USDA-FNS-CN-EAG-2026: USDA-FNS-CN-EAG-FY26
Closed
This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Harvest to Hallways: National School Lunch Program, Equipment Assistance Grants (USDA-FNA-CN-HTH-NSLP-EAG-2027). Status: Closes January 11, 2027 (65 days left). It is in our archive of Food and Nutrition Service notices from 2026.
Food and Nutrition Service offered grants of up to $2.4 million (at least $25,000) to state and local governments. It expected to make about 54 awards worth $20.0 million in total. Applications closed on May 28, 2026.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed April 16, 2026. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$2.4 million
- Award floor$25,000
- Total funding$20.0 million
- Expected awards54
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
Key dates
| Posted | April 16, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | May 28, 2026 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | May 20, 2027 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to state and local governments.
- State governments
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.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past Child Nutrition Discretionary Grants Limited Availability awards averaged $954,532; this notice allows up to $2.4 million per award.
- Most of the program's money (55% over five years) went to state and local governments.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
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). 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.
Who has won Child Nutrition Discretionary Grants Limited Availability grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Child Nutrition Discretionary Grants Limited Availability (10.579) awarded $296 million across 310 grant awards, an average of $954,532 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action for Healthy Kids, Inc. | Illinois | 3 | $49.7 million |
| Chickasaw Nation | Oklahoma | 3 | $19.6 million |
| Department of Education California | California | 5 | $17.6 million |
| Texas Department of Agriculture | Texas | 5 | $16.2 million |
| Boise State University | Idaho | 1 | $16.1 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, USDA-FNA-CN-HTH-NSLP-EAG-2027, which is open now.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is USDA-FNS-CN-EAG-2026 still open?
No. It closed on May 28, 2026. A newer notice is open: USDA-FNA-CN-HTH-NSLP-EAG-2027, closes January 11, 2027 (65 days left).
Who can apply for USDA-FNS-CN-EAG-FY26?
Food and Nutrition Service accepted applications from state and local governments. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for USDA-FNS-CN-EAG-FY26?
Closed May 28, 2026. 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 $2.4 million each. About $20.0 million in total across about 54 awards.
Who has won Child Nutrition Discretionary Grants Limited Availability grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Action for Healthy Kids, Inc., Chickasaw Nation, Department of Education California. The program made 310 awards worth $296 million in that time.
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