FNS Clarifies Equipment Grant Requirements

Washington, March 3 – States that did not receive funding for school food equipment under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but were offered funding in fiscal 2010 as part of a second wave of funds, are being told by the Food and Nutrition Service that they may opt to use the funds now or postpone accepting them until a later date.

The Recovery Act made some $100 million available for equipment assistance to school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program. Competition for the program was intense and only about 5,000 of nearly 24,000 applications sent by state agencies were funded. Congress then made $25 million more in FY 2010 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grants available to schools that did not receive the Recovery Act funding.