Request for Applications
2025 Kitchen Infrastructure and Training and Retention and Recruitment Grant
Due: Friday, January 30, 2026
The 2025 Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT) Grant competitively awards funding to eligible school food authorities (SFA) to support initiatives for improving the quality of meals served through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP), which may include procurement of California-grown, whole or minimally processed food, food service staff training costs and salaries, and kitchen infrastructure upgrades. The Retention and Recruitment (R&R) Grant competitively awards funding to support the retention and recruitment of school food service workers.
Program Questions: 2025 KIT Team, email: KIT2025@cde.ca.gov
Downloading Questions: 2025 KIT and R&R Grant Team, email: KIT2025@cde.ca.gov
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| 2025 KIT Grant and Retention & Recruitment Grant | The 2025 KIT Grant and R&R Grant web page includes more information on both grants including eligibility, scoring criteria, the funding formula, allowable expenses, and frequently asked questions. |
Application for the 2025 KIT and R&R Grants. The Nutrition Services Division will only accept online applications. Applications are due by 4 p.m. on Friday, January 30, 2026. |
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| Instructions | Instructions for completing each section of the grant application. |
| Scoring Criteria | Includes detailed information on how the Nutrition Services Division will score responses on the application. |
| Good Standing Status | Includes the criteria that the California Department of Education will consider in determining an agency's good standing status. |
| Grant Appeal Procedures | Instructions for applicants that wish to appeal a grant award decision. |
Assurances, Certifications, and Regulations
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| General Assurances and Certifications |
Required of applicants and grantees as a condition of receiving funds. Applicants do not need to sign and return the general assurances and certification with the application; instead, they must download them and keep them on file to be available for compliance reviews, complaint investigations, or audits. Applicants that participate in the Consolidated Application - ConApp - should already have a copy of the general assurances and certifications on file and do not need to keep a separate copy. Program-specific assurances are not included here and should be listed separately on the Request for Application. |
More about 2025 Kitchen Infrastructure and Training and Retention and Recruitment Grant