National School Food Program - 2025 to 2027 Action Plan - Ontario
Note: This action plan has been re-formatted to meet accessibility requirements of Government of Canada webpages.
On this page
- List of abbreviations
- Section 1 - Introduction/overview
- Section 2 - Implementation plan
- Section 3 - Indicators, targets and expected results
- Section 4 - Expenditures
- Section 5 - Indigenous collaboration
- Section 6 - Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs)
- Section 7 - Reporting
- Appendix A: National School Food Policy principles summary table
- Appendix B: Common reporting indicators table
- Appendix C: Financial summary table
List of abbreviations
- FNSNP
- First Nations Student Nutrition Program
- LPP
- Local Planning Partnerships
- MCCSS
- Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
- MOH
- Ministry of Health
- NFVP
- Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program
- NSFP
- National School Food Program
- OFVGA
- Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association
- P/T
- Province/Territory
- SNO
- Student Nutrition Ontario
- SNP
- Student Nutrition Program
- TPRs
- Transfer Payment Recipients
Section 1 - Introduction/overview
Program landscape
Ontario supports the learning and healthy development of school-aged children through the Student Nutrition Program (SNP) and the First Nations Student Nutrition Program (FNSNP). These programs provide nutritious food through breakfast, lunch, and/or snacks to children and youth.
In addition, the federal government through the throne speech referenced supporting Canadian agriculture producers, which is in line with Ontario's priority to support local food producers.
Ontario, with support from the federal National School Food Program (NSFP), strengthened local student nutrition programs in year 1 of the NSFP. The NSFP funding amount for year 1 (2024 to 2025) was $18.5 million. The breakdown of the funding was:
- SNP = $15.786 million
- FNSNP = $2.77 million
Ontario's funding amount (prior to the federal funding) for 2024 to 2025 was:
- SNP = $28.2 millionFootnote 1
- FNSNP = $4.4 million
The responsibility for school nutrition programs falls under the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS). MCCSS supports a community-based partnership model for school food programs and partially funds the SNP and the FNSNP:
- Ministry funding for the SNP represents 12% to 25% of the market cost of program delivery. Funding from Ontario is used to leverage local partnerships to support community-based delivery that is responsive to local needs and capacities.
- Ministry funding for the FNSNP represents 50% or more of the total cost of the program. Funding predominantly supports the cost of food, and costs associated with the delivery of the program (for example, transportation of food, staff to prepare meals/snacks).
The Ministry of Health (MOH) funds the Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program (NFVP), a 20-week program that is delivered by the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association (OFVGA), Northern Public Health Units and schools.
- The NFVP is well received by schools and students and promotes positive behaviour changes and acceptance of fruits and vegetables.
- The MOH also funds two Northern Public Health Units to enhance food security in First Nations communities.
Student Nutrition Program
The SNP, launched in 2005 to 2006, provides provincial support for student breakfast, lunch, and snack programs during the school day and school year. MCCSS partially funds 13 Lead Transfer Payment Recipients (TPRs) called SNP Lead Agencies which collaborate with Ontario school boards, schools, public health units, and communities to deliver programming. SNP Lead Agencies are not-for-profit organizations who may sub-contract other not-for profit organizations to support the delivery of the SNP. SNP Lead Agencies may procure goods and services through for-profit organizations that offer preferential pricing or discounts. Provincial funding contributes to a portion of total program costs and provides stable annualized investment that is used to leverage additional funding and in-kind donations from municipalities, charities, corporate donations, and local fundraising. Programs are delivered using different models (for example, full meal service or grab-and-go snacks) depending on the needs, capacity, and infrastructure of the program site, and are mostly delivered by volunteers who prepare and serve food.
The 13 SNP Lead Agencies also oversee program administration and grants, support fundraising, build partnerships with program sponsors and work with community partners, a key element of the SNP. Requirements for program delivery are outlined in the SNP Program Guidelines, 2018 and include parameters on determining funding allocations per school, as well as allowable staffing and administrative expenditures. Program delivery must also adhere to the SNP Nutrition Guidelines, 2020. All SNP Lead Agencies are members of Student Nutrition Ontario (SNO), a province-wide network that shares knowledge amongst member organizations and coordinates large scale partnerships among other responsibilities.
Programs offer food at no cost, and most allow for parental contribution. Parent contributions are made on a voluntary basis to the program and are not based on the cost per meal.
