New York State Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program

The New York State Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program is administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to enhance the long-term resiliency of the school food system statewide. Launched to support the use of fresh, locally grown New York State farm products in school meals, the program also aims to reduce food insecurity, expand markets for state producers, and promote workforce development in culinary and food logistics sectors. This initiative is part of a broader five-year strategy that allocates $50 million, with each of New York’s ten regions eligible for one-time awards. In Round 3 of the grant (2025 cycle), two regions will each receive $5 million, contributing to a total of $10 million in funding. Eligible applicants for this competitive grant include registered not-for-profit organizations (e.g., 501(c)(3) entities), local municipalities, school districts, and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), provided they are situated within New York State. Public schools are exempt from pre-qualification, but all other entities must be registered and prequalified in the Statewide Financial System Grants Management System (SFS GM). Applications must be submitted through SFS GM, under the event titled “New York State Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant– Round 3,” Event ID: AGM-RSFI25. Faxed, mailed, or emailed applications are not accepted. Grants must support capital projects such as construction, renovation, or acquisition of facilities and equipment that enable regional aggregation, storage, or commissary-style meal preparation using New York-grown foods. Projects must benefit multiple school districts and demonstrate community support and workforce development elements. Grant funds may cover construction-related wages, contractor services, permanent equipment (lifespan of 5+ years), vehicles for food transport, and architectural/legal services directly tied to the project. Ineligible costs include rent, food purchases, indirect costs, and pre-award expenses. Each project must include a minimum 5% match, which can be fulfilled via cash or donated goods/services (in-kind labor is not allowed). Applications are evaluated competitively on a 100-point scale, with emphasis on the submitted business plan, cost reasonableness, quantified benefits to producers and communities, and documented external support from stakeholders such as schools and farmers. Commitment letters are required for verifying partnerships. Two awards will be made in 2025 to the top-scoring proposals from eligible regions not previously funded: Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley, Capital Region, Mid-Hudson, or New York City. The application window closes at 3:00 PM ET on January 20, 2026. All questions must be submitted by December 12, 2025, with answers posted by December 19, 2025. Awards will be announced in April 2026. Contracts will run for five years starting March 15, 2026, with reimbursement-based payments (25% advance possible). Reporting includes quarterly progress and final reports. MWBE and SDVOB participation goals are also built into the program. For questions, applicants may contact the Farm-to-School Team, Attn: Matthew Wilson, via email at farmtoschool@agriculture.ny.gov or by fax at (518) 457-1605.

Secure letters of support from schools and farmers; ensure regional impact and workforce elements; follow SFS portal formatting strictly; start early due to prequalification processing time.