The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a memorandum last month notifying State Agencies that a total of $30 million dollars has been allocated through the FY 2016 Agriculture Appropriations Act to competitively award equipment assistance grants to eligible School Food Authorities (SFAs) operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Of this amount, a total of $1,677,198 has been allocated to New York State to support SFAs in purchasing equipment to serve healthier school meals, to improve the safety of school food operations, and to expand access to and participation in the NSLP. The New York State Education Department (SED) is anticipating that a Request for Proposal (RFP) for this grant opportunity will be released in September 2016. At that time, interested applicants are encouraged to submit an application to SED in accordance with the application guidelines and procedure specified in the RFP.

In addition, the USDA has added “a new initiative with the National Football League and National Dairy Council’s Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP60) program to provide additional funding opportunities to help schools upgrade their kitchen equipment and infrastructure. These grants will help move millions of America’s youth from hungry to healthy through the provision of additional resources to schools to meet the updated national nutrition standards, by helping to serve meals with more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein and lowfat dairy, and less sodium and fat.” Schools or districts that are located in the continental United States (including Alaska), schools that participate in the NSLP, and schools serving students in at least one of the K-12 grade levels are eligible to apply for a FUTP60 School Nutrition Equipment Grant. Schools may apply for up to $5,000 worth of school nutrition equipment per school for the 2016-2017 school year. Interested schools are encouraged to apply directly at https://www.fueluptoplay60.com/funding/nutrition-equipment-grant. Applications must be completed and submitted online by Thursday, June 30, 2016.

Please be advised that the FUTP60 opportunity is a separate grant announcement from the Stateadministered NSLP equipment assistance grant described above. SED is aware that many schools that have previously received an equipment assistance grant through a SED RFP may be ineligible to receive future equipment grants despite a need for equipment. The FUTP60 equipment grant is a separate grant program and all schools, regardless of equipment received through previous equipment grant funding, are eligible to apply. SED encourages all eligible schools with equipment needs, including those schools that have received an equipment assistance grant through SED in the past, to apply for a FUTP60 School Nutrition Equipment Grant.