Call for Application Reviewers

Reinvestment Fund is seeking food systems and food access experts to serve as application reviewers for the 2026 HFFI Food Access and Retail Expansion Fund (HFFI FARE Fund).  

The HFFI FARE Fund is looking for reviewers with experience in grocery retail, food business, grocery supply chain, and lived experience with food insecurity and injustice. 

If applying to be a reviewer, you must be available during the specified time periods and able to make all trainings and meet all deadlines.

 

2026 HFFI FARE Fund Grants and TA

We are seeking a diverse group of reviewers who have personal and professional experience with improving access to affordable, nutritious food through food retail. This includes individuals who have financing, entrepreneurship, nonprofit leadership, and food retail or food supply chain business sector expertise, as well as lived experience with food insecurity and injustice. Reviewer interest form submissions are due by Friday, October 9, 2026. 

In the 2026 grant and TA funding cycle, the HFFI FARE Fund will provide at least $5,250,000 for implementation grants, at least $1,000,000 for technical assistance to organizations planning and/or implementing healthy food retail or food retail supply chain projects in eligible, underserved areas.  

Reviewers will be asked to objectively evaluate grant applications against the published criteria in the competitive 2026 HFFI FARE Fund Grant and TA Request for Applications (RFA). Reviewers will be selected based on their qualifications, experience, and the number of applications received.   

  • Reviewers will be required to participate in a virtual webinar training session prior to reviewing the applications. This training is scheduled for Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 3 PM ET/12 PM PT.  
  • Reviews will be completed using an online portal over a three-week period from Monday, November 9 – Friday, December 11, 2026. 
  • No travel is required.   
  • Reviewers will receive a stipend following successful completion of application reviews. The stipend is $25 per application reviewed. We expect to assign 15 – 20 applications per reviewer.   

HFFI FARE Fund Reviewer interest form submissions are due by Friday, October 9, 2026.  Respondents will be notified by November 2, 2026 about their selection as a reviewer.  

SUBMIT A FARE FUND REVIEWER INTEREST FORM

 

2026 HFFI PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM 

The HFFI Partnerships Program is no longer accepting application reviewer interest forms. Selected reviewers will be notified in October 2026.

The 2026 HFFI Partnerships Program will fund $20 million in grants to public-private partnerships working at the local, state, or regional level to improve access to fresh, healthy, affordable food by providing financial and technical assistance to eligible projects.  

Reviewers will be asked to objectively evaluate grant applications against the published criteria in the competitive HFFI Partnerships Program Request for Applications (RFA). Reviewers will be selected based on their qualifications, experience, and the number of grant applications received. Reviewers will score applications and then discuss their scores and comments in review panels. This panel structure will incorporate the breadth of experience of the reviewers and help all reviewers understand the applications.  

  • Reviewers will be required to participate in a training session on October 19, 2026 at 1-2:30pm Eastern Time, which will be done via webinar, prior to reviewing the applications. 
  • Reviewers will evaluate 6-10 applications and score them based on the criteria in the RFA. 
  • Reviewers will participate in a panel discussion with fellow reviewers. Final scores of applications and comments will be submitted after the panel discussion. 
  • Reviews will be completed using an online portal over a five-week period between October 21, 2026 – November 30, 2026.  
  • Review panels will take place on video conference following the scoring period; no travel is required.  
  • Reviewers will receive a stipend following successful completion of application reviews. This stipend is $100 per application reviewed. Panel chairs will receive an additional $100.