Rural Health Transformation Program 1.1 School Kitchen Modernization Grants

The Nebraska Department of Education is issuing the Rural Health Transformation Program 1.1 School Kitchen Modernization Grants Request for Applications to award federal funds supporting rural and frontier schools in Nebraska. The initiative is funded through the Rural Health Transformation Program, with support from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For this initiative, $2,234,048 is available to help eligible school entities modernize food preparation and storage infrastructure so they can increase scratch cooking, use more whole and minimally processed foods, incorporate locally produced proteins, and increase participation in school meal programs. The project is intended to reduce reliance on out-of-the-box and heat-and-serve menu items while increasing the quality and nutritional value of breakfast and lunch offerings. Grant recipients are expected to reduce heat-and-serve menu items by 5 percent each month, replace 5 percent of current protein meal component items with minimally processed and locally produced protein items each month, and increase the frequency of scratch-cooked menu items by 5 percent each month. These changes are intended to contribute to a 10 percent increase in student participation in school nutrition programs. Requested equipment must support these objectives and the service of locally produced protein foods, semi-scratch items, and scratch-cooked meals. Awards may be up to $100,000 per school district or school food authority. Eligible equipment must have a purchase value greater than $10,000 and may include items such as blast chillers, salad bars, refrigeration units, scratch-cooking appliances, storage equipment, and greenhouses. Equipment not appearing on the program's eligible equipment list should be cleared with the Nebraska Department of Education before purchase. Grant funds may only be used for allowable equipment expenses approved by the department, and purchases are subject to the applicable requirements of 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 300. Administrative expenses and construction costs are expressly unallowable. The RFA does not state a required applicant cost share or matching contribution. Payments are reimbursement based: an awarded school must first purchase approved equipment and then provide required documentation before payment is processed. Eligible applicants include public or non-public school food authorities and, as stated in the eligibility section, rural schools, school districts, or Educational Services Units seeking new equipment needed to expand or scale healthy lunch options in rural and frontier counties. Priority is given based on rural and frontier county location, location in a food desert, and poverty census data. Applicants must also have a financial system capable of monitoring expenditures. Grantees may be audited, receipts must be available upon request, and equipment purchased with federal funds is subject to federal disposition requirements. To apply, an applicant must complete the application on pages 3 through 6 of the RFA and submit all required materials electronically to Kayte.Partch@nebraska.gov. Required materials include four weeks of menus from school year 2025-2026 for all meal types served by the kitchen facility that will use the equipment and supporting documentation for equipment price quotes. The application asks for applicant and location information, a detailed explanation of the equipment to be purchased and its intended use, examples of heat-and-serve items that will be discontinued or reduced and the scratch or semi-scratch foods that will replace them, the process for selecting and introducing new menu items, use of student feedback, staff training plans, and additional tools or resources supporting menu changes. Applicants must also provide exact product names and at least three corresponding price quotes from different vendors or sources and justify choosing an option other than the lowest-priced quote when applicable. Applications are evaluated for applicant eligibility, compliance with the RFA's minimum requirements, and risk of noncompliance with federal statutes, regulations, and grant terms. Complete applications are scored by a committee. Scoring considers how well the requested equipment will support minimally processed proteins and scratch or semi-scratch cooking, the quality and specificity of the four-week menu documentation and planned substitutions, and whether at least three comparable equipment quotes and specifications are supplied. Award decisions also consider how convincingly the application demonstrates the required 5 percent monthly reductions and increases in specified menu categories and the intended 10 percent improvement in student participation. Applications are reviewed for completeness and awards are made on a rolling basis, with successful schools notified by email. The RFA opened on May 28, 2026, and applications are accepted through August 31, 2026. The stated period of performance is June 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Awarded schools must fully expend approved grant funds by June 30, 2027, and documentation for payment must be submitted by July 1, 2027. Grantees must submit an annual report due June 30, 2027 that includes an annual budget report and supporting documentation showing approved grant expenditures have been purchased. Post-award requirements also include proof of equipment purchase and four weeks of menus reflecting changes resulting from the grant-funded equipment. Questions regarding the program or application should be sent to Kayte.Partch@nebraska.gov. The RFA does not state that this opportunity recurs annually or on another regular schedule.

Directly connect every requested equipment item to minimally processed protein foods and semi-scratch or scratch-cooked menu changes; use the four-week menus to identify specific heat-and-serve items that will be reduced or eliminated and the replacement foods; demonstrate how the project will support the required 5 percent monthly menu changes and the 10 percent student participation goal; submit at least three quotes for identical or directly comparable equipment with specifications; justify any selection that is not the lowest-priced quote; explain staff training, menu introduction, and student-feedback processes; address rural/frontier location, food desert status, and poverty census data where applicable.