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Dear Principals and Administrators,
The New York State Education Department's Child Nutrition Services (NYSED CNS) has released the 2024 National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Equipment Assistance Grant exclusively for schools participating in the NSLP. This grant aims to support the purchase of kitchen and/or serving equipment, with an allocation of up to $20,000 available per school site (RA).
For 2024, a total of $1.8 million has been dedicated to this initiative, which is a decrease from previous years, potentially affecting approval rates. Priority will be given to schools that have not received this grant in the last three years. We urge eligible schools to begin the application process promptly, as the deadline for submission is April 1, 2024.
Eligibility and Application Requirements:
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Prequalification Needed: Your school must be prequalified with NYS Grants Management | Statewide Financial System, which requires preparation and a state review period of 5 to 10 business days. If you are not prequalified and are interested in this grant, you should do this step immediately.
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Fire Inspection Report: A current building fire inspection report with no violations is mandatory. Previous applications have been denied due to incomplete reports, so immediate attention to this detail is crucial.
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Certificate of Occupancy: Your facility must possess a valid certificate.
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Vendor Quotes: Applications must include price quotes from three different vendors and specification sheets for each requested piece of equipment.
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Funding Limit: Schools can request up to $20,000 per site. Expenses exceeding this amount must be covered by the school.
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Minimum Equipment Cost: Each requested item must have a cost of $1,000 or more.
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Post-Approval Purchases: Equipment purchase is allowed only after grant approval, with no retroactive reimbursements for previous purchases.
Examples of Eligible Equipment:
- Refrigeration Units
- Serving Line Equipment
- Food Slicers
- Cold/Hot Holding Equipment
- Commercial Mixers
- Salad Service Tables
- Prep Tables
- Dishwashers
- Cooking Equipment
Additional Information:
- Application Submission: Be on the lookout for an email from NYSED with a link to the SharePoint portal for application submission.
- Consultation: Collaboration with your school lunch consultant is recommended for guidance on the grant application and related queries.
We encourage all eligible NSLP-participating schools to apply and take advantage of this funding to improve their kitchen and serving capabilities.
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