On May 6, 2026, the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA) announced a request for applications for its Building Expanded Access to Nutritious School Meals (BEANS) Program.
Eligible projects must address one or more of the intended outcomes of the BEANS program, which include:
- Increased awareness of and household application towards New Jersey Expanded Income Eligibility for free school meals;
- Increased submission of school meal applications in support of expanding access to eligible students, reducing school meal debt, and increasing school district eligibility for state funding;
- Increased enrollment of non-public schools into the National School Lunch (NSLP) and School Breakfast (SBP) programs;
- Increased student participation in all school meal programs as a means of mitigating the impact of H.R. 1 on New Jersey families and the statewide emergency food sector;
- Expanded site enrollment among early childhood care providers, after school, and pre-K programs in the Child and Adult Care Feeding Program including the after school and At-Risk Suppers program for eligible schools;
- Increased number of CACFP sponsors and increased number of CACFP operators across the state.
Eligible applicants include local governments (including school districts), nonprofit organizations, county coalitions, faith-based organizations, and New Jersey colleges and universities. A total of $439,000 is available for BEANS grants. Funding will be awarded through a Request for Applications (RFA) process. Applicants can apply for up to $100,000 in grant funding towards statewide initiatives and for up to $30,000 in grant funds for county-based initiatives. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement for funds. Project periods may be up to 12 months and to commence upon approval from OFSA, timeline may be subject to change.
Applications are due Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 5pm ET. More details, including information on eligible projects and how to apply, are available on OFSA’s website and in the RFA document.