MCCSS funding for the SNP for 2025 to 2026 and ongoing is $28.1 million.
First Nations Student Nutrition Program
The FNSNP was co-developed with Indigenous partners and provides funding for breakfast, lunch and/or snacks. Prior to receiving NSFP funding, provincial funding was provided to 41 Indigenous partners including First Nations, Tribal Councils, Indigenous educational organizations and the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres to deliver the program in 161 Indigenous educational settings throughout the province, including in 66 First Nations communities and in 27 urban sites. Partners are responsible for all aspects of the design and delivery of their programs, including food sourcing, meal preparation and distribution.
Program delivery varies across First Nations, based on local needs and circumstances. Some sites offer a breakfast program only, while others offer a combination of breakfast, lunch and/or snack programs. Some sites provide meals as part of bussing programs before and/or after school. FNSNP sites also report offering traditional food and cultural programs as part of their student nutrition program. This may include activities such as harvesting and hunting festivals, cultural weeks, and/or preparing, cleaning and cooking fish and game. The programs engage youth, Elders and parents from the community as volunteers. All programs are offered at no cost.
Currently, the FNSNP only includes Indigenous partners who applied for the program when it was launched in 2015. As such, out of 133 First Nations in Ontario, only 66 were receiving FNSNP funding (prior to Ontario receiving federal NSFP funding). The ministry has received requests from Indigenous communities who wish to be a part of the program.
MCCSS funding for FNSNP for 2025 to 2026 and ongoing is $4.4 million.
Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program
The NFVP currently operates from January to June and offers a free serving of fresh fruit and vegetables per week, along with health and education support to elementary school children in Northern Ontario. The NFVP is funded by MOH and delivered by the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association (OFVGA) in partnership with Public Health Units and schools. It is currently the only mechanism to deliver Ontario produce to schools in the north. The OFVGA is responsible for procurement from local farmers and food vendors. The current NFVP budget is $5.8 million. The NFVP reaches approximately 85,500 students in 459 schools, operates in 53 First Nations Communities, and provides over 4.1 million servings of fresh fruits and vegetables to elementary students per year.
Priority areas for investment
The first year of federal funding in 2024 to 2025 was used to stabilize the SNP and FNSNP by increasing the capacity to serve more meals to more students in participating schools, ensured programs met the need for food over the whole school year, or enhanced the service model (for example, move from snack to meal service). In addition, the FNSNP was expanded to provide funding to two new First Nations communities to develop student nutrition programs within their schools.
In 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027, federal funding will strengthen and support expansion of the three existing programs (SNP, FNSNP, and NFVP).
Priority areas for investment for each fiscal year:
- 2025 to 2026:
- SNP:
- increase access to food and consumables
- partnership development and coordination to support bulk purchasing
- build school capacity and enhance school selection criteria for SNP Lead Agencies
- improve the Ontario-based supply chain, ensuring the SNP can maximize sourcing of local food
- FNSNP:
- strengthen program sustainability by allowing flexible funding models to meet/adapt according to the unique needs of the community, and support culturally-appropriate sustainable food practices such as hunting and harvesting country/traditional food
- increase access to food and consumables
- expansion to new First Nations schools and communities
- NFVP:
- expansion of the weeks of service (approximately 7 additional weeks, for a total of 27 weeks of service) for the NFVP
- alignment with the SNP and FNSNP's data collection to support expansion
- SNP:
- 2026 to 2027:
- SNP:
- continue to increase access to food and consumables
- continue partnership development and coordination to support bulk purchasing, including sourcing of local food
- FNSNP:
- continue to strengthen program sustainability
- continue to support increased access to food and consumables
- explore and co-develop opportunities for centralized purchasing and partnerships
- NFVP:
- expansion of the NFVP to additional schools
- continue expansion of weeks of service (approximately 11 to 14 additional weeks, for a total of 31 to 34 weeks of service) to cover the school year
- alignment with the SNP and FNSNP to support logistics and delivery, based on data collection
- SNP:
Funding breakdown: Federal funding for 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027 for Ontario through the NSFP is $44.8 million per year. Ontario's projected funding for school food programs for fiscal years 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027 (including federal funding) is presented in the tables below.
