RFP 0378 - New York State Farm-to-School Grant Program 2026

The Department is pleased to announce the availability of funds for the 2026 Farm-to-School Competitive Grants Program. The objective of the New York State Farm-to-School Competitive Grants Program is to increase school’s purchase of New York farm products by building relationships between schools and New York farm product suppliers. Secondary goals of the program include increasing agricultural education opportunities for students, improving nutrition and exposing students to new, local, culinary experiences.

A total of $1,500,000 is available for the Farm-to-School Competitive Grants Program. $450,000 will be set aside for first-time recipients. Unused funds from the first-time applicant pool may be rolled over to the rest of applications, if they are not exhausted. Grant awards may range from $50,000 to $150,000. Applicants may apply for only one grant per funding period. Applicants must apply for $50,000 to $150,000.

Applications must be submitted through the through the Statewide Financial System Grants Management System. Please note: Applicants must be registered and pre-qualified in SFS. Applicants who are not registered or whose document vaults have expired will be disqualified. See Section 5 below for instructions on registering, qualifying and maintaining pre-qualification. Public schools are exempt from pre-qualification. Registration and pre-qualification may take several weeks to complete, it is recommended to start the process as soon as possible.

All questions about this RFP must be submitted in writing via email to:

Matthew Wilson
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
10B Airline Drive 
Albany, NY 12235
[email protected]

All questions must be submitted by 3:00 pm on February 6, 2026.

A non-mandatory informational workshop was held January 7, 2026, at 1:00 pm. View the webinar on the Department's YouTube page.

Applications are due March 12, 2026 at 3:00 pm.