USDA Launches $50 Million Grant Program For Schools & Food Industry to Work Together to Strengthen School Meals

Last week, USDA launched a $50 million grant opportunity to support collaboration with the food industry to develop nutritious, appetizing school meals for students. This grant program—The School Food System Transformation Challenge—is part of the larger Healthy Meals Incentive Initiative.  

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service will select up to four non-governmental organizations to manage funds for the School Food System Transformation Challenge. These organizations will then award competitive grants to support and enhance the food supply chain for K-12 schools. Grantees may include food producers, suppliers, and distributors; school districts; and community partners. The grants will support schools’ ability to access a wider variety of healthy, appealing products and promote innovation by food producers and suppliers, including local producers and small and disadvantaged businesses.

The initiative was part of the commitments made in the administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.