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Program | Provincial funding | Federal funding | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SNP | $28,100,000 | $35,200,000 | $63,300,000 |
| FNSNP | $4,400,000 | $5,400,000 | $9,800,000 |
| NFVP | $5,800,000 | $4,200,000 | $10,000,000 |
| Total | $38,300,000 | $44,800,000 | $83,100,000 |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Program | Provincial funding | Federal funding | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SNP | $28,100,000 | $31,100,000 | $59,200,000 |
| FNSNP | $4,400,000 | $5,400,000 | $9,800,000 |
| NFVP | $5,800,000 | $8,300,000 | $14,100,000 |
| Total | $38,300,000 | $44,800,000 | $83,100,000 |
Section 2 - Implementation plan
The implementation plan will support the SNP, FNSNP, and the NFVP, and will focus on strengthening and expanding services as well as prioritizing Ontario producers by enabling increased access to local produce and building an environment that connects suppliers to schools.
All federal funding that will flow from Ontario to the 13 SNP Lead Agencies and FNSNP partners, as well as to the OFVGA (Transfer Payment Recipients (TPRs)), will be within the parameters of Ontario's existing provincial agreements and respective Program Guidelines.
The planned activities for 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027 will address the National School Food Policy principles as follows:
- increasing access to nutritious food and consumables through the existing SNP and FNSNP (Accessible, Flexible, and Health Promoting), achieved by:
- continuing to increase funding for food and consumables, especially those produced by Ontario-based food producers, suppliers, processors, and retailers
- continued implementation of existing guidelines which provide direction for student nutrition food programs to be universally accessible/non-stigmatizing and to comply with nutritional guidelines
- expand the FNSNP to additional First Nations communities (Accessible, Inclusive, Flexible):
- starting in 2025 to 2026, and continuing in 2026 to 2027, funding will be extended to 14 First Nations with schools on-reserve that were previously not served through the FNSNP. This will result in at least 21 new sites being supported through this funding.
- expand the NFVP (Accessible, Health Promoting, Inclusive and Flexible):
- phased expansion of the NFVP will increase the access and availability of fresh fruits and vegetables to students in the north by partially increasing the duration of the program in 2025 to 2026 (targeting approximately 27 weeks of service), and expanding to high schools and continuing to expand the duration to cover the school year in 2026 to 2027 (targeting approximately 31 to 34 weeks of service). This will align with the SNP and will promote coordination and leverage existing partnerships
- building OFVGA capacity refers to enhancing their organizational ability to purchase additional fruits and vegetables so that they can expand the duration of the NFVP
- expanding the NFVP will leverage Ontario's food distribution infrastructure by building on existing Ontario investments like food hubs, which have improved market opportunities and technologies for local food producers, and through the use of current data collected by the SNP
- support partnership development and coordination to improve engagement of the Ontario-based food supply chain with the three programs (Accountable, Flexible, Sustainable):
- in 2025 to 2026, provide funding to support SNO to establish partnerships with group purchasing organizations (GPOs) to negotiate better prices through bulk purchases and build a broader network of food suppliers, as well as adopt an accessible online digital tool to gather and analyze data to inform negotiations with food suppliers
- in 2026 to 2027, in addition to the 2025 to 2026 investments, provide funding to support FNSNP providers and student nutrition organizations to co-develop approaches as it relates to bulk purchasing for Indigenous communities, recognizing the distinct challenges and barriers faced by many northern, rural and remote First Nations communities (that is, shipping/transportation costs, and lack of infrastructure)
- build school capacity and strengthen school selection criteria for SNP Lead Agencies (Flexible and Inclusive):
- in 2025 to 2026, SNP Lead Agencies will be required to form Local Planning Partnerships (LPPs) to ensure SNP program decisions are informed by local knowledge, including engagement with minority groups
- LPPs will be required to provide direction to SNP Lead Agencies regarding school selection (aligning with the SNP Guidelines). SNP Lead Agencies will maintain autonomy to make local decisions about sites, capacity building, and partnership development as per the SNP Program Guidelines
See Appendix A for a detailed breakdown of activities and timelines.
Section 3 - Indicators, targets and expected results
Student Nutrition Program
The ministry monitors performance for the SNP using two key sources of information:
- interim and year-end financial information about revenue and expenditures using the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services' Transfer Payment Budget Package; and
- interim and year-end service data reported in the Transfer Payment Budget Package.
Data element names and their associated definitions
Number of SNPs
Total number of provincially funded SNPs, including community program locations, and federally funded schools.
