School Food Grants

• The term of the School Food Grant is three calendar years from the date of approval.
• Successful applicants receive 50% of their annual funding immediately following Council approval, 100% for the following two years, and 50% for the first half of the final year.
• Annual funding allocations are contingent upon submission of annual progress reports and Council approval for each year.

• The applicant must obtain express permission from the Vancouver School Board (VSB) to operate in their facility or in partnership with the VSB on an adjacent site.
• The applicant must be a registered non-profit society, community service co-op, social enterprise wholly owned by a non-profit (in good standing with the Registrar of Companies), a registered charity (in good standing with the CRA), a First Nations Band, or an organization deemed by Vancouver City Council to contribute to the health or welfare of the City.
• The applicant must demonstrate openness and inclusion to people of all ages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, religions, languages, under-represented communities, and socio-economic conditions in its organization and programs.
• The applicant must have an independent, active governing body composed of volunteers, with bylaws ensuring no staff member is a voting member of the board or executive.
• The programs delivered must serve Vancouver residents or Vancouver-based non-profits and be delivered within Vancouver.

Who is eligible?

• Registered non-profit societies
• Community service co-operatives
• Social enterprises wholly owned by a non-profit
• Registered charities
• First Nations Bands

Who is not eligible

• For-profit companies that are not registered charities, non-profit societies, community service co-ops, or social enterprises wholly owned by a non-profit.
• Organizations operating outside of Vancouver or not serving Vancouver residents or Vancouver-based non-profits.
• Programs or organizations in the early development stage (less than 18 months of operation) or with time-limited projects (operations of three years or less).
• Companies involved primarily in food recovery or food rescue operations, including sorting, driving, and distribution.
• Organizations whose activities fall primarily under the mandate of other governmental departments (e.g., direct healthcare, health treatment, employment training leading to certification, or initial settlement programs).

Eligible geographic areas

• Programs delivered in Vancouver or adjacent to Vancouver school settings.
• Organizations serving Vancouver residents or Vancouver-based non-profits.

• Provision of healthy, nutritious, and culturally appropriate school-day meals in a non-stigmatizing manner.
• Piloting of approaches and food service models that reflect and respect the local school context and leverage local knowledge, skills, and relationships.
• Support for the goals and actions of the Vancouver Food Strategy, including food access, diversity of voices and inclusion, and resilience.
• Alignment with the vision and principles of the Coalition for Healthy School Food as endorsed by Vancouver City Council.
• Demonstrated noteworthy community impact and cost-effectiveness relative to other school meal programs.

• Applications are accepted exclusively through the VanApply online platform.
• Word limits in the application form have been removed except for one specific field.
• If you have previously applied and were not successful, discussing your project with a Social Planner before reapplying is recommended.
• Annual progress reports must be submitted through VanApply as a condition for continued funding.