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Food and Nutrition Programs

FY 2027 FC0722 School Nutrition Equipment Assistance for Schools Questions and Answers

  1. Is there a way to know if one of our school's has received this grant since FY2017? This would help us prepare our application accordingly.

    LEAs are responsible for keeping their own grant award and financial records.

    DESE cannot provide individual assistance on grant proposal questions to LEAs applying for a competitive grant proposal. All questions need to be submitted to NutritionEquipmentGrant@mass.gov and will be answered on this Q&A page. To keep the competition fair, we are prohibited from answering questions via individual email or phone.

    Download the Equipment Grant Tips and General Navigation for information in GEM$ on the grant page. Also see the hover text over the short answer questions for specific instructions.

    The LEA's grant writer should be working as a partner with the school nutrition director to submit a well-informed grant proposal to School Nutrition.

  2. I would love to apply for my school district — do I need to create a GEM login?

    To date, most schools and school districts in Massachusetts have a primary GEM$ log in. Check with your school or district's administrative/grants office to confirm that the district has GEM$ access as well as a "LEA User Access Administrator." To gain direct access to the FY26 School Nutrition Equipment Assistance for Schools application in GEM$, request that your district's LEA User Access Administrator creates user access for you and assigns you to the GEM$ role of "LEA Grantwriter."

    For more guidance on GEM$ access and user roles, please visit GEM$ and navigate to "DESE Resources" on the left side navigation bar > GEM$ LEA User Roles - Guidance and Forms. Once access to GEM$ is obtained download the Equipment Grant Tips and General Navigation for information on the grant page.

  3. How is a school/ site-based grant application different from a district level application in GEM$?

    The School Nutrition Equipment Grant is a school/site-based competitive grant rather than a district level grant. In pre-GEM$ days each school/site submitted their own entire grant application.

    Since USDA requires the equipment to be used only in the school that is awarded the grant, and we have limited funding from USDA, only the most competitive school applications will receive awards through their districts.

    In GEM$, we require LEAs to submit a district level required program information and create school/site-based grant applications for each school applying for equipment. Most of the information is collected on the site/school grant level information sections.

  4. I am having some difficulty with the School Nutrition Equipment grant in GEM$. Is there a narrative I should be uploading? Also, are you not using the budget input component, and instead, I just upload our budget?

    Each school/site grant application asks for detailed information about the school applying. There are a series of questions that need to be answered from the school's perspective including 5 narrative questions. All questions are answered in GEM$. You may want to answer them in a word document first then copy and paste in your answers into the appropriate question in GEM$.

    The budget is also entered into GEM$ on the site/school grant applications level. GEM$ "rolls up" the site-based budgets into a district budget.

    The (24 page) Equipment Grant Tips and General Navigation provides more information on the grant. The Office of Food and Nutrition Programs sent a grant availability announcement email to school nutrition directors and business managers with the document attached. You can also download the document within the grant in GEM$.

    The LEA's grant writer should be working as a partner with the school nutrition director to submit a well-informed grant proposal to School Nutrition.

  5. Is this a grant that is awarded up front, or awarded via reimbursements?

    Any grant awards from this grant must be spent on the equipment awarded after a district receives an award notification. No grant funds can be used for prior purchases.

    Grantees would purchase their equipment upon award then request reimbursement through GEM$.

  6. I see you can add delivery and installation as part of your equipment price, does that include the plumbing and/or electrical upgrades we need to do to install a piece in our school?

    Unfortunately, the grant cannot pay for the plumbing and electrical work needed (such as an upgrade) in the school to install equipment. For example, the quote for the equipment can include the delivery of a new steamer and the necessary work to install it in the kitchen so it can be used by staff. Please check your building's (i.e. space, electrical or plumbing) capacity to operate any equipment prior to applying for the grant.

  7. If our quote is from a state contract, do we still need to provide two additional quotes in the grant proposal?

    Yes usually. Calling a vendor who has already negotiated a price for your piece of equipment through a state contract does not guarantee they will provide the lowest price in a quote. Either provide the quotes from the other vendors that did not provide the lowest quote for the make and model you requested or proof that you used the state's combuys system (see link on RFP) to identify the pre-negotiated price for the make and model you are requesting from a vendor. Just calling a vendor who has a state contract does not guarantee you will receive the pre-negotiated price on the state contract.

  8. Can we apply after the deadline or receive an extension?

    Unfortunately, no. Per DESE grants requirements all competitive grant submissions are mandated to adhere to the deadlines in the RFP. If a grant has not been submitted and approved through all three stages of approval (grant writer, fiscal representative and the Superintendent) in GEM$ by 5:00 pm on Friday, November13, 2026, it will not be accepted.

  9. I was wondering if the Equipment Grant can be used for our nutrition and menu planning software?

    Unfortunately, no. Per the RFP software does not meet the fund use requirements of the grant.

  10. Just a request - can DESE provide some sort of training on the GEMS platform - that would be very helpful?

    The GEM$ website does have a DESE Resources page on their home page for districts. The Equipment Grant Tips and General Navigation document is 27 pages long and gives step by step guidance. That document was emailed with the grant announcement. It is also located within the GEM$ grant opportunity.

  11. If I have a school in my app packet that is not a part of my district, can they apply on their own behalf, or must I include them in my grant application? I am concerned about ownership of the equipment if we are awarded the grant. I would prefer they write their own grant, but not sure if that is allowed since they are under our NSLP program.