Number of participating schools
The total number of provincially funded schools that receive funding for a SNP, excluding community program locations, private schools, and federally funded schools.
Number of meals/snacks served
The total number of meals (such as, breakfast or lunch) and snacks served in all participating provincially funded SNPs. Total is based on the estimated number of daily meals prepared from each program location. The count does not differentiate between the type of meal.
Number of individuals served (average daily participation)
Average number of participants that accessed the SNP daily. Calculated by dividing the number of meals served by the number of program operating days for all provincially funded SNPs. Participants served outside of program locations must be included in this count.
Number of students enrolled
The total enrollment for all provincially funded schools with SNPs. Values reported at interim represents current school year.
The following service data provides a baseline and estimates of NSFP investment for the SNP:
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Data Element | 2024 to 2025 Interim Report (including NSFP funding)Footnote 2 | 2025 to 2026 Estimates (including NSFP funding) | 2026 to 2027 Estimates (including NSFP funding) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ministry-Funded expenditures and allocations | $43,968,000Footnote 3 | $63,300,000Footnote 4 | $59,200,000Footnote 5 |
| Number of students enrolled | 1,844,621 | 1,977,434 | 2,119,809 |
| Number of participating schools | 3,963 (82%) | 4,218 (87%) Additional 255 schools |
4,460 (92%) Additional 242 schools |
| Number of Student Nutrition Programs | 5,030 | 5,533 | 6,086 |
| Number of individuals served (average daily participation) | 880,900 | 935,745Footnote 6 | 960,745 |
| Number of meals/snacks served (total) | 107,202,497 | 169,000,000 | 186,000,000 |
The data above is collected through Ontario's reporting requirements. Ad-hoc reporting will be used in 2026 to 2027 to engage with the sector to collect additional data.
First Nations Student Nutrition Program (FNSNP)
The ministry receives information about FNSNP delivery through:
- year-end financial information about revenue and expenditures using the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services' Transfer Payment Budget Package; and
- quantitative service data and qualitative narrative using a Data and Narrative supplemental report.
Data element names and their associated definitions
Number of schools/sites
The total number of individual schools or educational settings where the FNSNP is being implemented. Each school/site represents a location where students are receiving meals or snacks as part of the program. This can include elementary schools, secondary schools, or any other recognized educational settings participating in the FNSNP including urban Indigenous educational settings
The FNSNP is implemented across various educational and community settings, including schools, bus programs that provide snacks to students on route to schools off-reserve, as well as alternative secondary school programs for Indigenous students delivered through Friendship Centres
Average number of operational days per site
The average number of days during a school year when the program is actively delivering meals or snacks to students per program delivery site. These are the days when the program is providing nutritional support, typically aligning with the school calendar.
Number of meals/snacks served
The total number of meals (such as, breakfast or lunch) and snacks served in all participating FNSNP sites. Total is based on the estimated number of daily meals prepared from each program location.
The FNSNP does not collect data on number of students participating as this is a very difficult number for partners to track locally as the program is provided using a universal model of service delivery and does not require registration.
The following service data provides a baseline and estimates of NSFP investment for the FNSNP:
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| FNSNP | 2024 to 2025 (including NSFP funding) | 2025 to 2026 Estimates (including NSFP funding) | 2026 to 2027 Estimates (including NSFP funding) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ministry-funded expenditures | $7,185,500Footnote 7 | $9,800,000Footnote 8 | $9,800,000Footnote 8 |
| Number of schools/sites | 166Footnote 9 | 187 | 187 |
| Average number of program operational days per site | 181 | 181 | 181 |
| Number of meals served | 1,652,000Footnote 10 | 1,897,000Footnote 11 | 1,897,000Footnote 11 |
It is estimated that the NSFP investment will support an increase of 375,000 meals annually during the 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027 school years at current FNSNP sites and approximately 21 additional sites.
Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program
Data element names and their associated definitions
- Number of participating students
- Number of students who receive the NFVP. Student data is collected by schools and Public Health Units.
- Number of participating Schools
- Number of schools receiving the NFVP. Each school/site represents a location where students receive fruits and vegetables as part of the program.
- Number of participating First Nations communities
- Number of First Nations communities receiving the NFVP.
- Number of Fruit and Vegetable Servings
- The total number of fruit and vegetable servings provided in all participating NFVP sites. Total is based on the number of participating students.
