The Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative Agreement Program (LFSCC) is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). The program’s purpose is to facilitate state governments in purchasing local, domestic, unprocessed, or minimally processed foods for distribution to schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and institutions under the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The initiative aims to strengthen regional food systems by prioritizing purchases from historically underserved farmers, producers, fishers, and small businesses, including processors, aggregators, and distributors. The program also encourages the incorporation of culturally relevant foods, such as kosher and halal, based on community preferences.

The LFSCC program offers a total of $660.1 million in funding, with $471.5 million allocated for schools under the NSLP and $188.6 million for child care institutions under CACFP. Awards are non-competitive and allocated to state governments based on a formula that considers NSLP and CACFP enrollment and meal counts. Each state is eligible for only one award, and recipients are required to coordinate within state agencies to manage the program. Funds may only be used for food procurement, including allowable costs such as food storage, handling, and transportation rolled into the final cost of the purchased food.

Eligible recipients include state government agencies responsible for agriculture, procurement, food distribution, or administration of NSLP and CACFP programs. Eligible beneficiaries include local farmers, producers, fishers, processors, and distributors within the state, tribal region, or a 400-mile radius. Food distributed through this program must meet the criteria of being local, domestic, and minimally processed, including items like fresh produce, dairy, meats, grains, and other qualifying food products. Emphasis is placed on equitable distribution, ensuring food reaches underserved communities and tribal schools.

Returning recipients with a prior Local Food for Schools (LFS) agreement must submit a completed LFSCC Project Summary using the program’s template by April 30, 2025. This summary must include a detailed description of project activities, expected outcomes, a work plan, and a budget. New recipients are required to submit additional forms, including SF-424, SF-424A, and a Certification Regarding Lobbying form, via Grants.gov. All submissions must meet formatting guidelines, including a maximum 10-page limit for the Project Summary.

Recipients are subject to reporting requirements, including quarterly progress and financial reports. These reports must detail expenditures, total food purchases, and purchases from historically underserved producers and small businesses. Data must also include the number of producers and vendors benefiting from the program. Final performance and financial reports are required at the project’s conclusion to evaluate program outcomes and achievements.

The cooperative agreements are valid for a three-year performance period, with flexibility for earlier project completion. The program emphasizes building sustainable relationships between local food networks, schools, and child care institutions to ensure the long-term success of regional food systems and equitable food access. Recipients are required to comply with all applicable federal regulations, including procurement standards and programmatic reporting requirements.