$20M NSLP Equipment Assistance Grants for School Nutrition Equipment

USDA-FNS-CN-EAG-FY26

Agency: Food and Nutrition Service

Assistance Listings: 10.579 -- Child Nutrition Discretionary Grants Limited Availability

Last Updated: April 16, 2026 View version history on Grants.gov

Description

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).

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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, SFA, or school participating in NSLP as eligible to receive an NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant award (subgrant).

Selection criteria that State agencies are encouraged to consider when awarding the subgrants may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Opportunities to improve the nutrition and quality of meals, including supporting the implementation of updated nutrition requirements for school meals.
• Age or lack of appropriate food service equipment.
• Ability of food service equipment to increase the efficiency of procurement, food storage, and distribution/service.
• The availability of existing State and local funding for equipment purchases.
• Strategies for adopting cafeteria changes that provide more convenience and appeal to the student.

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Eligibility

Eligible applicants

Government

• State governments

Additional information

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.

Grantor contact information

Description

Carla Garcia
Grant Officer

Email

Grant Officer

Documents

Download all
| File name | Description | Last updated |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FY2026~1.PDF | FY 2026 Child Nutrition NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant Request for Applications | Apr 16, 2026 02:49 PM UTC |
| FY2026ChildNutritionNSLPEquipmentAssistanceGrantRequestforApplications.docx | RFA Word document | Apr 16, 2026 12:17 PM UTC |
| FY2026NSLPEAGBudgetNarrative_Template.xlsx | Budget Narrative Template | Apr 16, 2026 12:17 PM UTC |
| FNS-906.pdf | FNS 906 Form | Apr 16, 2026 12:21 PM UTC |

Link to additional information

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Closing: May 28, 2026

Application process

This site is a work in progress. Go to www.grants.gov to apply, track application status, and subscribe to updates. View on Grants.gov

Award

$20,000,000

Program Funding

54

Expected awards

$25,000

Award Minimum

$2,362,417

Award Maximum

Funding opportunity number:

USDA-FNS-CN-EAG-2026

Cost sharing or matching requirement:

No Funding instrument type:

Grant

Opportunity Category:

Discretionary

Opportunity Category Explanation:

-- Category of Funding Activity:

Food and nutrition

Category Explanation:

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History

Version:

3

Posted date:

April 16, 2026

Archive date:

May 20, 2027