CN FY26 Equipment_Assistance_Grant_FAQs.pdf

National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

On April 16, 2026, under the leadership of Secretary Brooke Rollins, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced the availability of $20 million to provide National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Equipment Assistance Grants to State agencies on a competitive basis. The NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant Request for Applications (RFA) is available on Grants.gov.

To apply or view the RFA and associated attachments, please click [here], or locate the grant opportunity by:

1. Visiting https://grants.gov.

2. From the home page, click “Get Started” midway down the page.

3. Click the red button to “Search for Opportunity Package.”

4. Enter opportunity number: [USDA-FNS-CN-EAG-2026].

To support application submissions by May 28, 2026, USDA has prepared the following

FAQs to assist applicants through the process:

1. What documents must State agencies submit with their application?

State agencies must submit a complete application package in Grants.gov by the deadline. A complete package includes:

Required Attachments / Documents Coversheet Subgrantee RFA (State-developed) Application Project Summary Project Narrative Activities/Indicators Tracker Budget Narrative

NICRA (if applicable OR statement requesting de minimis OR “none requested”)

UEI Number SAM Registration (active)

Required Federal Forms

SF-424

SF-424A

SF-424B

SF-LLL

FNS-906 Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability

Questionnaire

Applications missing required forms or narratives will be deemed nonresponsive.

Please refer to pages 2, 8, 12, 13, and 22 of the NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant RFA for additional guidance.

2. Do States need to upload their subgrantee (Local Educational Agency (LEA) /School Food Authority (SFA)/school) RFA in Grants.gov?

Yes. As stated on page 10 of the NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant RFA, State agencies are required to develop and submit the RFA they will use to competitively award equipment subgrants to LEAs, SFAs, and schools. These documents should be uploaded in the Optional Attachments V1.2 section of the application package.

As a reminder, the State-developed subgrant RFA submitted to FNS must include:

Selection criteria that align with the purpose of the NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant.

A clear requirement that all equipment purchased must cost more than $1,000 References to all applicable Federal and State procurement requirements.

A defined period of performance ensuring all procurement and expenditures are completed no later than September 30, 2028.

3. Will deadline extensions be approved?

No. The May 28, 2026, submission deadline cannot be extended. State agencies facing timing challenges are encouraged to contact the Grant Officer, Carla Garcia

(carla.garcia@usda.gov) for clarification or technical assistance to help support timely submission.

4. What are the administrative cost limitations for this grant?

As stated on page 7 of the NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant RFA, administrative costs may not exceed 5% of the total grant award. Administrative costs include personnel, supplies, and travel associated with managing the grant.

5. A State plans to have several employees code time to the 5% administrative portion. Does the State need to list the individuals?

No. Individual names are not required. However, States must identify the positions that will support the grant, describe their duties, and show the full-time employee allocation, and cost calculations in the budget narrative.

6. How can States ensure budgets are complete and compliant?

To ensure budgets are complete and fully compliant, States must:

Ensure the Budget Narrative and SF-424A match exactly. All dollar amounts, line items, and cost categories must align across both documents.

Provide clear cost justifications and detailed calculations for every budget line item.

Ensure administrative costs are at or below 5% of the State’s total award.

Confirm that all proposed costs are allowable, reasonable, necessary, and allocable under the grant.

Verify that the funding request does not exceed the State’s allocation listed in

Appendix A of the RFA.

7. Are schools, charter schools, and districts eligible to apply for the USDA NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant RFA?

Schools, charter schools, and school districts cannot apply directly to USDA for NSLP Equipment Assistance Grants. On page 7 of the NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant RFA, eligible applicants are State agencies that operate NSLP. To learn more about applying for future equipment grant funding opportunities, schools, charter schools, and districts are encouraged to contact their State agency that administers

NSLP.

State agency contact information is available on the FNS website:

https://www.fns.usda.gov/fns-contacts?f%5B1%5D=program%3A39