The following service data provides a baseline and estimates of NSFP investment for the NFVP:
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Data Element | 2024 to 2025 Interim ReportFootnote 12 | 2025 to 2026 Estimates (including NSFP funding)Footnote 13 | 2026 to 2027 Estimates (including NSFP funding)Footnote 14 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ministry-Funded expenditures and allocations (in dollars) | $5,800,000 | $10,000,000 | $14,100,000 |
| Number of participating students | Approximately 85,500 | Approximately 85,500 | Approximately 122,000 |
| Number of participating schools | 459 | Approximately 459 | Approximately 583 |
| Number of participating First Nations Communities | 53 | Approximately 53 | Approximately 53 |
| Number of fruit and vegetable servings (total) | 4,100,000 | Approximately 4,617,000 | Approximately 8,296,000 |
See the Common Reporting Indicators Table in Appendix B for further details.
Section 4 - Expenditures
In 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027, federal funding will strengthen and support expansion of the three existing programs (SNP, FNSNP, and NFVP). See the Financial Summary Table in Appendix C for further details.
NSFP funding will flow through the existing Transfer Payment Recipients (TPRs) according to the parameters set out in their current Transfer Payment Agreements, Service Objectives Descriptions and respective Program Guidelines.
Student Nutrition Program
The NSFP funding will be subject to the same program guidelines as the provincial SNP.
Program guidelines outline that 80% of the MCCSS portion of the funding must be spent on food and consumables. SNP Lead Agencies may spend up to 5% (and 8% in the North) of their total funding on transportation, storage and food preparation equipment. SNP Lead Agencies may spend a maximum of 6% of their allocation to support operating and organization (administration). FTEs required for program delivery are outlined in the program guidelines. SNP Lead Agencies refer to the program guidelines when making expenditure decisions.
In accordance with the NSFP agreement, SNP Lead Agencies are permitted to carry forward up to 30% of their 2025 to 2026 funding into the 2026 to 2027 fiscal year.
First Nations Student Nutrition Program
The NSFP funding will be subject to the same funding guidelines as the FNSNP, which includes support for expenditures in the following areas:
- Program costs (food costs, transportation/shipping costs, cultural components)
- Staffing (salaries and Mandatory Employment Related Costs (MERCS) as applicable)
- Allocated Central Administrative (ACA) funding
FNSNP partners are responsible for all aspects of the design and delivery of their programs including budgeting/expenditure decisions, food sourcing, meal preparation and distribution. Funding will remain flexible and include support for Indigenous partners to continue to have full autonomy to design and deliver programming based on the needs of communities.
Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program
NSFP funding will flow through the existing Transfer Payment Recipients (TPRs) according to the parameters set out in their current Transfer Payment Agreements, Service Objectives Descriptions and respective Program Guidelines.
These guidelines provide direction for expenditures in the following areas:
- Program Costs (food costs, transportation/shipping costs, cultural components)
- Staffing (salaries and MERCS as applicable)
- Allocated Central Administrative (ACA) funding
Section 5 - Indigenous collaboration
Student Nutrition Program
Ontario aims to ensure Indigenous students attending Ontario-operated/provincially-funded schools have culturally appropriate foods available and that their dietary requirements are met. Indigenous representation through existing community partnerships with school boards will ensure that the SNP continues to account for Indigenous students' cultural and dietary needs. Building on 2024 to 2025, which encouraged Lead Agencies to invite the local Indigenous community to engagements sessions, the SNP Lead Agencies, through required Local Planning Partnerships, will be further encouraged to invite Indigenous input.
First Nations Student Nutrition Program
The FNSNP was co-developed with First Nations partners as a responsive program model that allows partners the flexibility to meet the strengths and needs of their communities. Ontario will continue to engage closely with FNSNP partners through regular gatherings and information-sharing sessions to help identify the gaps and challenges faced by communities, enabling the program to adapt and better meet the nutritional needs of students.
Feedback from FNSNP partners to date has highlighted the need for additional funding for remote and Northern communities due to increased food and transportation costs as well as the need for a distinct approach to bulk purchasing to support the unique circumstances of remote/Northern communities (for example, lack of appropriate infrastructure to store food).
Ontario will work with SNO and other potential stakeholders to build relationships and a greater understanding of the unique infrastructure and capacity needs of FNSNP partners in relation to bulk purchasing.
Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program
The Ministry of Health and Public Health Units will review if there are First Nations communities that are not currently participating in the NFVP and will engage them with the goal of extending the NFVP to any community that would like to receive it. Ongoing discussions are taking place between Public Health Units and local communities on program evaluation principles to ensure that the program evaluation respects OCAP principles (The First Nations Principles of OCAP® - The First Nations Information Governance Centre) and is developed in collaboration with First Nations communities.
Section 6 - Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs)
Student Nutrition Program
Delivery of the SNP extends to all French Language and Francophone school boards. Lead Agencies, through Local Planning Partnerships (LPP), will form new community partnerships and leverage existing partnerships to engage with OLMCs, ensuring that their diverse needs are addressed in the delivery of the SNP. The LPPs' engagement will be guided by both the SNP and the National School Food Policy principles. Strengthening community partnerships requires time, trust, and engagement, which will be a core part of the LPPs' responsibilities starting 2025 to 2026 and carrying through to 2026 to 2027. Reporting on planning will be required of all Lead Agencies starting in 2025 to 2026 and onward. The SNP program materials currently exist in both English and French to support the current engagements and will continue to support future engagements.
First Nations Student Nutrition Program
Not applicable as First Nations communities are not classified as OLMCs under the Official Languages Act.
Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program
Delivery of the NFVP extends to all French Language and Francophone school boards in northern Ontario. Public Health Units will engage with OLMCs to ensure that the NFVP is accessible. NFVP program materials currently exist in both English and French to support this.
Section 7 - Reporting
The year-end data report will be provided by October 31, 2026, and October 31, 2027.
Ontario's commitment to providing year-end reports based on the data elements outlined in Section 3 and Appendix B of this Action Plan ensure compliance with the federal agreement for 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027.
Results captured through reporting will reflect provincial, federal, and partner funding amounts.
Reports do not capture individual funding amounts and impacts at the school level.
Appendix A: National School Food Policy principles summary table
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Initiative name(s) and National School Food Program Policy principle | Proposed activity and expected impacts | Targets | Total NSFP investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increasing access to food and consumables: Accessibility | SNP: Funding increase to SNP Lead Agencies to support the delivery of food and consumables. FNSNP: Funding increase to existing FNSNP partners to support the delivery of food and consumables. |
SNP: Estimated 175,000 more students served (baseline data 2022 to 2023)Footnote 15 FNSNP: Estimated increase of 130,000 mealsFootnote 16 |
SNP: $34.7 million FNSNP: $2.77 million |
| Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program expansion: Accessibility | Collaborate with the Ministry of Health to expand the duration of the NFVP to existing schools and students. | Estimated increase of approximately 1.2 million servings of fresh fruits and vegetables (baseline data 2024 to 2025, but reflecting a 20-week program) | $4.2 million |
| First Nations Student Nutrition Program expansion: Accessibility | The FNSNP will expand to serve 14 new First Nations communities and an estimated 21 new sites to ensure that all First Nations with schools on-reserve have access to student nutrition funding through Ontario. Costs related to program launch are included. | Estimated increase of 245,000 mealsFootnote 16 | $2.6 million |
| Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program expansion: Health promoting | Collaborate with the Ministry of Health to expand the duration of the NFVP to existing schools and students. | Estimated increased duration of the NFVP to existing schools by 7 weeks (baseline data 2024 to 2025 but reflecting 20-week program) | Please refer to: Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program expansion: Accessibility |
| Local Planning Partnership: Inclusive | Requiring SNP lead agencies to form local planning partnerships to provide action plans, including information regarding engagement with minority groups. | Increased engagement with minority groups | N/A |
| FNSNP is culturally responsive: Inclusive | The FNSNP was co-developed with First Nations partners as a responsive program model that allows partners the flexibility to meet the strengths and needs of their communities. | Continue engagement with partners to support culturally responsive programming | N/A |
| SNP and FNSNP Guidelines: Flexible | SNP and FNSNP existing Guidelines provide SNP Lead Agencies and FNSNP partners with flexibility to support local needs and prioritize sourcing local foods. | Program responsiveness to local needs | N/A |
