2026-27 Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) Grant

Purpose

The purpose of this program is to provide an additional free fresh fruit or vegetable snack to elementary school students during the school day as a supplement to (and not part of) the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and to teach students about good nutrition. The FFVP also encourages grantees to develop partnerships at the state and local level for support in implementing and operating the program.

Description

How Does It Work? The California Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is a reimbursement grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD). The USDA provides funds to the CDE NSD to administer the FFVP program according to federal requirements and the California FFVP Guidelines. As long as funds are available, the NSD provides reimbursement to awarded elementary schools for the cost of operating the FFVP and providing fresh fruits and vegetables to students, free of charge and during the school day. As required by federal law, the selection criteria are based on a school’s percentage of free and reduced-price enrollment with priority given to schools with the highest percentages. To receive a grant, the school food authority (SFA) must apply on behalf of their elementary schools. The selected elementary schools then receive grant awards of $50–$75 per student for the school year. With these funds, schools purchase additional fresh fruits and vegetables to serve free to students as a snack outside of normal meal service and provide complementary nutrition education. Grant Program Requirements Upon award of the grant, grantees are required to have their Superintendent e-sign and submit a Grant Award Notification (GAN) and Supplemental Agreement for the first and second allocations for the FFVP. A complete set of grantee requirements are included in these documents. A few of the key requirements are highlighted below: Make free fresh fruits and vegetables available during the school day as a snack to all enrolled children outside of NSLP and SBP operation. Offer the FFVP snack a minimum of three times per week. Offer nutrition education at least one time per week as part of the FFVP. Follow all food safety requirements and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point guidance. Widely publicize the availability of fresh fruit and vegetable snacks within the school. Implement the FFVP in accordance with the USDA guidelines, the USDA FFVP: Handbook for Schools, and the California FFVP Guidelines. Grantees must remain in good standing status over the course of the FFVP grant period. Grantees are expected to spend 75–100 percent of their total award. Grantees are expected to begin implementing the FFVP at the start of their school year. If the SFA has any participating FFVP elementary schools that have not implemented the FFVP by October 16 of the grant year, the CDE will amend the second allocation award of the school to zero dollars and remove the school from the FFVP. Grant Reimbursement The FFVP is a reimbursement grant; therefore, grantees must expend their own funds and then submit a claim for reimbursement to the CDE. SFAs participating in the FFVP submit monthly reimbursement claim forms to the NSD for review and approval. The NSD reimburses the SFA for the fresh fruit and vegetable, operational, and administrative costs to implement the program. Upon receipt of a claim, the NSD and the State Controller’s Office (SCO) will process the claim within 45 calendar days.