Important Dates and Resources:

• The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) will be released on released Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, at 12 p.m. in the DC Register. View here.
• The Request for Applications (RFA) will be posted on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at 3 p.m. in the DC Register. 
• The pre-application meeting will be held on Oct. 20, 2026, at 10 a.m. To attend the pre-application meeting, please register here. A link will be sent after registration. A recording of the information session will be available no later than Oct. 23 as an attachment to this webpage.
• Pre-application questions are due by 3 p.m. EST on Nov. 11, 2026. Send all questions to [email protected] with the subject line, RFA Question: NSLP Equipment Grant. Answers to submitted questions will be made available by Nov. 19, 2026 as an attachment to this webpage.
• The deadline for application submission is 3 p.m. EST on Dec. 1, 2026.
• The grant period is anticipated from Oct. 1 2026 to Sept. 30, 2027.

Week of Sept. 21 Announcement

• The application release date in the NOFA published in the Sept. 4 District of Columbia Register Issue has been updated from Oct. 2 to Oct. 16. 

Grant Background: The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Division of Health and Wellness is soliciting applications for the Fiscal Year (FY27) National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance (NSLPE) grant. 

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provided 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 NSLPE 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, NSLPE grants have been used to modernize school kitchens, address equipment disparities in underserved areas, and promote strategies that foster healthy choices for students in Washington, DC. As a result, OSSE will continue to provide opportunities to eligible applicants to improve the nutrition and quality of meals for students participating in the NSLP program.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria: These funds will be available through a competitive grant process to District of Columbia NSLP participating public schools, public charter schools and private/non-public schools. 

Applications will be scored on the following selection criteria: project vision and implementation, project justification, sustainability, benefit to students with disabilities, and budget justification.   

These funds will make a significant investment by allowing the purchase of capital equipment used to serve healthier meals, meet the nutritional standards with emphasis on more fresh fruits and vegetables in school meals, improve food safety, and expand accessibility to food services.   

To make the most effective use of these grant funds, equipment requests must address at least one of the following focus areas: 

• Improve food safety and sanitation of food served in the NSLP and/or SBP;
• Improve food quality and ensure consistent preparation results and improve the nutrition and quality of meals; or 
• Improve operational efficiency by reducing preparation time, increase productivity and workflow for food distribution and food storage.

Length of Award: The total award period for this grant will be two years, ending on Sept. 30, 2028, contingent upon availability of funds. Each budget period is one year, with the first budget period ending Sept. 30, 2027. The applicant will be required to complete a continuation application each fiscal year. Receipt of funding for each continuation year is contingent upon: 

• Availability of funds; 
• Recipient’s implementation and/or operation of the program as submitted in the application; 
• Recipient’s demonstration that substantial progress has been made toward meeting the objectives set forth in the approved application, based on ongoing monitoring and review of the recipient’s reports;
• Compliance with District and federal laws, regulations and guidance; and 
• Appropriate expenditure of funds throughout the grant award period. 

Available Funding for Award: The total funding available for this award period is approximately $69,829. The estimated number of awards ranges from eight to 10 with the minimum award amount being $1,000 and the maximum award amount being $10,000.

Competitive Preference: OSSE’s Division of Health and Wellness has a competitive preference for the FY27 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant which is intended to narrow the achievement and opportunity gap. A competitive preference is provided to eligible applicants that have not received an NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant in the previous three years.

Resource:

FY27 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant Competitive Preference

Kimberly Thompson
Program Specialist
Division of Health & Wellness
[email protected]