2023 Equipment Assistance Grant for National School Lunch Program Operators

Purpose

The purpose of this grant is to distribute $30 million (of which Maryland has been allotted $436,656) provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, (Public Law 117-103), to State agencies to competitively award Equipment Assistance Grants to eligible School Food Authorities (SFAs) participating in the NSLP. The Equipment Assistance Grants will be especially effective in supporting SFAs, which have been experiencing supply chain disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 public health emergency and which have reported challenges in operating school food service. In addition, the timely award of these Equipment Assistance Grants will benefit recipient SFAs by enabling them to meet equipment needs associated with a return to standard operating procedures.




When will the application be open?

This Program Information Guide was released on Friday, January 12, 2024.

Application Submission Date

Monday, February 12, 2024. No later than 5:00 pm EST.



Customer Service Support Sessions

MSDE will hold three customer service support sessions for interested applicants. During these sessions, MSDE personnel will review what applicants need to get started, the program requirements, as well as a walk-through of the application.

The sessions will be held on:

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Video Call Link

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Video Call Link

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Video Call Link





Questions

If you have questions, please contact the Program Manager:


Sara Brandt
Program Specialist, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs
Office: (410) 767-0201
sara.brandt@maryland.gov


A list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) and answers will be posted to the MSDE website following customer service support sessions.



Resources

Grant Information Guide (PDF)

Application for Participation (PDF)

Application for Participation (Word)