2024 Equipment Assistance Grant Instructions
Instructions for Completing the 2024 Equipment Assistance Grant Application.School food authorities (SFA) must submit the 2024 National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Equipment Assistance Grant (EAG) application found online on the California Department of Education (CDE) 2024 NSLP EAG web page. If your agency would like to apply for the EAG, please complete the application and have the appropriate agency official electronically sign it. The CDE must receive your SFA’s online submission no later than 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
The CDE will award competitive grants of up to $100,000 per SFA. Each SFA may apply for no more than five sites. A central kitchen is considered one site regardless of the number of sites that benefit from its equipment purchases. Recipients will receive up to 90 percent of the funding at the time of award with the remaining 10 percent awarded upon approval of all invoices. The CDE will recover funds from SFAs that do not submit invoices for approved budget items by September 1, 2026. All state procurement and expenditure activities must be completed no later than the end of the federal fiscal year 2026, September 30, 2026.
Steps to apply for the 2024 EAG:
- Read the 2024 NSLP EAG Page 2024 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant
- Read the Instructions for Completing the 2024 EAG Application (this document)
- Carefully review the Application Scoring Criteria on the CDE Request for Application (RFA) web page.
- Complete and submit the online Grant Application, no later than 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
- If applicable, include proof of your SFA’s board approval of a capitalization threshold that is lower than $1,000 with your SFA EAG application. If applicable to your SFA, this document must be sent by email to equipmentgrant@cde.ca.gov no later than 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 10, 2024, or it will be considered an incomplete application.
Request for Applications
School Food Authority Information - Section 1
Note: You will need to select the Save Response button on the first page of the RFA to save the application with all content edits. Once you select the Save Response button you will receive an email with a unique URL (web address) for entrance back into the application. It is recommended that you copy the URL on the application page and save it in case you do not receive the confirmation email. This address will allow you to return to where you left off on the survey if the Save Responses button was selected prior to exiting.
Please also ensure that you enter all numbers as whole numbers without commas, decimals, or symbols.
Application Field | Explanation |
---|---|
Has this SFA received funds from the 2020, 2021, 2022, or 2023 NSLP EAG | Check either yes or no to indicate if the SFA received funds from either the 2020, 2021, 2022, or 2023 NSLP EAGs. Priority will be given to sites that did not receive funds from those grants. |
Name of SFA | Enter the name of the district, charter school, county office of education, private school, or residential child care institution (RCCI). |
Address, city, state, and zip | Enter the street address, city, state, and zip code for the SFA. |
Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) identification (ID) number | Enter the CNIPS ID number associated with your SFA’s agreement with the CDE to participate in the NSLP. |
Service Location Number (previously called Vendor Number) | Enter the CDE Service Location Number assigned to your SFA. |
County | Select the county in which your SFA conducts business. |
SFA total amount of grant funds requested (for all sites) | Enter the total amount of grant funding you are requesting for your SFA. Please note that there is a limit of five sites totaling $100,000 per SFA. |
Total number of sites for which the SFA is applying (no more than five) | Select the total number of sites for which your SFA is applying for grant funds. Please note that there is a limit of five sites per SFA that may receive a grant. |
Name of food service director (FSD) | Enter the name of the FSD. If you do not have an FSD, provide the name of the employee who will be the contact person for this grant. |
FSD phone number | Enter the area code and phone number of the FSD. |
Email address | Provide the email address of the FSD or contact person. |
Name of superintendent, director, or administrator |
Enter the name of the highest ranking official in your school or organization. |
Contact phone number | Enter the area code and phone number of the superintendent. |
Email address | Provide the email address of the superintendent. |
Does the SFA or agency have a capitalization threshold for equipment? |
A capitalization threshold is defined as the dollar value at which an agency differentiates between items that are supplies versus equipment. Some smaller equipment may be considered a supply because of its dollar value. Each school board may designate a specific dollar amount for capitalized equipment. This is the dollar value at which your SFA considers a piece of equipment as an asset in the SFA’s financial statements. Check no or yes to indicate your SFA’s capitalization threshold. Checking no means, the CDE will assign the federal capitalization threshold for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 of $1,000. Each piece of equipment requested on the application must have a total purchase or repair cost of $1,000 or greater to be eligible for 2024 EAG FY funding. Checking yes means your SFA has a capitalization threshold that is lower than $1,000. Equipment that the SFA requests on the application must have a total purchase or repair cost at or above the SFA’s capitalization threshold. If your SFA has a lower capitalization threshold, you will need to submit an official board policy documentation that supports the lower capitalization threshold. This policy must be sent to the CDE by 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 10, 2024, by email at equipmentgrant@cde.ca.gov. Note: If the equipment your SFA is requesting does not meet or exceed your SFA’s capitalization threshold or the assigned threshold of $1,000 for FY 2024, it is considered a supply and cannot be funded with this grant. |
This equipment will support efforts to (check all that apply) | For the four focus areas listed on the application, check as many boxes that apply under the four categories. If selecting other, provide an explanation. |
Equipment Request Explanation | Explain why the equipment your SFA requested is necessary to support the efforts selected above, emphasizing how the equipment will help improve nutritional quality, the offering of more freshly prepared food items, and meet the meal pattern standards; implement strategies to adopt lunchroom changes that provide convenience and appeal to students to increase meal participation; outdated and worn equipment; purchase food service equipment to increase the efficiency of SFA procurement, food storage, and distribution/service and help support the establishment of a new school kitchen or School Nutrition Program. Provide a detailed written explanation based on each item you are requesting. See Section B of the scoring criteria for examples and additional information. |
Site Information - Section 2
Complete this section for each site or central kitchen for which you are applying for grant funds. You may save your responses at any time by selecting the Save button.
