Accessible Version
Official Seal of the California Department of Education

Grant Application

Instructions

2025 Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT) and
Retention and Recruitment (R&R)

Nutrition Services Division

This application allows school food authorities (SFA) to apply for the competitive 2025 Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT) and Retention and Recruitment (R&R) Grants. Explanations for each field in this application are available on the California Department of Education (CDE) 2025 KIT web page and by selecting the Instructions link at the top right corner of each page.

The 2025 KIT and R&R Grants are only available to public school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools as defined in section 79 of Senate Bill 121 Education finance: education omnibus budget trailer bill. Only eligible SFAs that are a program sponsor of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) are eligible to receive grant funding.
This is a competitive grant opportunity. All grant expenditures must be for the sole use of the SFA’s food service department.

This grant application provides the opportunity for SFAs to competitively apply for both the 2025 KIT Grant and the R&R Grant funding. However, SFAs are not required to apply for both grants.

Funds must be encumbered by June 30, 2028.  

This grant application must be completed and submitted. Late applications will not be accepted for either grant. 

Duration

This 2025 KIT Grant application will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. The R&R Grant application section will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. You will need to have your agency's Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) Sponsor's business name in addition to the Vendor or CNIPS number to register. You should also have the following information available:
 2025 KIT Grant
 
  • SFAs that received 2022 KIT funding should have knowledge of what percentage of that funding has been spent.
  • Whether/how many sites in your SFA are on a federal provision.
  • Whether your SFA has excess net cash resources and is on a budget agreement.
  • If your SFA plans to transition from using a Food Service Management Company and/or vendor, you should have knowledge of your SFA’s plan to make that transition successful.
  • Knowledge of what types of items you plan to purchase with grant funding and how these purchases will support the intent of the grant.
     R&R Grant
     
    • Knowledge of the types of positions that the SFA intends to use funding to retain or recruit staff.
    • Knowledge of whether the SFA will use the funding for professional development opportunities.
    • Knowledge of how the grant funding will support the intent of the grant.
    • Knowledge of the types of incentives the SFA will be using to recruit and retain qualified food service staff.

      Instructions

      There are four buttons at the bottom of each screen that help you navigate:
       
      • Next: Allows you to move to the next screen. You will use this button to move through the grant application as you complete each screen.
      • Back: Allows you to return to the previous screen to review answers or to make changes to your answers.
      • Reset: Allows you to delete all information entered on that screen.
      • Save Responses: Allows you to save your place in the grant application and return to it at any time. When you select Save Responses, you will be provided a unique URL (web address) for entrance back into the grant application. This URL is the only way to access the saved grant application, so make sure you bookmark the page.
        After saving your responses, use the unique URL to return to your grant application. Then select Next to continue to the next screen.

        Print Responses

        Before you submit your grant application(s) online, print and review the application(s) for completion and accuracy. Use the Print Responses button to print a copy of your responses for your records. When you select Print Responses, a new tab will open showing a printable version of the entire grant application and your responses. To return to the grant application, select the original tab in your web browser.

        Submit Application

        Once you have printed and reviewed your grant application(s) for completion, you may select the Submit button. The Submit button is only available one time. After selecting the Submit button, the grant application(s) are immediately transmitted to the CDE and are no longer available for editing or submission.

        All fields in the grant application must be completed unless noted otherwise.

        For Questions

        For questions regarding this grant, please contact the 2025 KIT and R&R Grant team by email at KIT2025@cde.ca.gov.