USDA-FNS-2026-F2S: Farm to School Grant Program
Closed
This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of Food and Nutrition Service notices from 2025.
Food and Nutrition Service offered grants of up to $500,000 (at least $100,000) to nonprofits, state and local governments and tribes. It expected to make about 50 awards worth $18.0 million in total. Applications closed on December 5, 2025.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed September 10, 2025. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$500,000
- Award floor$100,000
- Total funding$18.0 million
- Expected awards50
- Cost sharingRequired
- Funding typeGrant
Key dates
| Posted | September 10, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | December 5, 2025 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | January 4, 2026 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to nonprofits, state and local governments and tribes.
All 6 applicant types the notice lists
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Independent school districts
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Under this RFA, all entities marked with an asterisk (*) must be part of a Partnership to be eligible to apply:- State agencies- Indian Tribal organizations- Child Nutrition Program operators*- Local agencies*- Agricultural producers*- Groups of agricultural producers*- Non-profit organizations*--- All non-profit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Organizations applying as any of the entities specified above, but which do not meet the eligibility definitions will be deemed ineligible and removed from competition without further consideration. Please see detailed eligibility information on pages 11-13 of the Request for Applications, found on the Related Documents tab of this announcement, for more detailed explanation of the eligibility categories.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past Farm to School Grant Program awards averaged $91,096; this notice allows up to $500,000 per award.
- Most of the program's money (66% over five years) went to nonprofits.
- The notice requires cost sharing or matching funds, so you must contribute part of the project cost.
What the grant funds
The program objective for the FY 2026 Farm to School Grant Program is to: Improve access to local foods in eligible CNP sites through comprehensive farm to CNP programming that includes local sourcing and agricultural education efforts. Proposed activities should clearly align with the objective and their associated activities and indicators. Careful consideration of proposed activities and indicators will prepare grantees for their progress reporting requirements if awarded. Examples of project activities that could be supported by FY 2026 Farm to School grants and support the required objective include, but are not limited to: Launching a pilot program that creates opportunities for eligible entities to create farm to CNP initiatives; Incorporating more unprocessed and value-added, minimally processed, locally or regionally sourced meal components into the CNP meals; Readying producers to participate in the CNP food marketplace by providing training on procurement regulations, Good Agricultural Practices, and other food safety-related topics; Improving infrastructure to accommodate new local ingredients or local menu items in CNP meals; Solving distribution bottlenecks that limit the feasibility of sourcing more locally or regionally produced items by working closely with intermediaries (e.g., distributors, food hubs); Integrating agricultural education with career and technical preparation programs to encourage the next generation of agricultural producers; Expanding experiential learning opportunities at CNP sites, such as creating school gardens, developing school-based farmers markets, providing support to agriculture/food clubs, and/or increasing exposure to local farms and on-farm activities; Encouraging increased consumption of fruits and vegetables in CNP sites through promotional activities, taste tests, and other activities featuring local products; Adopting agricultural education curricula that encourage the sharing of Indigenous traditional knowledge between generations, such as native plant varieties and planting practices; and Developing and implementing integrated curriculum to reinforce food and nutrition-based learning throughout the school environment or on a local farm(s).
Who has won Farm to School Grant Program grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Farm to School Grant Program (10.575) awarded $49.9 million across 548 grant awards, an average of $91,096 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelburne Farms | Vermont | 3 | $6.0 million |
| The National Center for Appropriate Technology Inc | Montana | 2 | $1.1 million |
| The Tides Center | California | 3 | $954,793 |
| North Dakota Department of Agriculture | North Dakota | 3 | $563,912 |
| First Nations Development Institute | Colorado | 1 | $500,000 |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is USDA-FNS-2026-F2S still open?
No. It closed on December 5, 2025.
Who can apply for Farm to School Grant Program?
Food and Nutrition Service accepted applications from nonprofits, state and local governments and tribes. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for Farm to School Grant Program?
Closed December 5, 2025. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $500,000 each. About $18.0 million in total across about 50 awards.
Who has won Farm to School Grant Program grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Shelburne Farms, The National Center for Appropriate Technology Inc, The Tides Center. The program made 548 awards worth $49.9 million in that time.
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