Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is available for the 2021-2022 school year through the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-234). The program is designed to help create healthier school environments and combat childhood obesity. The FFVP expands the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience, increases their fruit and vegetable consumption, and can positively impact their present and future health.

Funds provided to each school cover the costs associated with administering the program, including the cost of food, labor, supplies, and equipment. Nebraska will be awarded a specified amount for the grant period of July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022. The grant will be awarded to schools in two parts: July 1 – September 30, 2021 and October 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022.

Overview of USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Awarded schools offer fresh fruits and vegetables to students, at no cost to the students, during the school day. Schools must establish an implementation plan that includes service methods and frequency (serving a minimum of two days a week), integration of nutrition education, FFVP marketing and promotion and overall program administration and monitoring.

Schools with the highest enrollment of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals are given priority for participation in the FFVP based on the school data reported each October. To meet eligibility for the program, schools must:

Be an elementary school.
Represent the highest percentage of students certified for free and reduced-price benefits (at least 50 percent of enrolled students).
Participate in the National School Lunch Program.
Complete the FFVP application each year (available at the end of each school year, for the following school year).

Funding to each school is based on the school’s enrollment for the participating grades, with a $50 per-student allocation for the 2021-2022 school year.

List of Eligible School Buildings for School Year 2021-2022

School Year 2021-2022 List of School Buildings Eligible to Apply to Participate in the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program

In consideration of changes for school food operations due to COVID-19, USDA has provided guidance to State agencies (USDA Memo SP 05-2021) for determining FFVP eligibility in School Year 2021-2022. State agencies may use the data they determine to be the most accurate. Therefore, NDE is using free and reduced price school meal data from October 2019 to identify elementary schools eligible to participate in the FFVP SY 2021-2022.

FFVP Application

The deadline for schools to apply for the FFVP for School Year 2021-2022 is 11:59pm on Friday, April 16, 2021.

Complete the SY 2021-2022 FFVP Application.

Only schools that are eligible for the FFVP in School Year 2021-2022 should apply for the program. See above section for the list of eligible schools.

Applications must be fully completed and submitted by the April 16, 2021 deadline. Incomplete or inadequate responses will not be accepted. Use clear, concise sentences.

Each eligible school site interested in applying for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) must apply separately. The application may be completed by the school building or by the district’s central office on behalf of the school. If multiple school buildings in a single district are applying, even though some information may be common to all, answers should reflect the unique aspects of implementing the program in each building.

The application requires certification that the school food service manager, school principal and district superintendent (or equivalent position) support participation in the FFVP. The person responsible for submitting the application must have documentation attesting to support of the program from the food service manager, principal, and superintendent.

As such, the following two documents will need to be completed and uploaded on the online FFVP site application. Please have them ready as you work through the application.

Site Certification and Signatures Form

Sponsor Certification and Signatures Form

SY 2021–2022 FFVP Application Reference

A downloadable reference copy of the grant application is available. Schools can refer to this document in order to gather information needed to complete the online grant application.

Only online applications submitted through the provided survey link will be accepted; no hard copy or electronic grant applications will be accepted. Only one application per site is allowed.