    The school cannot apply for the grant on its own. The district is the legally responsible fiscal entity and would need to apply on behalf of the school. As the School Food Authority, the District is responsible for purchasing the equipment should they receive the grant. If the unaffiliated school severs their arrangement with the district, the district can either sell the equipment to the school or take it back.

  12. In the school data section under site level program details, it asks for eligibility data. Should I report what is visible on my claim in the security portal (which comes from a CEP ratio being applied) or should I use my actual eligibility data for the time period? This percentage varies quite a bit, so thank you in advance for clarifying.

    To avoid such confusion, we will accept either eligibility number (CEP or actual). No applicant will be marked down for student eligibility percentage. We also have the data in the Security Portal.

  13. I'm writing with a question about the School Nutrition Equipment grant. The grant posting provides great examples of the types of equipment that must have a minimal cost of $1,000. However, we're wondering is school lunch trays for serving the students lunches would also be classified as equipment. We have a need that meets the minimal cost requirement but wanted to check to see if this equipment is allowable under the grant.

    Each piece of equipment must cost $1,000 or more to be considered equipment. It is not a total cost of $1,000 but an individual piece. A school lunch tray is unlikely to cost $1,000 so it does not meet the minimum threshold to be considered equipment.

  14. Hingham received money during the pandemic. Would this make us ineligible to apply for the equipment grant? It was probably in 2020. Thank you.

    Receiving an Equipment Grant in the past 9 years does not disqualify a school from applying for an Equipment Grant. The awarded school can apply again they will just be at a disadvantage as we prioritize schools that have not received a grant recently.

  15. Before moving forward with the application, I was hoping to clarify a few questions:

    Is the purchase of a commercial dishwasher an eligible expense under this grant?

    Are costs associated with delivery, removal of existing equipment, and installation eligible for reimbursement?

    Are there any additional considerations regarding vendor quotes or installation costs for schools located on Martha's Vineyard?

    A commercial dishwasher is eligible equipment if it costs over $1,000. Applicants need to obtain 3 vendor quotes for a piece of equipment (costing over $5,000), which includes any delivery (can be shipping), removal, and installation charges. If the vendors cannot include all costs in the one quote because they are shipping, then the applicant can include additional quotes for installation. Martha's Vineyard does not need to limit its vendor search to the island. The lowest quote providing the make and model requested that meets the district's specifications wins the bid. Be sure to be specific when requesting quotes.

  16. Our district, New Heights Charter School of Brockton, has only one school in the district. Can I use our current GEM$ account to apply or do I need to create one only for the school? How do I distinguish the accounts as the school and district both have the same name?

    Yes, you must use your existing GEM$ account to apply for the grant. The SFA/LEA/district needs to apply for the school. The school cannot apply on its own. There are directions on how to create school-based grants on the Equipment Grant Tips and General Navigation document located within GEM$ on the FC 0722 grant itself. You can also find the document on the eblast sent to School Nutrition Directors and Business Manager to announce the grant opportunity.

  17. We are an RCCI program, and I was wondering if we are eligible to submit a proposal.

    Yes, RCCIs participating in the National School Lunch Program are eligible to apply for the grant for one of their sites or schools.

  18. Can this grant be used for a portion of an equipment's cost? We are planning to use it for a portion of the cost of a new serving line.

    Yes. If the cost of the piece of equipment exceeds the maximum grant of $20,000 (such as a steamer or a walk-in freezer) you can request a grant to go toward the cost of the equipment. The district must guarantee to pay the remaining cost of the equipment. You cannot purchase any equipment you are requesting until the grant is awarded as grant funds can only be spent after an award is made.

  19. Can you please tell me if Monson Schools has ever received a 0722 School Nutrition Equipment Assistance grant back to 2017? I have been the Director of Food Services for five years but don't have any knowledge of past Director's receiving any 0722 grants.

    LEAs are responsible for keeping their own grant award and financial records.
    See question 1.

  20. We are looking to submit an application for the School Nutrition Equipment Assistance program, but I had a question. At two of our schools we have walk-in refrigerators that both need new condensers, evaporators, and lines. The shell itself is fine, but we have been spending a lot to keep the cooling equipment running each year. Would that be considered kitchen equipment and eligible for this grant?

    Yes. As it states in the RFP, "The funds can be used for installation and delivery costs of the equipment purchased. Equipment requests may include new equipment, renovation of equipment, or replacement of equipment." A condenser for a walk-in refrigerator would be considered "renovation of equipment" and is eligible.

  21. Hopefully this is my last question, I did not see it in the current information available: We are planning to use this grant to replace a serving line. If we are awarded the grant and the final serving line differs slightly from the quoted model or specifications, would that affect our eligibility for funding? Specifically, are we required to purchase the exact serving line included in the original quote, or are reasonable modifications permitted without jeopardizing the grant funding?

    It depends. The awardee is expected to use the grant funding to purchase the specific equipment the LEA applied for. If an LEA runs into extenuating circumstances, they can request to replace the awarded equipment with a similar piece. It is decided on a case-by-case basis, it depends on the situation. Award amounts are set and any amount not spent on the piece of equipment awarded needs to be returned.

  22. Do we need to upload the price quotes at the time of submission?

    Yes, we need the quotes as part of the proposal review process. Proposals without quotes are at a disadvantage in the competitive process.

Last Updated: November 10, 2026

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