| GPO Strategy: Accountable | Provide funding to SNO to build capacity for development of a group purchasing strategy. | Capacity building | $300,000 |
| Data Strategy: Accountable | Provide funding for SNO to coordinate and develop an accessible online digital tool to support local and regional food audits. | Development of single digital tool | $250,000 |
| Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program Expansion: Sustainable | Build OFVGA Capacity. | By increasing the duration of the program, the OFVGA will increase purchasing of fruits and vegetables from local Ontario producers (baseline data 2024 to 2025) | Please refer to: Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program expansion: Accessibility |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Initiative name(s) and National School Food Program Policy principle | Proposed activity and expected impacts | Targets | Total NSFP investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increasing access to food and consumables: Accessibility | SNP: Funding increase to SNP Lead Agencies to support the delivery of food and consumables. FNSNP: Funding increase for existing FNSNP partners to support the delivery of food and consumables. |
SNP: Estimated 200,000 more students served (baseline data 2022-23) FNSNP: Estimated increase of 130,000 mealsFootnote 16 |
SNP: $30.1 million ENSNP: $2.77M |
| First Nations Student Nutrition Program expansion: Accessibility | The FNSNP will continue to fund the additional 14 new First Nations communities and the 21 additional sites added in 2025 to 2026 to ensure that all First Nations with schools on-reserve have access to student nutrition funding. Costs related to program launch are included. | Estimated increase of 245,000 mealsFootnote 16 | $2.6M |
| Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program Expansion: Health Promoting | Collaborate with the Ministry of Health to expand the NFVP by extending the duration to cover the school year and expanding to high schools. | Expansion to high schools in Northern Ontario, reaching approximately 124 more schools, estimated increase of 4.9M servings, and increase program duration by 11-14 weeks (baseline data 2024 to 2025) |
$8.3M |
| Local Planning Partnership: Inclusive | Requiring Lead Agencies to form Local Planning Partnerships to provide action plans, including information regarding engagement with minority groups. | Increased engagement with minority groups | N/A |
| FNSNP is culturally responsive: Inclusive | The FNSNP was co-developed with First Nations partners as a responsive program model that allows partners the flexibility to meet the strengths and needs of their communities. | Continue engagement with partners to support culturally responsive programming | N/A |
| SNP and FNSNP Guidelines: Flexible | SNP and FNSNP existing Guidelines provide SNP Lead Agencies and FNSNP partners with flexibility to support local needs and prioritize sourcing local foods. | Program responsiveness to local needs | N/A |
| Partnership building: Accountable | Provide funding to SNO to build capacity to build province-wide partnership with producers and processors. Funding will support capacity building for the SNP and the FNSNP. | Capacity building | $600,000 |
| Data Strategy: Accountable | Provide funding for SNP Lead Agencies to coordinate and develop an accessible online digital tool to support local and regional food audits. | Robust data collection | $400,000 |
| Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program Expansion: Sustainable | Build OFVGA Capacity. | Increased purchasing of fruits and vegetables from local Ontario producers (baseline data 2024 to 2025) |
N/A |
Note: Investment/expenditures in 2026 to 2027 are based on Ontario's notional annual allocation of the total federal funding envelope, which is calculated/updated annually based on updated population projections.
Appendix B: Common reporting indicators table
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Indicator | Baseline (for the previous school year/prior to federal funding) | TargetsFootnote 17 (to reach by end of June each school year) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of P/T operated schools within P/T | 4,848 | 4,848 |
| Number of school aged children attending P/T operated schools | 2,080,000 | 2,080,000 |
| P/T-operated schools offering school food programming | 3,963 | 4,218 |
| Number of children and youth participating in school food programming by school or number of meals served by school through school food programs | Average Daily Participation: 880,900 | Average Daily Participation: 935,745 |
| Number of P/T-operated schools offering number of i) breakfast program; ii) lunch program; iii) snack program; iv) "other" school food program | Number of breakfast programs: 1,885 Number of morning meal programs: 1,222 Number of snack programs: 1,659 Number of lunch programs: 477 |
Will be collected through supplementary reporting in 2026 to 2027 |
| Number of P/T-operated schools offering school food programs that accommodate diverse dietary needs (such as faith-based diets, culturally appropriate diets, medically directed diets, plant-based or vegetarian diets, food allergies and intolerances, etc.) | All SNP services must make an effort to accommodate diverse dietary needs as outlined in the SNP Nutrition Guidelines (for example, providing meals that consider faith-based, vegan or vegetarian, medically directed diets, etc.) | Will be collected through supplementary reporting in 2026 to 2027 |
