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) 2026–27 (July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027). 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 2026–27 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.
Program operators scheduled for an SNP administrative review (AR) during SY 2026–27 should complete their annual update as soon as possible as this information is required for the on-site portion of the review. The list of program operators receiving an SNP AR in SY 2026–27 is posted on the CDE SNP AR web page.
How to Complete the SY 2026–27 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: 2026–27 CNIPS Annual Update. Please review these instructions to start the annual update process and to help prevent application errors.
- Log in to the CNIPS website
- Enter your User ID and Password, then select Log On
- Select the Applications link in the menu bar
- Under the Item column, select the Download Forms link
- Select Instructions: 2026–27 CNIPS Annual Update
Do not submit your 2027 Seamless Summer Option (SSO) applications at this time. Program operators 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.