This page describes the main changes for the fiscal year 2026 Patrick Leahy Farm to School grant compared to the past two grant years. We do not describe every change. Applicants should carefully read the entire Request for Applications prior to applying.
Grant Tracks
There are no grant tracks for FY 2026, unlike previous years that had Implementation, State Agency, and Turnkey tracks. All applicants must propose projects and activities that improve access to local foods in eligible child nutrition program (CNP) sites through comprehensive farm to CNP programming that includes local sourcing and agricultural education efforts.
Funding Amount
The minimum federal request amount increased to $100,000. The maximum federal request is now $500,000 for all applicants. See Section 2.0 in the RFA.
Eligibility
Eligible Entities
The following entities are eligible as a lead applicant for FY 2026 Farm to School Grant. While this is not a change from past years, the RFA provides additional clarification of these entity types. See Section 3.0 in the RFA.
- State agencies
- Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs)
- Child nutrition program (CNP) operators
- Local agencies
- Agricultural producers and groups of agricultural producers
- Nonprofit entities
Partnership Applications
The significant change in eligibility is that all eligible entities, except state agencies and ITOs, must apply as part of a partnership. For the purposes of the FY 2026 Farm to School Grant Program, a partnership is a group of multipleentities that apply jointly to the Farm to School Grant Program. Partnerships must identify a coordinating entity from among the partners to serve as the applicant and grantee. A partnership applicant must list at least two partners (besides the coordinating entity) in the project narrative to be eligible for this funding opportunity. The coordinating entity will submit the proposal in Grants.gov and, if awarded, will be responsible for and serve as the primary point of contact on grant administration. See Section 3.2 in the RFA.
Past Grantees
Unlike in previous years, current and past grantees of any year or track may apply for a FY 2026 Farm to School Grant. To be considered, all entities in receipt of any prior year Farm to School Grant must be in good standing and current on required deliverables by the application deadline. Grant deliverables include all progress and financial status reports and an Action Plan, if applicable. See Section 3.8 in the RFA.
Partners
All applicants must have at least one partner, with the number of required partners varying by entity type. Partners must be listed and described in the application. Partnership applications must also submit two partnership letters. The table below shows the number of required partners and partnership letters by applicant type. See Section 4.4 in the RFA for more information about partners and partnership letter requirements.
| Requirement | State Agency | ITO | All Other Eligible Entities (Partnership) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Number of Partners | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Number of Partnership Letters | 0 | 0 | 2 |
CNP Operator or Administrator
Similar to past grant years, the applying entity or at least one partner must be a CNP operator or administrator. A CNP operator/administrator is defined as a school, childcare institution, or summer sponsor operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and/or the School Breakfast Program (SBP), or a state agency administering NSLP, CACFP, SFSP, and/or the SBP. New for FY 2026, applicants must provide this information in the project narrative. For partnership applications, if the coordinating entity does not operate or administer at least one CNP, then at least one of the partnership letters must be from a CNP operator or administrator. See Section 4.4 in the RFA.
Priorities
As demonstrated with the increased funding amount and updated requirements, for the FY 2026 Farm to School Grants, we are prioritizing innovative projects that scale up farm to school efforts, strengthen partnerships, expand reach, and enhance state-level capacity for the FY 2026 opportunity. Applicants must demonstrate how they meet at least three of the following priorities:
- Use strategies that scale up and expand the reach of farm to CNP efforts.
- Focus on partnership building through such strategies as collaboration, network building, and peer learning.
- Demonstrate innovative methods to ensure lasting success and impact beyond the immediate target audience, project partners, and period of performance.
- Create new or expand existing opportunities to connect America’s farmers to child nutrition programs.
- Enhance innovation and capacity for states providing farm to school support.
Project Narrative
Format
The project narrative requirements and format have changed from previous years, with content divided into shorter sections, each with directed prompts. The recommended lengths provided for each of the project narrative’s subsections are intended to serve as a guide for the desired length of the responses. The project narrative must not exceed 14 pages in total if using the provided project narrative template, or 10 pages in total if not using the template. See Section 4.4 of the RFA.
Template
To help navigate the new narrative requirements, applicants are strongly encouraged to use the provided project narrative template, which includes the necessary prompts and format per the requirements. The project narrative template makes it easier for applicants to prepare their project narrative and can be downloaded from the Related Documents tab in the Grants.gov posting.
Budget Narrative
The budget narrative template was updated for FY 2026. Two versions are available in the Related Documents tab in Grants.gov—an Excel version (contains formulas) and a Word version (no formulas). Each version contains instructions for use. Applicants should only submit one budget narrative and, regardless of the initial format, the budget narrative should be converted to a PDF before uploading to Grants.gov. See Section 4.5 in the RFA.
Match Calculator
The Excel version of the Budget Narrative Template includes a section that calculates your match percentage to help ensure your budget meets the match requirement. For those using the Word version, a standalone match calculator is available on the Resources for Applicants page.
See Section 3.5 of the RFA for information about the match, and be careful to ensure you have met all match requirements.
Simplified Paperwork
Cover Sheet
The FY 2026 application eliminates the electronic form FNS-887 Application Cover Sheet. Applicants already provide similar information as part of their project narrative, the Project Abstract Summary form in Grants.gov, and the SF-424. See Section 4.4 in the RFA.
Form Instructions
The RFA appendix includes instructions for each field of the SF-424 and SF-424a forms. See Appendix F in the RFA.
Contact and Resources
- Visit the Resources for Applicants page for technical assistance, including webinars and more.
- For questions related to the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program, email SM.FM.FarmtoSchool@usda.gov.