Application Field | Explanation |
---|---|
Has this site or central kitchen received funds from the 2020, 2021, 2022, or 2023 NSLP EAG? | Check either yes or no to indicate if the site or central kitchen received funds from either the 2020, 2021, 2022, or 2023 NSLP EAG. Priority will be given to sites or central kitchens that did not receive funds from those grants. |
Name of site or central kitchen | Enter the name of the site for which you are requesting grant funds. |
CNIPS site number | For each site application, enter the number assigned in your CNIPS account, not the SFA CNIPS ID number. The site number is located to the left of the site name in your CNIPS account listing of participating sites. Central kitchens might not have site numbers, in which case the field should be blank. |
Address, city, state, zip | Enter the address of the site or central kitchen, not the SFA. |
This site or central kitchen participates in:
|
Check the appropriate box to indicate the program(s) in which the site or central kitchen participates. |
Total number of students enrolled at this site or total number of students served by this central kitchen on October 31, 2023 | Enter the number of students enrolled at the site or the total number of students served by this central kitchen on October 31, 2023. |
Total number of students at this site or served by this central kitchen approved for free and reduced-price (F/RP) meals as of October 31, 2023 | Enter the number of students who were approved for F/RP meals as of October 31, 2023. |
Enter the number of operating days in October 2023 | Enter the total number of days that the site or central kitchen served reimbursable meals during the month of October 2023. If the site or central kitchen was not participating, enter 0 (zero). |
Calculation Summary
The following mathematical equations were automatically calculated based on your SFAs answers to previous questions. No entry is required.
Application Field | Explanation |
---|---|
Approved F/RP percentage. This is the site or central kitchen percentage of F/RP eligible students |
This answer is auto-calculated. No entry is required. |
Total Meal Count for the month of October 2023 |
This answer is auto-calculated. No entry is required. |
Percentage of F/RP lunches served | This answer is auto-calculated. No entry is required. |
Total possible meals | This answer is auto-calculated. No entry is required. |
Expansion potential for meals served | This answer is auto-calculated. No entry is required. |
Site Level Equipment Request/Budget/Need - Section 3
Enter equipment pieces that will be placed at this site or central kitchen.
Enter all amounts as whole dollars (e.g., 5551, not 5550.72). Do not enter any symbols when entering numbers, e.g., $ and commas. Use standard rounding procedures; round up for $0.50 and above, round down for $0.49 and below.
