Open Michigan 2028-labelled NSLP Equipment Assistance applicant-facing competitive subgrants, October 19 to November 19, 2026, 5:00 p.m. EST. Controlling 2028 MDE guide, Important Information, rubric, and assurances reviewed. Funding $15,000/site; reimbursement after purchase; procurement and reporting restrictions apply.
Michigan 2028 NSLP Equipment Assistance School Food Authority Subgrants (November 19, 2026)
FundingMichigan statewide FY2026 USDA NSLP Equipment Assistance funding pool: $546,258, NOT an individual award. Michigan FY2028-labelled applicant-facing competitive school subgrant: maximum $15,000 PER eligible building/site, per MDE 2028 Application Guide and Important Information. Each equipment item must cost at least $1,000 excluding installation/delivery. Sponsors can seek awards for multiple eligible sites, each subject to the $15,000 site limit.
DeadlineNovember 19, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST); Michigan state NSLP Equipment Assistance 2028 round opened October 19, 2026.
Last verifiedOctober 28, 2026 (MDE official current 2028 grant page, complete 2028 application guide, scoring rubric, Important Information and Assurances and Certifications; controlling requirements independently reviewed)
Required next actionEligible Michigan NSLP sponsor must review current 2028 MDE equipment application guide, scoring rubric, Important Information and federal assurances; a Level 5 Authorized Official creates/submits NexSys application via MiLogin for Business by November 19, 2026, 5:00 p.m. EST. Include eligible site 9-digit agreement numbers, approved capital expenditure budget using function 297, school food service financial and needs data, and required Capitalization Policy; purchasing officer must attend/review procurement webinar. Reimbursement after approved equipment purchased; furnish invoices/photos and annual/final reports, all purchases/spending by September 30, 2028. Follow procurement regulations and additional preapproval for capital equipment above $10,000 unless preapproved. Each equipment item minimum $1,000, site maximum $15,000.
Broad Eligibility
Michigan NSLP sponsor participating public school districts, academies, intermediate districts, nonpublic districts or residential childcare institutions with eligible school sites participating in NSLP in prior fiscal year. Awards may prioritize sites not funded since 2022 and exclude sponsors with excess school-food-service net cash resources. MDE 2028 application criteria control.
Atlas Analysis
SOURCE-VERIFIED against Michigan MDE current state 2028 NSLP grant webpage, 20-page September 1, 2026 2028 application guide, 5-page Important Information, 4-page scoring rubric and 14-page federal assurances (all read October 28, 2026 with visual PDF checks). FY2026 federal distribution to Michigan $546,258 statewide pool; 2028 is Michigan grant/project FY because funds must be spent by Sept30 2028. INDIVIDUAL SITE MAX $15,000; sponsor may submit multiple eligible sites. EACH equipment item min $1,000 exclusive installation/delivery. State applicant-facing competitive grant, not the separate federal state-agency FY2027 Harvest to Hallways WordPress #6276 and not a vendor procurement. Eligible Michigan NSLP sponsor sites, prior year NSLP participation, 9-digit site agreement. L5 Authorized Official submits online NexSys, mandatory capitalization policy attachment and procurement webinar confirmation; reimbursement only after purchase/invoices/photos, reporting annually/final; building renovation prohibited, competing foods equipment prohibited, $10k+ capital equipment normally MDE preapproval except preapproved list. Other state/local funds considered in rubric; reviewed controlling documents do not specify compulsory match. November19 5pm EST; tentative award notice Dec11. Deadline and eligibility fully controlled and verified. Final publication still requires existing protected approval; do not direct-publish. Authenticated duplicate searches across statuses before creation found no 2028 Michigan subgrant match.
Michigan National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant: 2028 Round
The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is accepting applications from eligible Michigan school food sponsors participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) for competitive equipment assistance subgrants. This is the Michigan applicant-facing state subgrant round, not the earlier federal competition restricted to state agencies.
Funding and deadline
MDE reports $546,258 in total federal FY2026 NSLP equipment funding received for distribution to participating Michigan sponsors in its 2028 equipment grant round. This is the entire Michigan pool, not a maximum individual school award. The controlling September 1, 2026 MDE 2028 Equipment Assistance Application Guide and Important Information documents specify a maximum of $15,000 per eligible building/site, even when an eligible school food sponsor applies on behalf of multiple sites. Each requested equipment item must cost at least $1,000, excluding installation and delivery. The state application opened October 19, 2026 and closes November 19, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Who is eligible
Eligible National School Lunch Program sponsors include Michigan public school districts, public school academies, intermediate school districts, nonpublic school districts, and residential child-care institutions. The federal equipment subgrant program covers equipment valued at more than $1,000 to support healthier meals, food safety and the School Breakfast Program. The MDE 2028 application guide requires eligible sites to have participated in NSLP during the prior fiscal year; it prioritizes sites that have not received equipment assistance since 2022 and may exclude sponsors with excess school-food-service net cash resources. Equipment must directly improve meal nutrition, food safety, storage, or school breakfast services; building renovation and equipment supporting competing low-nutrition food sales are not eligible.
Application and requirements
Apply through NexSys via MiLogin for Business during the posted window. Review the 20-page 2028 Equipment Assistance Application Guide, scoring rubric, Important Information, procurement webinar and assurances linked from the official Michigan Department of Education page. A Level 5 Authorized Official must initiate and submit the NexSys application. The purchasing officer must attend or review the equipment procurement webinar, and the applicant must attach its Capitalization Policy, identify the 9-digit agreement number for each site, and itemize each purchase separately using food-services function code 297. Equipment purchases must follow federal/state/local procurement rules; purchases of capital equipment costing $10,000 or more normally require additional MDE preapproval unless on its preapproved equipment list. MDE reimburses after the school food authority purchases approved equipment and submits vendor invoices and photos of installation. Required purchasing and spending must be completed by September 30, 2028, with annual and final reports. The controlling documents do not specify a required matching percentage, but available other funds affect scoring. MDE tentatively expects award decisions December 11, 2026. The 2028 round label and FY2026 federal funding source are distinct and must not be treated as separate competitions.
Source verificationOfficial government source · www.michigan.govAtlas last verified this record October 28, 2026 (MDE official current 2028 grant page, complete 2028 application guide, scoring rubric, Important Information and Assurances and Certifications; controlling requirements independently reviewed). Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
