visual reference for proposed equipment or technology purchases (e.g., vendor quote or product link with image)
• A completed HealthierHere Readiness Assessment on file

Organizations unsure of their Readiness Assessment status should contact HealthierHere prior to submitting their application.

Funded partners will be required to submit a final report, including photos of purchased equipment and a brief summary of impact, by July 31, 2026.

Learn More and Apply

We encourage eligible food assistance providers to review the full RFP for detailed requirements and application materials.

Access the online application form.

If you have questions, please plan to attend the Q&A webinar on Thursday, February 12th at 3pm or reach out using the contact information provided in the RFP.

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