Note: You may save your responses at any time by selecting the Save button
Application Field | Explanation |
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Equipment name | Enter the name of the equipment you are requesting to purchase under the grant. You will be able to complete your requests for up to two pieces of equipment per page. If you are requesting more than two pieces of equipment, you will be able to do so on additional screens. |
Per unit cost of the item | Enter the cost of one piece or unit of equipment. The total cost includes the cost of installation, tax, and shipping as well as any modifications, attachments, or accessories your SFA needs to make the equipment usable. Do not include the cost of vendor travel or training as these are unallowable expenses. Allowable cost information is on the CDE Cafeteria Fund Guidance web page. Note: Each item of equipment must equal or exceed the SFA’s capitalization threshold. Any single item of equipment under the capitalization threshold will not be funded. |
Number of units requested | Enter the number of units requested that you plan to purchase or repair next to the auto-populated site or central kitchen name. The sites that were applied for in Section 2 will be listed here. |
Names of vendors contacted for price quotes | Enter the names of the vendors that you contacted for price quotes for this piece of equipment. Note that each quote must be for the same item—this means that all specifications, accessories, installation costs and any other types of charge must be the same. In addition, the total cost of each piece of equipment must be at or over the capitalization threshold to qualify for this grant. Sole Source: In rare situations, if your SFA is purchasing unique equipment, obtaining three quotes may not be possible. The purchase might fall under the category of sole source, where a particular vendor or manufacturer is the only entity from which you can purchase a unique piece of equipment. You must reach out to the EAG team prior to issuing a purchase order and receive written pre-approval. You can contact the Equipment Grant Team by email at equipmentgrant@cde.ca.gov. |
Equipment requested will be:
|
Check the appropriate box to indicate if the requested equipment is new, used, or if your SFA plans to renovate or repair existing equipment. |
If this equipment is a vending machine, check here to acknowledge that grant funds may be used to purchase a vending machine only if it is used to distribute reimbursable meals | Only check yes if this applies. Leave the circle blank if it does not apply. |
Will this equipment be housed at a central kitchen or site that prepares meals for multiple sites? | If the equipment will be housed at a central kitchen or other site that prepares meals for two or more other sites, check yes. |
Use this space to describe the site or central kitchen's need for the equipment requested | Provide detailed information that demonstrates the site or central kitchen need for this equipment. Include things like age of equipment, why a new piece of equipment will improve the lunch program, storage space issues, items needed to improve efficacy in the lunchroom, implement or expand your school lunch program or make the meal program more enticing to students. See Section A of the scoring criteria for examples and additional information on what a perfect score should include. |
Do you have more pieces of equipment to enter? | Select yes or no to proceed. Selecting yes will direct you to Section 3 to request two more pieces of equipment. Selecting no will direct you to the end of the Grant Application where you can submit the application. |
Certification/Signature | Enter the official’s full name to certify that all the information contained within all sections of the application is correct and that your SFA will observe all applicable local, state and federal procurement laws and regulations. The person signing must be designated by the Superintendent/Director/Administrator to sign the EAG application. |
Assurances
Please read the entire General Assurances document on the CDE Funding Forms web page.
Governmental Regulations
By accepting a grant award, SFAs agree to comply with certain governmental regulations.
Regulatory and Statutory Requirements
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidance: This Federal financial assistance award is subject to rules and regulations related to the Recipient's organizational entity type as noted below.
All SFAs participating in any of the federal Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) have signed a Permanent Single Agreement (PSA) and by doing so have agreed to all terms and conditions listed in the document. On page 10 of the PSA, the section titled, Certification Regarding State and Federal Drug-free Workplace Requirements states that applicants be certified to provide a drug-free workplace. No further action is required.
Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009, Public Law 110-417
Sections 738 and 739 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (Public Law 112-55)
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), dated September 26, 2006
Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR), Part 15: “Nondiscrimination"
2 CFR Part 170: “Reporting Sub-award and Executive Compensation Information”
2 CFR Part 175: “Award Term for Trafficking in Persons”
2 CFR Part 415: “General Program Administrative Regulations”
2 CFR Part 417: “Non-Procurement Debarment and Suspension”
2 CFR Part 418 “New Restrictions on Lobbying”
2 CFR Part 421: “Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)”
7 CFR Part 3: “Debt Management”
7 CFR Part 16: “Equal Opportunity for Religious Organizations”
41 United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 22 “Interest of Member of Congress”
Privacy Act. The Cooperator/Grantee shall follow the rules and procedures of disclosure set forth in the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a
, and implementing regulations and policies, with respect to systems of records determined to be subject to the Privacy Act.
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Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Lobbying
SFAs are prohibited from contracting with a vendor that has been debarred, proposed for debarment, or suspended. SFAs must require any potential vendor to include a certification statement with each bid of $25,000 or more. The bidder certifies that neither it nor any of its key employees have been proposed for debarment, debarred, or suspended by a federal agency. The SFA should retain bidder certifications with bid responses. Suspension and Debarment Certification is on the CDE Suspension, Debarment, and Lobbying Certifications web page at Federal Certifications (CO.8) - Contractor Information (PDF).
Application Scoring Criteria
You can review the EAG application scoring criteria on the Equipment Assistance Grant web page.
Procurement Training
The CDE has provided a webinar to assist 2024 EAG awardees with procurement and documentation requirements. The CDE will send webinar information with awardees grant award notifications.
Appeals Process
Applicants that want to appeal a grant award decision can view the Grant Appeal Procedures web page.
Good Standing
If an agency is currently participating in any of the federal CNPs, they must be in good standing in the operation of those programs administered by the CDE and in compliance with all related regulations during the application process and anytime during the course of the grant period. The criteria that the CDE considers in determining an agency’s good standing status can be viewed on the Good Standing Status for School Nutrition Program Grants web page.
Grant Application Submission
CDE will only accept online applications.
All applications are due no later than 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 10, 2022.