UPDATED 8/18/2021
Award Amount: $1,000+
Application Period: August 24, 2021 - September 30, 2021
Application Documents:
Requests for Applications (RFA) were distributed to Superintendents and Child Nutrition Directors (CNDs) of all Contracted Entities (CEs) eligible to apply. If your CE did not receive an invitation, it is not eligible for the 2021 NLSP Equipment Assistance Grant.
** Your ESC can provide additional guidance and has login and password credentials. **
Additional questions about the NSLP Equipment Grant may be sent to NSLPEquipmentGrants@TexasAgriculture.gov.
Equipment Grant Application Process:
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) will competitively award kitchen equipment assistance grants to eligible School Food Authorities who are National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) participants. These kitchen equipment assistance grants will allow School Food Authorities (SFAs) to purchase nonexpendable, tangible kitchen equipment with a useful life of more than one year. The 2021 grant minimum equipment acquisition cost per item is $1,000. TDA will use a competitive award process to distribute $3,816,551 in reimbursement grants among the SFA sites that best fit USDA selection factors detailed at 2021 Equipment Grant Processing Methodology.
The application period is August 24, 2021 – September 30, 2021. All applications must be submitted through the application web portal. Applications will not be accepted past the deadline. TDA will evaluate the applications and plans to announce awards in October of 2021.
Eligible school food authorities must participate in the NSLP, SBP, SFSP, or SSO and be in good standing. CEs that did not receive an award from a previous American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) or NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant will be given priority in the 2021 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant selection process.
Scoring will consider:
- Percentage of free and reduced/CEP - priced meals
- Access to other financial resources to acquire equipment
- Age of food service equipment being replaced
- The proposed equipment’s potential meaningful impact on nutrition and quality of meals
- Improving food safety
- Equipment that provides more convenience and appeal to the student population in highlighting healthier choices
See the scoring criteria here. If you have any questions about the NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant, send an email to: NSLPEquipmentGrant@TexasAgriculture.gov
General FAQ about the 2021 Equipment Grant
SFAs must follow all Federal, State, and Local procurement laws when purchasing equipment with these grant awards.
As with all Federal grant funds, procurement regulations at 7 CFR Part 210.21 and 2 CFR Part 200.317-326 apply, and equipment competitively procured using these grant funds must be necessary, reasonable, and allocable.
Though not required, SFAs awarded grant funds are encouraged to purchase equipment made domestically.