Have an idea for bringing local, nutritious food to more schools across our region?

Kids Forward and the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub is funding projects that improve school meals across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. We are committed to providing our nation’s children nutritious meals that improve their health and set them up for bright futures. We aim to build a resilient food supply chain through innovation, and we aim to create a food system that develops nutritious foods for schools through industry partnerships.

Our initiative offers funding, training, and other assistance to partnerships that include farmers, food producers, suppliers, distributors, schools, and organizations.

The application process is now OPEN (through January 23) for two new funding opportunities:

• Spark Awards fund projects that need a short-term infusion of funds for school food system and product improvements, such as capacity-building, planning, and product-testing projects. ($30K – $100K per year)                                   
• Innovation Collaborative Awards fund projects that promote systems-level change of the school food system, such as scaling up of programs, forming regional partnerships, or developing or integrating new programs or products. ($250K – $500K over 2 – 2 ½ years)        

This is the second round of grants available through the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub. Learn about the initial launch here, and the first round of grantees and their projects here.

Timeline

• Application Preparation: Connect with your State Lead and visit our support for applicants page.
• Application Opens: October 15, 2025
• Application Deadline: January 23, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. CST 
• Missing Materials Deadline: February 6, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. CST 
• Award Notification: Early Summer 2026
• Project Start Date: Early Summer 2026

Interested?

Daithi Wolfe, Kids Forward Senior Policy Analyst ([email protected]) and State Lead for Wisconsin, will be able to answer your questions now and, later this year, help guide you through the application process, as well as connect you with partners and resources to bring your ideas to life. Grantees will receive ongoing support tailored to their needs and goals.