RFP #97: FY2024 National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant for School Food Authorities
This grant helps New York State schools buy equipment to improve meal quality, food safety, and participation in federal school lunch and breakfast programs.
Funder: New York State Education Department
Due Dates (Anticipated): June 2026: Full application submission deadline (upload to SharePoint) | June 2026: Prequalification deadline for non-public and charter SFAs in SFS (by 5:00 p.m.) | June 2026: Deadline to request/approve SharePoint access/invitation requests (by 4:00 p.m.) | May 2027: Questions submission deadline to RFP97@nysed.gov | June 2027: Non-mandatory Notice of Intent (NOI) deadline
Funding Amounts: Typical award: $1,000–$20,000 per equipment request per Recipient Agency; total available funds: ~$557,637; project period: 12 months.
Summary: Supports New York State School Food Authorities in purchasing equipment to enhance meal quality, food safety, and participation in federal school meal programs.
Key Information: Forecasted dates—verify on program page for updates; prior awardees from FY2020–2023 are ineligible this cycle.
Description
This grant program provides funding to eligible School Food Authorities (SFAs) in New York State for the purchase of food service equipment that improves the infrastructure and operations of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). The goal is to enable schools to serve healthier meals, enhance food safety, improve overall meal quality, and expand participation in school meal programs. Funding can be used for a range of equipment needs, including general food service equipment, serving lines, and electronic point-of-sale systems, provided each item requested has a per-unit cost greater than $1,000.
