Open for mandatory Letter of Intent through November 24, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Full proposals are invitation-only; controlling guideline has internal January 8/22 date inconsistency.
Michigan MDARD FY2027 Farm to Family Scratch Cooking in Schools Pilot (Up to $100,000; LOI November 24)
FundingIndividual awards: up to $25,000 for Chopping or Blending; up to $50,000 for Batch Cooking or Cooking Proteins; up to $75,000 for Partnering; up to $100,000 for Innovating. Total statewide pilot appropriation $500,000, up to 10 grants; $500,000 is not a single applicant award.
DeadlineMANDATORY Letter of Intent: November 24, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Invitation-only full application: January 22, 2027 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time per PDF cover and timeline; PDF application requirements contain conflicting reference to January 8. Seek MDARD confirmation before final stage.
Last verified2026-10-31
Required next actionComplete MDARD online Letter of Intent survey by November 24, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Review project package and budget, verify Michigan-grown foods currently procured/served and food safety compliance; optional webinar November 10, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET. If invited in early December, use MiAgGrants for full application, prepare local procurement assessment, current capacity plan, support certification, narrative, itemized budget, and obtain MDARD clarification of conflicting January 8 vs January 22 deadline wording.
Broad Eligibility
Michigan Local Education Agencies currently purchasing and serving Michigan-grown or produced agricultural foods. Local purchasing assessment and Child Nutrition Program/food safety compliance apply. Selected LEAs invited to apply via MiAgGrants, one application per invited LEA.
Atlas Analysis
Official 2026-10-29 MDARD launch notice and controlling Scratch Cooking Pilot Grant Guidelines Overview dated Oct 29, 2026 examined Oct 31. Legitimate school-nutrition applicant grant, not procurement and not an RHTP program. $500,000 total FY2027 appropriation; individual package awards $25,000/$50,000/$75,000/$100,000, up to 10 awards. Only Michigan LEAs with existing local agriculture procurement/service qualify. Mandatory LOI 2026-11-24 11:59 p.m. ET, invitation-only application in MiAgGrants. Cover and application calendar state Jan 22, 2027 5 p.m. ET, but one Application Requirements paragraph says January 8 deadline, a material internal document conflict requiring MDARD clarification before protected publication approval. No mandatory match percentage specified in reviewed overview; do not invent a zero-match promise. Reimbursement against validated expense documentation through SIGMA; awardees must register SIGMA VSS. Excludes operating labor, food costs, utility bills, major construction/expansion, purchased educational promotions. Administrative reporting labor max 15%. Grant term April 1, 2027 - Sept 30, 2028. Source PDF https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/-/media/Project/Websites/mdard/documents/business-development/grants/scratch/OVERVIEW---Scratch-Cooking-Pilot-Grant-Application-Guidelines.pdf . Internal identifier only, not a published funder solicitation number. Hold Pending Review until deadline conflict resolved.
Michigan Farm to Family Scratch Cooking in Schools Pilot – FY2027
The Letter of Intent window is open. Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) launched this pilot October 29, 2026. Eligible local education agencies must submit an online Letter of Intent by November 24, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. MDARD will invite selected applicants to submit a full proposal through MiAgGrants.
Funding: The state allocated $500,000 total to the program and anticipates up to 10 grants. An individual grant may be up to $100,000 depending on the project package: Chopping or Blending up to $25,000; Batch Cooking or Cooking Proteins up to $50,000; Partnering up to $75,000; or Innovating up to $100,000. The $500,000 appropriation is not an individual applicant award.
Eligibility: Applicants must be Michigan local education agencies that currently purchase and serve locally grown or produced agricultural foods. MDARD may reject applicants out of compliance with USDA Child Nutrition Programs or applicable state and local food safety requirements. Only one full application per invited LEA is allowed.
Eligible costs: Program-related kitchen equipment, limited installation and infrastructure, processing and transport supplies, smallwares, safety equipment, taste-testing supplies, and eligible project costs in the selected package. Third-party service contracts are confined to the Partnering and Innovating packages. Menu production/planning software is limited to the Innovating package. Administrative labor only for required data collection and grant reporting may not exceed 15% of the award. The program excludes operating labor, building expansion/construction, food purchases, utility bills, and purchased promotional or nutrition-education items.
Application stages: File a Letter of Intent by November 24, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. MDARD expects to invite qualified LEAs in early December. The official document cover and schedule identify January 22, 2027 at 5:00 p.m. ET as the invitation-only full application deadline. One sentence in the application requirements incorrectly or inconsistently refers to a January 8 deadline; prospective invitees should obtain MDARD’s authoritative clarification before relying on either date. The November 24 LOI deadline is consistent throughout the published materials.
Grant operation: Awards are expected in March 2027, for a project period April 1, 2027 to September 30, 2028. Reimbursement requires approved expenditure documentation. Awardees must register in Michigan’s SIGMA vendor system before signing a grant agreement and participate in training, data collection and reporting.
Official sources: MDARD Scratch Cooking in Schools Pilot and MDARD October 29, 2026 launch announcement. Review the current full Grant Guidelines Overview linked by MDARD before applying.
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Source verificationOfficial government source · www.michigan.govAtlas last verified this record 2026-10-31. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
