Farm to Kids Program - First Bite Grant

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture administers the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation Program, which was established to advance Minnesota's agricultural and renewable energy industries. Through the AGRI Farm to Kids programs, the department supports schools and early childhood education centers in purchasing foods grown or raised in Minnesota and, where applicable, acquiring kitchen equipment that supports Farm to Kids activities. The Farm to Kids First Bite Grant is specifically intended for Minnesota K-12 school districts and early childhood education centers with little to no experience in local food procurement. It is designed as an intentional learning opportunity that helps participating institutions begin or expand the purchase and service of Minnesota-grown or Minnesota-raised foods through federally funded meal programs. First Bite applicants may request between $2,500 and $5,000 in food funding, and no match is required for the First Bite Grant. The department expects to award approximately $1.2 million across its FY 2027 AGRI Farm to Kids Grant programs, which include First Bite, Full Tray, and Equipment Grants. First Bite funds must be used to buy foods grown or raised in Minnesota for use in eligible federal meal programs. Whole or minimally processed foods must generally be at least 80 percent grown or raised in Minnesota and retain their inherent character. Processed foods must contain at least one primary ingredient, excluding water, that is at least 80 percent grown or raised in Minnesota, and processed products require MDA approval as Minnesota-eligible food purchases. Eligible products can include fruits, vegetables, herbs, meat, fish, poultry, dairy other than fluid milk, eggs, legumes, grains, maple syrup, honey, and qualifying processed products. Fluid milk, donated agricultural products, foods grown outside Minnesota, school-garden products, staff time, seeds, starter plants, garden equipment, and purchases for meal programs outside the specified federal child nutrition programs are among the ineligible expenses. Eligible applicants are Minnesota K-12 schools or school districts participating in the National School Lunch Program and serving K-12 students, Minnesota early childhood education centers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and CACFP sponsors applying on behalf of eligible ECE centers. Applicants must be active operators of the applicable federal meal program when applying and remain active throughout the grant period. A CACFP sponsor may apply on behalf of an eligible ECE center, but the center must be identified in the application and provide a letter of support. Multi-site ECE centers submit one application covering participating locations and remain subject to the $5,000 maximum award. Previous First Bite recipients are not eligible for another First Bite award, and the RFP further states that schools, school districts, and ECE centers that received a First Bite or Full Tray Grant since FY 2022 are not eligible for the FY 2027 First Bite Grant. MDA employees, their spouses or domestic partners, and farms or businesses owned or principally operated by them or their spouses or domestic partners are ineligible. Applications are submitted through the MDA online application system by selecting the FY 2027 Farm to Kids First Bite Grant. Applicants must provide organizational and contact information, eligibility certifications and attestations, information about previous State of Minnesota grants, the requested First Bite food-funding amount, a project title and public project description, and narrative responses addressing Farm to Kids experience and plans, impact on Minnesota agriculture, diversity of agricultural products and producers, student and community engagement, and organizational capacity. Applicants must also submit a work plan and timeline and upload a signed Authority to Apply Letter on organizational letterhead. CACFP sponsors applying for ECE centers must submit the required center letters of support. Applicants requesting an Equipment Grant complete the equipment request within the same First Bite application. Applications that are merely started but not submitted are not evaluated, and unrequested materials are not considered. First Bite applications are competitively evaluated using a 100-point Project Evaluation Profile. Farm to Kids plans and impact on Minnesota agriculture are each worth 25 points. Priority areas, student and community engagement, measurable outcomes, work plan and timeline, and clear, concise, complete presentation are each worth 10 points. Priority is given to projects that increase purchases of a wide range of agricultural products, including culturally relevant foods and specialty crops, and that demonstrate a commitment to buying from a variety of Minnesota farmers and producers, including small- and mid-sized producers. Reviewers may also consider geographic distribution, service to prioritized areas or stakeholders, and the applicant's history and capacity as a state grantee. Applications advancing from phase one undergo SWIFT vendor verification and a pre-award risk assessment before final award decisions. The commissioner of agriculture makes award decisions, and MDA may make partial awards. The RFP was posted August 10, 2026, and applications are due by 4 p.m. Central Time on October 15, 2026. Written program questions are due by 4 p.m. Central Time on October 8, 2026 and should be emailed to f2sgrants.mda@state.mn.us with "First Bite Grant" in the subject line. The same email address may be used for online application assistance, with "Farm to Kids First Bite Online Application Help" in the subject line, and online-system assistance is also available at 651-201-6500. Phase one review is scheduled for October-November 2026, followed by phase two pre-award risk assessments in December 2026. Applicants are expected to receive award decisions in January-February 2027, with projects expected to begin in February-March 2027. Grant contract agreements are anticipated to begin in March 2027 and end no later than December 31, 2029. Eligible expenditures may only be incurred after the grant contract agreement is fully executed, has reached its effective date, and the grantee has been notified that work may begin. Payments are made on a reimbursement basis, annual progress reports are required each fall through 2029 or until grant obligations are completed, and reimbursement requests must be submitted no later than 60 calendar days after the grant end date. The RFP does not state that the First Bite competition recurs on a fixed annual or other regular schedule.

Submit at least 24 hours before the deadline; use plain and easily understood language; answer all questions completely within character limits; make the budget realistic and include only eligible items; review and align responses with the Project Evaluation Profile; demonstrate that the project is an important step forward in Farm to Kids development; show increased purchases and consumption of Minnesota foods; emphasize a wide range of products including culturally relevant foods and specialty crops; source from a variety of Minnesota farmers and producers including small- and mid-sized producers; create cafeteria-classroom-community connections; demonstrate researched sourcing plans, grant-management capacity, measurable outcomes, a realistic work plan, and procurement practices that can continue beyond the grant period.