Introduction

Educational institutions represent a collective force with the potential to significantly impact the region’s food system through greater regional procurement, and by helping students recognize the impact they have as consumers with the food choices they make.

The 2026 New England Food Vision Prize will award up to $1.5 million to collaborative farm to school initiatives and local sourcing efforts across the region. Winning Prizes will increase student access to healthy, locally produced ingredients and build consistent and reliable demand from schools, colleges, and universities.

More than 60 Food Vision Prizes have been awarded to date and Prizes launched as early as 2018 continue to inspire and deliver impact. We encourage you to learn about past prize winning projects and dig into some of the stories we’ve featured as you build your team, design your project, and compose your letter of interest.

This year, we will shift our process back to one round of funding with letters of interest due on June 5. Following review, a subset of teams will be invited to submit a full proposal and awards will be announced in October. 

Prize requests can range from $25,000 – $100,000, and if awarded, funds must be fully spent within two years. 

Eligibility

The primary objective of this program is to build the capacity, infrastructure, and relationships that result in local and regional food on the dining trays of students throughout the region’s K-12 schools, campuses, and universities.

Primary Applicant

The primary applicant is the lead partner on the Prize and if awarded, will be responsible for managing and distributing funds amongst other partners on the team. The primary applicant is also responsible for providing written and verbal reports to the foundation. Primary applicant must be one of the following:

• K–12 schools, school districts, colleges, universities, and schools with 501(c)(3) public charity status
• 501(c)(3) public charities
• Governmental entities or affiliated organizations that are eligible to receive 501(c)(3) funding
• Federally recognized Tribes
• Indian Tribal governments (IRS, section 7871)
• Organizations applying via a 501(c)(3) public charity fiscal sponsor

Applicant Teams

We encourage collaborative approaches to Prize projects. At least one educational institution (K–12 or higher education) must be identified as both a direct beneficiary and an active partner in the project, and a letter of support from this institution will be required. All applicants and project partners must be based in New England.

Prize applicant teams may include:

• Colleges and universities 
• K–12 schools or school districts
• Farms / fishers / producers 
• Food hubs and aggregators
• Processors 
• Network organizations 
• Community-based organizations 
• Municipal departments/initiatives 
• Additional institutions (ex: healthcare) 
• For-profit business (* ineligible to be a primary applicant)

Past Prize Winners

Primary applicant Prize winners are not eligible to submit applications in consecutive years; however, they are eligible to participate as part of a team in the year following an award. 

Primary applicant Prize winners with unspent funds remaining from any year of the Prize are ineligible to apply as primary applicants. Ex: 2023 Prize winners with unspent funds can not apply as a primary applicant in 2026.

Review Criteria

• Impact: This project increases student access to healthy, locally produced ingredients at school and builds reliable and growing demand from schools, colleges, and/or universities.

• Collaborative: Funding will further relationships and collaboration throughout the regional supply chain. Collectively, project partners have the necessary experience and relationships to implement the project and achieve the stated goals.

• Equitable: This project prioritizes students and communities with limited access to fresh, regionally produced food and farm to school programming. 

• Sustainable: There is a clear plan for how the project will result in ongoing local and regional purchasing by schools beyond the initial grant period.

Use of Funding

Examples of possible uses of funding include, but are not limited to the following:

• Infrastructure investment
• Equipment purchase
• Capacity and staffing
• Revolving fund
• Training and certification

Funding may not be used for:

• Recurring purchase of food*
• Endowment
• Research or extensive planning efforts

Prizes must demonstrate potential for near-term impact for students and for the regional food economy, therefore; the following projects are not a strong fit for the New England Food Vision Prize criteria:

• Research and planning efforts
• Product development projects with timelines over 1 year
• Investments to raise food on campus**

* Funding may not be used for recurring purchases of food. Allowable food expenses include one-time expenses for limited recipe development, taste tests, and promotional events. If food expenses are included in the budget, they should be less than 2% of the total budget.

** Producing food on school grounds for use in school meals, whether that be through school gardens or hydroponic units, can be a powerful student engagement strategy. However, growing food on campus does not leverage the procurement power of schools and drive business through the regional food supply chain. Applicants must ensure that sourcing efforts associated with the Prize project or program are generating revenue for local producers.

Application & Selection Process

Connect with our Team

Are you thinking about applying for the New England Food Vision Prize, but have questions about your application, budget, or eligibility? If so, register for our Prize Overview and Applicant Q&A Session on April 29, 2026.

Do you have a seed of an idea but need to talk it out?
Are you looking for partners? Are you wondering whether your organization or idea fits this program? The team at Farm to Institution New England is available to support you with your questions.

Questions about process and eligibility?
Send the Kendall team an email!