Second Harvest is pleased to be one of 10 organizations selected by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to receive funding from the School Food Infrastructure Fund (SFIF). These funds will be further distributed to eligible non-profit and charitable organizations across Canada (referred to as ultimate recipients) and are to be used for investments in infrastructure and equipment that will improve school food programming.
The SFIF is delivered as a complement to the National School Food Program and was announced by the Government of Canada in Budget 2024.
To be considered for funding through the SFIF, ultimate recipients must apply through one of the initial recipient organizations, such as Second Harvest. Key project outcomes include:
- Organizations have increased capacity to deliver school food programs, which are defined as meals and/or snacks at school.
- Food environments are improved within schools.
- Strengthened community food security.
Funded under the School Food Infrastructure Fund (SFIF) by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Qualified Areas of Support
- Applicant must be a registered nonprofit or charitable organization that operate school food programs within school environments.
- SFIF grants must be used for the purchase and installation of infrastructure and equipment that increases the capacity of community organizations to produce, process, store, and distribute food for school food programs.
Application Guidelines
- Applications can be completed via our grant portal. Should you require support with your application, please reach out to our Grants Coordinator at grantadministrator@secondharvest.ca.
- Deadline to submit your application is April 30, 2025.
- Applications will be reviewed and granted based on our scoring criteria.
- Funding decisions will be communicated to applicants by June 2, 2025.
- There are no minimum or maximum requests for this grant application. Proposals will be assessed based on their cost-effectiveness, feasibility and overall impact.
- Projects must have a useful lifespan of at least 2 years after the project completion date and be used to support the delivery of school food programs.
Who Can Apply
- Applicant must be a registered nonprofit or charitable organization.
- Applicant must provide school food programming within a school environment.
- Applicant must provide financial statements that have been audited by a licensed public accountant (agencies with annual revenues under $250,000 may submit financial statements signed by the Treasurer in lieu of audited statements).
Priority is given to applicants serving students from lower-income families, visible minorities and Indigenous communities.
Applicants Ineligible for Funding
- Municipal or school bodies
- Local governments
- Health authorities
- School boards/Districts and/or schools
- Governmental and quasi-governmental organizations
- Academic and educational institutions
- For-profit entities
Ineligible Costs
Please review our guidelines for a full list of ineligible costs. Please note, grants awarded through the SFIF funding CANNOT be used towards any of the following:
- Refundable costs. Any project-related costs that are eligible for reimbursement from another source cannot be claimed for reimbursement and should therefore be excluded from the project budget. For example, if your organization qualifies for a rebate or refund on HST or has secured additional funding that will offset the project cost, these amounts must be excluded from the budget submitted with this application.
- Administration costs.
- See additional guidelines in our SFIF guidebook.
Reporting Requirements
- If your application is successful, you will be required to complete an interim report and a final report upon completion of your project, before March 31, 2026.
- Successful applicants will be provided with the report upon the disbursement of funds.
Before you complete this application
- Please be prepared to submit a grant budget that itemizes how you will spend the funding amount you are applying for.
- For projects that involve infrastructure or equipment expenses exceeding $25,000, at least one (1) cost estimate must be obtained and submitted. The ultimate recipient is responsible for retaining these quotes and subsequent receipts for a minimum of seven (7) years after project end, in case of an audit.
- 1-2 letter(s) of support from existing partners endorsing your application (e.g. program delivery partners, program participants, board members, food suppliers, etc.)
School Food Infrastructure Fund (SFIF)
Second Harvest is pleased to be one of 10 organizations selected by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to receive funding from the School Food Infrastructure Fund (SFIF). These funds will be further distributed to eligible non-profit and charitable organizations across Canada (referred to as ultimate recipients) and are to be used for investments in infrastructure and equipment that will improve school food programming.
The SFIF is delivered as a complement to the National School Food Program and was announced by the Government of Canada in Budget 2024.
To be considered for funding through the SFIF, ultimate recipients must apply through one of the initial recipient organizations, such as Second Harvest. Key project outcomes include:
- Organizations have increased capacity to deliver school food programs, which are defined as meals and/or snacks at school.
- Food environments are improved within schools.
- Strengthened community food security.
Funded under the School Food Infrastructure Fund (SFIF) by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Qualified Areas of Support
- Applicant must be a registered nonprofit or charitable organization that operate school food programs within school environments.
- SFIF grants must be used for the purchase and installation of infrastructure and equipment that increases the capacity of community organizations to produce, process, store, and distribute food for school food programs.
Application Guidelines
- Applications can be completed via our grant portal. Should you require support with your application, please reach out to our Grants Coordinator at grantadministrator@secondharvest.ca.
- Deadline to submit your application is April 30, 2025.
- Applications will be reviewed and granted based on our scoring criteria.
- Funding decisions will be communicated to applicants by June 2, 2025.
- There are no minimum or maximum requests for this grant application. Proposals will be assessed based on their cost-effectiveness, feasibility and overall impact.
- Projects must have a useful lifespan of at least 2 years after the project completion date and be used to support the delivery of school food programs.
Who Can Apply
- Applicant must be a registered nonprofit or charitable organization.
- Applicant must provide school food programming within a school environment.
- Applicant must provide financial statements that have been audited by a licensed public accountant (agencies with annual revenues under $250,000 may submit financial statements signed by the Treasurer in lieu of audited statements).
Priority is given to applicants serving students from lower-income families, visible minorities and Indigenous communities.
Applicants Ineligible for Funding
- Municipal or school bodies
- Local governments
- Health authorities
- School boards/Districts and/or schools
- Governmental and quasi-governmental organizations
- Academic and educational institutions
- For-profit entities
Ineligible Costs
Please review our guidelines for a full list of ineligible costs. Please note, grants awarded through the SFIF funding CANNOT be used towards any of the following:
- Refundable costs. Any project-related costs that are eligible for reimbursement from another source cannot be claimed for reimbursement and should therefore be excluded from the project budget. For example, if your organization qualifies for a rebate or refund on HST or has secured additional funding that will offset the project cost, these amounts must be excluded from the budget submitted with this application.
- Administration costs.
- See additional guidelines in our SFIF guidebook.
Reporting Requirements
- If your application is successful, you will be required to complete an interim report and a final report upon completion of your project, before March 31, 2026.
- Successful applicants will be provided with the report upon the disbursement of funds.
Before you complete this application
- Please be prepared to submit a grant budget that itemizes how you will spend the funding amount you are applying for.
- For projects that involve infrastructure or equipment expenses exceeding $25,000, at least one (1) cost estimate must be obtained and submitted. The ultimate recipient is responsible for retaining these quotes and subsequent receipts for a minimum of seven (7) years after project end, in case of an audit.
- 1-2 letter(s) of support from existing partners endorsing your application (e.g. program delivery partners, program participants, board members, food suppliers, etc.)