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School Year 2025–26 Annual Update Now Open

The California Department of Education (CDE) has opened the School Nutrition Programs (SNP) Annual Update in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) for School Year (SY) 2025–26 (July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026). All SNP operators may now complete their required annual participation updates in the CNIPS.

Important Information

The Nutrition Services Division (NSD) must approve your CNIPS SY 2025–26 Application Packet before you are able to submit reimbursement claims. For detailed information on when to submit claims for reimbursement, review the CDE SNP Claim Submission Deadlines web page.

School Food Authorities (SFA) scheduled for an SNP administrative review (AR) during SY 2025–26 should complete their annual update as soon as possible as this information is required for the on-site portion of the review. For the list of SFAs receiving an SNP AR during SY 2025–26 please visit the CDE School Nutrition Programs Administrative Review web page.

How to Complete the SY 2025–26 Annual Update

The NSD created detailed step-by-step instructions for completing your annual updates that are available in the CNIPS Download Forms section, Form ID Instructions: 2025–26 CNIPS Annual Update. Please review these instructions to start the annual update process and to help prevent application errors.

  1. Log in to the CNIPS website
  2. Enter your User ID and Password, then select Log On
  3. Select the Applications link in the menu bar
  4. Under the Item column, select the Download Forms link
  5. Select Instructions: 2025–26 CNIPS Annual Update
Please do not submit your Seamless Summer Option (SSO) applications at this time. SFAs should wait to submit their SSO application in the spring after summer meal plans have been finalized. Any SSO site applications submitted now will be returned.

Resources and Contact Information

If you have any questions or need assistance regarding the CNIPS Annual Update, please contact your SNP specialist. A current list of SNP specialists is available on the CDE SNP Specialist Directory web page. You may also email snpinfo@cde.ca.gov.

For additional information on the CNIPS, or to access the SNP Sponsor User Manual, please visit the CDE SNP CNIPS Training web page.

For CNIPS technical questions, please contact the CNIPS Help Desk by email at cnips@cde.ca.gov.

Questions:   Nutrition Services Division | 800-952-5609
Last Reviewed: Monday, July 14, 2025
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