USDA-FNS-CN-EAG-FY26

USDA-FNS-CN-EAG-FY26

Under the leadership of Secretary Brooke Rollins, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is committed to strengthening strategies to encourage healthy choices, healthy outcomes, and healthy families. In support of this principle, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is pleased to announce the availability of $20 million to provide grants on a competitive basis to State agencies for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Equipment Assistance Grants, as authorized under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (Public Law 119-4 ), and the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 (Public Law 119-37 ). The NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant provides funds to NSLP State agencies to administer competitive subgrants to eligible local education agencies (LEAs), school food authorities (SFAs), and schools for the purchase of equipment valued at greater than $1,000. The purpose of the NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant is to help ensure that schools have the equipment they need to serve healthier meals, improve food safety, and to support the establishment, maintenance, or expansion of the School Breakfast Program (SBP). Since 2010, the NSLP Equipment Assistance Grants have been used to modernize school kitchens nationwide, address equipment disparities in underserved areas, and promote strategies that foster healthy choices for students. In previous years, the NSLP Equipment Assistance Grants have been provided on a non-competitive basis through the FNS Regional Offices. This competitive Request for Applications (RFA) is a new process, and State agency applicants should review the RFA thoroughly to ensure full understanding of the updated requirements and procedures. As part of the application to this grant, State agency applicants must develop and submit the RFA they will use to competitively award the subgrant. State agencies may consider any LEA, SF

Details

• Agency: Food and Nutrition Service
• Department: Department of Agriculture
• Opportunity #: USDA-FNS-CN-EAG-2026
• Total Funding: $20,000,000
• Expected Awards: 54
• Instrument: grant

Eligibility

There are 54 States that administer the NSLP that have agreements with FNS and that are eligible to apply (please refer to Appendix A-State Funding allocation) in the RFA for reference. In States where more than one agency has an agreement in place with FNS to administer the NSLP, the primary NSLP State Agency (i.e. the agency that serves the majority of SFAs) is the agency that is eligible to apply for this grant opportunity.