Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) 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.
Funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is available for the 2025-2026 school year through the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-234).
- Nebraska will be awarded a specified amount for the grant period of July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026. The grant will be awarded to schools in two parts: July 1 – September 30, 2025 and October 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026.
- Funds provided to each school cover the costs associated with administering the program, including the cost of food, labor, supplies, and equipment.
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.
- 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. Per student allocation for the 2025-2026 school year is $55-$59. Schools that participate more than two times per week will be receiving $56-$59; while the schools that serve FFVP twice per week will receive $55/student.
School Buildings for School Year 2025-2026
The NDE used free and reduced-price school meal data from October 2024 to identify elementary schools eligible to participate in the FFVP during SY 2025-2026.
FFVP Application
The 2025-2026 FFVP Application is now available!
Eligible Schools may apply using this link: SY2025-26 FFVP Application
The deadline for schools to apply for the FFVP grant for School Year 2025-2026 is 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, April 11, 2025.
Only schools that are eligible for FFVP in School Year 2025-2026 should apply for the program. Please see the list of eligible schools in the above section.
Application(s) must be fully completed and submitted by the April 11, 2025 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, responses should reflect the unique aspects of implementing the program in each building, even though some information may be common to all sites.
The application requires certification that the school food service director, 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 director, 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 2025-2026 FFVP Reference Application
A reference copy of the grant application is available below. School may refer to this document to gather the information necessary to complete the online grant application once the application link is available. Hard copy or electronic grant applications will NOT be accepted. Only online applications submitted through the Qualtrics survey link will be accepted.
- FFVP Resource Guide
- Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Handbook
- FFVP-Budget-Form
- Time Certification Worksheet
- FFVP Claim Guide
- Produce Safety Resources
- What’s in Season
- Promoting Fruits and Vegetable in School Environments
