New England Food Vision Prize Grant

The New England Food Vision Prize aims to enhance local food supply chains in New England's educational institutions by awarding up to $1.5 million. The program supports innovative projects that increase the amount of regionally produced food served to K-12 and college students. By fostering collaboration among schools, farmers, and community organizations, the Prize strengthens food systems while prioritizing access for students and communities with limited fresh food options.

The New England Food Vision Prize will award up to $1.5 million to projects that build resilience, relationships, and capacity within New England’s educational institution food supply chain.
The Prize will support new ideas and collaborations, while also safeguarding and supporting existing efforts. This year’s Prize aims to fortify recent progress and ensure that the region’s students, farmers, fishermen, and producers continue to benefit from farm to school and campus programs.
Competitive applications will clearly demonstrate how the project or program will maintain or increase the amount of regionally produced food served to K-12 and college and university students. Specific and near-term benefits to farmers, fishermen, and/or producers should be detailed in the application.
Launched by the Henry P. Kendall Foundation in 2018, the New England Food Vision Prize Program aims to increase the amount of local and regional food prepared and served on New England college and university campuses and within K-12 public school districts, helping to strengthen the region’s food system.
Prizes are awarded to projects that build resilience, relationships, and capacity within New England’s academic institutional food supply chain, resulting in increased preparation, sourcing, serving, or use and consumption of local and regional food at K-12 schools and higher education institutions.
Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Eligibility

A primary objective of this program is to build the capacity, infrastructure, and relationships that result in local and regional food on the dining trays of students throughout the region’s K12 schools, campuses, and universities.Applicants can be schools, nonprofit organizations, municipalities, or government agencies. At least one educational institution (K-12 or higher education) must be identified as a direct beneficiary and partner of the project. A letter of support will be required from this institution.
Applicant teams might include…Higher education institutions K-12 schools or school districtsFarms / food harvesters / producers Food hubs Processors Network organizations Community-based organizations Municipal departments/initiatives Additional institutions (healthcare, corrections)
While for-profit businesses may participate as project partners, the primary applicant receiving grant funds from the Kendall Foundation must be a nonprofit organization, government entity, or municipality.Funding uses:Examples of possible uses of funding include the following: Infrastructure investmentEquipment purchaseCapacity and staffingRevolving FundTraining and certificationPrevious Prize winners are eligible to apply and all applicants and all partners must be based in New England.Food associated with the project must be grown and/or sourced in New England.

Ineligibility

Funding may not be used for:The recurring purchase of foodEndowmentResearch or extensive planning effortsPrimary applicant Prize winners are not eligible to submit applications in consecutive years; however, they are eligible to participate as part of a team in the year following an award. Additionally, primary applicant prize winners with unspent funds remaining in a previously awarded project are ineligible to apply.