Introduction

This reimbursement grant is for equipment and support to begin or improve innovative breakfast service, with priority for new Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools.

This reimbursement grant opportunity is for school nutrition programs in North Carolina operating the National School Breakfast Program. Its goal is to support the implementation of innovative breakfast service, also known as Breakfast After the Bell, which includes models such as Breakfast in the Classroom, Grab and Go Breakfast, and Second Chance Breakfast.

Even when breakfast is available to students at no cost to families, barriers such as time, placement, and stigma can keep kids from participating. These innovative models have been proven to increase participation in school breakfast. Because strong participation is so key to making the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) financially sustainable in schools, priority will be given to schools that are new to CEP in this 2023-24 school year.

Governor Roy Cooper directed federal funding to assist schools in expanding school breakfast programs. The Carolina Hunger Initiative and the North Carolina Alliance for Health have been tasked with distributing the funding.

Instructions

You can click through the pages to get an overview for the application before you enter your information.

This application should take less than an hour to complete. A “save and resume later” option and a progress bar are located at the bottom of each page. Applicants can move freely between pages.

You will be asked to provide:

• Contact Information
• District/Administrative Support
• Proposal Overview
• Spreadsheet: Expenses to be Reimbursed
• Spreadsheet: Participating Schools

The bulk of the application is in the form of a spreadsheet where you can enter information on your reimbursements and participating schools. The spreadsheet can be previewed as a download or a Google spreadsheet. You will be asked to upload your filled-out spreadsheet on a later page of the application.

The application will check for unanswered required questions only when you reach the end of the form and select “submit.” You might need to move between pages to find unanswered required questions.

Eligibility

Most NC schools are eligible. Priority will be given to schools that are new to CEP this school year.

This reimbursement grant is open to all school nutrition programs in North Carolina that operate the National School Breakfast Program, including charter, private, and federal schools. Priority will be given to schools that are participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program in this 2023-24 school year for the first time.

This is a competitive grant application. Applications will also be evaluated based on potential number of students impacted, sustainability, administrative and staff support, and innovation and creativity.

Who should fill out this application? We suggest that applications be submitted by your district’s school nutrition department, or someone else at the district level. If you are a principal, teacher, cafeteria manager, or other school staff, we suggest connecting with your district nutrition team about this opportunity.

Timeline

Applications due Friday, December 1.

• Applications are due by Friday, December 1, 2023 at 11:59pm.
• Applicants will be notified about the decision by Wednesday, January 17, 2024.
• The reimbursement process will begin once your documentation is submitted. The NC Alliance for Health will communicate with your district to disburse the funding.
• The final deadline for expenses to be eligible for reimbursement is June 30, 2024.
• The final deadline to submit reimbursement documentation is Monday, September 30, 2024.
• The timeline for an interim and final follow-up report will be communicated when funds are awarded.
• Innovative school breakfast plan implementation can begin as late as the beginning of the 2024-25 school year.

Reimbursement Process

Grant funds will be issued as reimbursements for expenses made between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2024.

These grants are for reimbursement funds, and documentation must be provided for all expenses being reimbursed. Reimbursed expenses can date back to July 1, 2022. You can also be “pre-approved” to be reimbursed for upcoming expenses made through June 30, 2024.

Documentation for reimbursements must be provided if your application is accepted (invoices and journal entry proof). While expenses must be obligated by June 30, 2024 to be reimbursed, their documentation can be turned in by Monday, September 30, 2024. More instructions on submitting receipts for reimbursement will be communicated at the time of grant award notification.

Innovative school breakfast programs must be the purpose of your reimbursed expenses. See the next section for more information.

Use of Funds

Each applicant’s budget should be between $10,000 and $50,000.

Funds are intended to support school districts implementing innovative breakfast service, which includes Breakfast After the Bell models such as Breakfast in the Classroom, Grab and Go Breakfast, and Second Chance Breakfast. Other innovative approaches to serving breakfast will be considered as long as they either move breakfast outside of the cafeteria or move it after the start of the school day, and are focused on increasing participation.

Examples of what types of expenses can be reimbursed include:

• Supplies and equipment for serving meals outside of the cafeteria, including:
  • Service kiosks/Grab and go carts
  • Transportation carts
  • Insulated coolers/warmers
  • Point of sale equipment
  • Packaging equipment and supplies
• Kitchen and prep equipment supporting serving meals outside of the cafeteria, including refrigerators and retrofitting existing equipment to meet new needs.
• Staff.
• Program outreach and marketing costs.
• Additional expenses as needed.

Food costs are not permitted.

Funding for this initiative is from federal Emergency Assistance for Non-Public Schools (EANS) funds that have reverted to the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) fund.

Assistance

For any questions about the application or assistance completing the application, don’t hesitate to contact [email protected].

Find great resources to help you understand and plan for Breakfast After the Bell here.

Get Started

Access the application at CarolinaHungerInitiative.org/Application