Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2027: MA Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health with Coordination and Optimization of Resources and Partnerships (MA FRESH CORP)

Fund Code: 0709

Purpose:

The purpose of this state-funded targeted grant program is to support MA FRESH CORP affiliates to ensure local food system activities - including local food system education and local procurement in Child Nutrition Programs - are strategically integrated into the classroom, cafeteria and community through investment in internal personnel or contracted partnerships that support institutionalized programs that promote food literacy. Grant funds will support further off-boarding technical assistance and guidance to support the retention of internal personnel and food system education workplans past the grant period.

Priorities:

Priority will be given to MA FRESH CORP affiliates that:

  • Have created a job description and/or consultant scope of work that ensures local food system activities are strategically integrated into the classroom, cafeteria and community
  • Have current programming in all three core areas of farm to school: Classroom (such as food system curriculum and school garden activities), Cafeteria (such as local menu offerings) and Community (such as farm field trips, family engagement or food system partnerships).
  • Have successfully onboarded farm to school personnel or contracted partners through MA FRESH CORP funding and are seeking to retain these personnel and contracted partnerships through the duration of the 2026-2027 school year
  • Have effectively stewarded use of MA FRESH CORP funding awarded to date
  • Are committed to identifying strategies for retaining farm to school personnel or contracted partners through alternative funding strategies outside of the MA FRESH CORP grant program
  • Are willing to participate in program evaluation and off-boarding technical assistance activities, including the completion of a funding succession plan
Eligibility:

MA FRESH CORP eligible applicants include National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Child Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) sponsors that are MA FRESH CORP affiliates with current full-time, part-time, or stipended farm to school personnel and/or a contracted partner(s) that elevates internal staff capacity to implement food literacy initiatives.

The impact of grant activities must be associated with the location where NSLP/CACFP meals are served. Eligibility to receive MA FRESH funds is contingent on the applicant's good standing within the Office for Food and Nutrition Programs, including former responsible stewardship of Office for Food and Nutrition Programs grant funding.

Funding Type:

State Line Item 7010-1192, pending state appropriation

The receipt of grant funds is contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including G.L. c. 40A, § 3A, the MBTA Communities Act. Compliance with the MBTA Communities Act is determined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

Funding:

Approximately $350,000 is available. Applicants may apply for up to $50,000.

This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/ approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

MA FRESH CORP is designed to ensure local food system activities — including local food system education and local procurement in Child Nutrition Programs — are strategically integrated into the classroom, cafeteria and community through investment in internal personnel or contracted partnerships that support institutionalized programs. This funding seeks to support the retention of internal personnel and food system education workplans as awardees work to transition their programming model to other sustainable funding models.

Funding will be prioritized for the budget areas described below. Applicants may apply for up to 50% of the total funding expended for FY26 MA FRESH CORP in the following budget categories. Total funding requests may not exceed $50,000.

For example: if an MA FRESH CORP affiliate expended $80,000 in Professional Salaries for FY26 MA FRESH CORP, they may apply for up to $40,000 in Professional Salaries for FY27 MA FRESH CORP.

  1. Professional Salaries:

    1. for the coordination and implementation of local food system education and/or local procurement by full-time, salaried and benefited positions, part-time positions, or for the expansion of hours/stipending of internal personnel - such as nutrition professionals, educators, or community/family stakeholders

  2. Contracted Services:

    1. to provide technical assistance, coaching, professional development, the development of resources such as program protocols or curriculum and/or strategic planning consultation. The hiring of a contracted partner should be in service of cultivating program structures that elevate internal staff capacity and should not be used primarily to support the direct execution of direct farm to school programming by the contracted partner

  3. Professional Development Expenses (Other Expenses):

    1. to attend farm to school, food literacy, agricultural or culinary oriented workshops, trainings, or conferences. Associated costs may include registration fees, travel fees, mileage, compensation/stipends for out-of-work time, or the cost of substitutes required to provide coverage for personnel attending professional development opportunities

Equipment, supply, and infrastructure costs capped at 10% of the total budget request are allowable but will be contingent on budget availability once priority budget areas described above are funded for eligible applicants.

Funding is not intended to fund additional, new personnel or project initiatives not previously planned or part of a transition of MA FRESH CORP programming to a sustainable model.

Funding may not be used to cover (a) clerical or administrative costs associated with managing and executing the grant itself, (b) costs associated with the supervision of professional salaries resulting from MA FRESH CORP funding, (c) clerical or administrative costs associated with conducting a procurement or managing a contracted partner or (d) indirect costs. Grant awards may not be used to fund staff positions, including Farm to School or Food Literacy Coordinators, in existence prior to MA FRESH CORP funding. Funds cannot be used to purchase food served as part of a reimbursable meal in Child Nutrition Programs or sold as a competitive food and beverage or fundraiser.

MA FRESH CORP awardees will be required to:

  • participate in periodic grant meetings, professional development opportunities and technical assistance
  • track local spending (dollar value) within Child Nutrition Programs during the grant period
  • complete a funding succession plan
Project Duration:

Upon Approval (No earlier than 7/1/2026) – 6/30/2027

*Grant start date cannot be prior to DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Goods and Services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date.

Program Unit:

Office for Food and Nutrition Programs

Contact:

Maggie Nowak

Phone Number:

(781) 338-6475

Date Due:

Friday, May 22, 2026

Completed grants must be received at the Department via GEM$ by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.

Additional Information:

All funding is subject to state appropriation. Final state appropriation is anticipated in late Summer 2026.

Child Nutrition Program Sponsor awardees will adhere to all Federal, State, and Local procurement laws and standards, including, if applicable, as found in 7 CFR Part 210.21 and 2 CFR 200.317 through 2 CFR 200.326

All equipment competitively procured using these grant funds must be necessary, reasonable, and allocable.

State Contract User Guide

Submission Instructions:

The 0709 MA Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health with Coordination and Optimization of Resources and Partnerships (FRESH CORP) Continuation will be submitted in Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)

Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms.

The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.

Last Updated: March 5, 2026

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