This page provides information on DuPage County’s Food Assistance Network Infrastructure Investment Program (“Program”). It includes a general description, eligibility requirements, reporting requirements, a timeline, a link to the online portal, contact information, and reference materials.
On August 22, 2023, the DuPage County Board (“Board”) approved Round 1 of the Program for $1,000,000 in funding. The Round 1 application portal was opened on October 16, 2023 and closed on December 14, 2023. For further details, please see Round 1 information at Food Assistance Network Infrastructure Investment Program (Round 1, October 15, 2023).
On March 12, 2024, the Board approved Round 2 of the Program for an additional $500,000 in funding. The application portal will open on Friday, March 15, 2024 and close on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. For further details, please see the description and details below.
Description (Round 2)
On August 22, 2023, the Board allocated funding for the Program. This Program is intended to address food insecurity through strategic, long-term investments in the County's food pantry network. The Infrastructure Investment Program is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA; P.L. 117-2) so all Program payments must comply with ARPA requirements.
DuPage County (“County”) will administer the Program through an online portal. Each item (e.g., one refrigerator) requires its own online portal application; however, like/similar items (e.g., two refrigerators) should be grouped together in one application.
The County will prioritize applications that:
- Have not previously received Program funds;
- Improve the logistics of the overall food pantry distribution system;
- Consolidate multiple agencies into one data reporting system;
- Include budgets where the agency shares the total cost with the County;
- Are complete and detailed; and/or
- Share resources between agencies (e.g., two agencies sharing a refrigerated truck).
Eligibility (Round 2)
Key eligibility requirements include:
- Infrastructure investments may include either:
- Capital Equipment purchases (e.g., vehicles, refrigerators, and forklifts), or
- Information Technology (“IT”) investments (e.g., laptops or pantry-specific software systems).
- Expenses must be incurred after August 22, 2023 and on or before August 15, 2024 to be eligible.
- Agencies must be located in DuPage County as reflected in W-9.
- Improvements to land or buildings are not eligible under the Program.
- Ongoing maintenance, licensing, and warrantee expenses are not allowed.
Reporting (Round 2)
No later than August 31, 2024, the agency must submit a final report to the County. This report shall include cumulative expenditures and supporting documentation (e.g., receipts, bank statements, or check stub) that verify the final paid amount. If the agency fails to fully expend its funds by August 15, 2024, it must return the unspent funding to the County.
Timeline (Round 2)
This Infrastructure Investment online portal will open Friday, March 15, 2024 and will remain open until Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
Online Portal Application Access
For access to the online portal go to the Online Portal Application.
Contact
For questions, please email ARPAExpenses@dupagecounty.gov.
Reference Materials
- For more information on the federal ARPA program, see the U.S. Department of the Treasury Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.
- For more information on the County's Food Assistance Network Infrastructure Investment Program, see the Infrastructure Investment Agreement Template.
