Open — Massachusetts DESE FY2027 Fund Code 0722 competitive school nutrition equipment applications accepted until November 13, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Eastern; award funding contingent on availability.
Massachusetts FY2027 School Nutrition Equipment Assistance Grants — Up to Approximately $20,000 per School (Fund Code 0722)
Massachusetts DESE FY2027 Fund Code 0722 offers competitive reimbursable grants of up to approximately $20,000 per eligible NSLP-participating school for food-service equipment. School Food Authorities/districts apply on each school's behalf. Applications close November 13, 2026 at 5 p.m. Eastern.
FundingUp to approximately $20,000 per individual qualifying Massachusetts NSLP school (competitive, estimated and subject to available funding); DESE's approximately $361,143 USDA allocation is the TOTAL statewide program pool, not individual funding. No mandatory universal applicant match stated. Awards are reimbursement based after equipment purchase following approval.
DeadlineFriday, November 13, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. GEM$ LEA grantwriter/fiscal/superintendent-chief executive approval stages must ALL be completed by deadline. RFP questions deadline November 6, 2026; grant project end June 30, 2028.
Last verified2026-10-26
Required next actionConfirm the applicant is the legally responsible Massachusetts School Food Authority/district for a 2026-27 National School Lunch Program participating school, including current meal-pattern compliance. Identify the specific school and equipment costing individually over $1,000; collect price quotes for each item and three quotations for each unit costing at least $5,000 or an allowed procurement price alternative. Complete school/site narratives and rolled-up district budget in GEM$, request temporary LEA access five business days early if needed, and obtain fiscal and superintendent approval by November 13, 2026, at 5 p.m. Eastern.
Broad Eligibility
Eligible direct grant applicants: Massachusetts National School Lunch Program School Food Authorities and school districts acting on behalf of individual participating schools (2026-27 NSLP), compliant with meal patterns. A covered school cannot directly apply independent of its administering SFA/district. Priority for schools without USDA equipment grants in FY2017-FY2025. Eligible items: per-unit food equipment greater than $1,000, delivery and standard installation for named school. Not eligible: menu-planning software, standalone plumbing/electrical upgrades, preaward purchases, expenses after June 30 2028, non-NSLP uses. Awards reimbursement; three quotes for items $5,000+.
Atlas Analysis
Verified October 26, 2026 against the controlling Massachusetts DESE FY2027 Fund Code 0722 RFP and official program Q&A last updated October 23. Competitive USDA-funded financial assistance is administered by DESE to School Food Authorities for individual National School Lunch Program schools; this is not a public purchasing tender. The approximately $20,000 estimated per-school applicant grant differs from the $361,143 statewide funding pool. The school district/SFA is the responsible applicant and awardee. Awards reimburse post-approval equipment expenditures, and each equipment unit must cost more than $1,000. Obtain three price quotes for units costing $5,000 or more, subject to documented approved purchasing alternatives; software, substantial plumbing/electrical upgrades and pre-award purchases are excluded. Complete all GEM$ LEA approvals by November 13, 2026, at 5 p.m. Eastern; project ends June 30, 2028.
School Nutrition Equipment Assistance — FY2027 Fund Code 0722
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) administers a competitive, federally financed School Nutrition Equipment Assistance for Schools program, Fund Code 0722, using funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is a grant to School Food Authorities for qualifying equipment purchases, not a government solicitation to purchase products from vendors. Funding supports healthier meals, additional fruits and vegetables, improved kitchen food safety and access to National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.
Applicant-Level Funding
Up to approximately $20,000 per eligible school is anticipated; grants are competitive and amounts are estimates subject to availability. The approximately $361,143 allocated statewide by USDA is the total state program pool, not an individual-school award. There is no universal mandatory cost-share percentage in the controlling program RFP. Awards operate on reimbursement: the School Food Authority buys approved equipment after award notification and requests reimbursement through GEM$.
Eligible Applicants and Priorities
Massachusetts School Food Authorities (SFAs) and districts participating in the National School Lunch Program in school year 2026–2027 may apply for individual participating school sites. Schools must comply with current school-meal pattern rules. An individual school covered by a district or SFA does not submit as an independent direct applicant; the district is the legally responsible entity and applies on behalf of the specific school. DESE gives competitive priority to schools not funded by comparable USDA nutrition equipment grants during FY2017–FY2025.
Eligible Equipment, Costs and Exclusions
Qualifying food-service equipment, used only at the school named in the grant, may include heating, cooking, holding, serving and refrigeration equipment for NSLP meals. Each equipment unit must have a value greater than $1,000 under the RFP. Delivery and ordinary equipment installation may be included. Standalone nutrition/menu planning software, major plumbing or electrical upgrades, and pre-award equipment purchases are not allowable. Obtain quotes for each requested item; submit three price quotes for equipment items costing $5,000 or more, or the approved alternative purchasing evidence explained in DESE’s FAQ. Awarded equipment must be tagged and grant activities completed by June 30, 2028. Equipment purchasing remains subject to applicable federal, state, local procurement standards; this legal compliance condition does not convert the financial-assistance award into a procurement bid.
Controlling Application Deadline
Friday, November 13, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Applications must be fully approved in DESE’s Grants for Education Management System (GEM$) by the grantwriter, LEA fiscal representative and superintendent/chief executive stages. Applications that have not passed all required stages by the deadline will not be considered. New organizations without GEM$ LEA registration must request temporary organizational access at least five business days beforehand. The official RFP lists the final deadline for questions as November 6, 2026.
Required Preparation and Official References
Coordinate with the SFA school nutrition director, identify the specific school site and each proposed equipment unit, document its contribution to healthier meal services, obtain itemized competitive quotes, and prepare district-level and site-based budget/narrative sections inside GEM$. Read the controlling DESE FY2027 Fund Code 0722 RFP and official grant Q&A updated October 23, 2026 prior to submission.
Source verificationReferenced source · www.doe.mass.eduAtlas last verified this record 2026-10-26. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