| Number of school-aged children who participate in school food programming in P/T schools by type of program offered: i) breakfast program; ii) lunch program; iii) snack program; iv) "other" school food program | N/A. Meal type data collected at school level only | N/A |
| Number of P/T operated schools that offer school food programming that is universal | All SNP services must be provided as universally available as outlined in the SNP Program Guidelines | 4,218 |
| Number P/T operated schools that are offering new and/or enhanced school food programming (i.e. programming was not offered the prior school year) | 39 | 255 |
| Number of school-aged children participating in P/T operated schools offering new and/or enhanced school food programming | N/A | N/A |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Indicator | Baseline (for the previous school year/prior to federal funding) | TargetsFootnote 17 (to reach by end of June each school year) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of P/T operated schools within P/T | 4,848 | 4,848 |
| Number of school aged children attending P/T operated schools | 2,080,000 | 2,080,000 |
| P/T-operated schools offering school food programming | 3,963 | 4,460 |
| Number of children and youth participating in school food programming by school or number of meals served by school through school food programs | Average Daily Participation: 880,900 | Average Daily Participation: 960,745 |
| Number of P/T-operated schools offering number of i) breakfast program; ii) lunch program; iii) snack program; iv) "other" school food program | Number of breakfast programs: 1,885 Number of morning meal programs: 1222 Number of snack programs: 1,659 Number of lunch programs: 477 |
Will be collected through supplementary reporting in 2026 to 2027 |
| Number of P/T-operated schools offering school food programs that accommodate diverse dietary needs (such as faith-based diets, culturally appropriate diets, medically directed diets, plant-based or vegetarian diets, food allergies and intolerances, etc.) | All SNP services must make an effort to accommodate diverse dietary needs as outlined in the SNP Nutrition Guidelines (for example, providing meals that consider faith-based, vegan or vegetarian, medically directed diets, etc.) | Will be collected through supplementary reporting in 2026 to 2027 |
| Number of school-aged children who participate in school food programming in P/T schools by type of program offered: i) breakfast program; ii) lunch program; iii) snack program; iv) "other" school food program | N/A. Meal type data collected at school level only |
Ontario will work towards collecting the Average Daily Participation in the program by meal type |
| Number of P/T operated schools that offer school food programming that is universal | All SNP services must be provided as universally available as outlined in the SNP Program Guidelines | 4,460 |
| Number P/T operated schools that are offering new and/or enhanced school food programming (i.e. programming was not offered the prior school year | 39 | 242 |
| Number of school-aged children participating in P/T operated schools offering new and/or enhanced school food programming | N/A | N/A |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Indicator | Baseline (for the previous school year, including federal funding)Footnote 18 | Targets (to reach by end of June each school year) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of FNSNP partners | 43 | 49 |
| Number of First Nations receiving FNSNP | 68 | 82 |
| Number of sites delivering FNSNP | 166 | 187 |
| Number of meals served through school food programs, including the breakdown by program type (for example, breakfast, lunch, snack, etc.) | 1,652,000 (represents 2022-23 baseline of 1,522,000 meals + additional 130,000 meals in 2024 to 2025. 1,522,000 meals is the baseline from 2022-23, which is the most recent year for which there was baseline funding only (no additional fiscal funding provided)) 76% (29 of 38 partners) provide Breakfast 61% (23 of 38 partners) provide Lunch 71% (27 of 38 partners) provide Snacks 34% (13 of 38 partners) provide Grab and Go meals The types of meals results are based on reporting from 38 out of 41 partners in the 2022-23 fiscal year |
1,897,000 meals served (1,522,000 baseline year + 130,000 from existing FNSNP partners + 245,000 additional meals from new partners) |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Indicator | Baseline (for the previous school year, including federal funding)Footnote 18 | Targets (to reach by end of June each school year) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of FNSNP partners | 49 | 49 |
| Number of First Nations receiving FNSNP | 82 | 82 |
| Number of sites delivering FNSNP | 187 | 187 |
| Number of meals served through school food programs including the breakdown by program type (for example, breakfast, lunch, snack, etc.) | 1,897,000 | 1,897,000 meals served (1,522,000 baseline year + 375,000 additional meals) |
Note: FNSNP partners have full autonomy to design and deliver programming based on the needs of their communities. Accordingly, the type of meals served will look different in every community and can include breakfast, lunch, and/or snacks in various combinations.
Appendix C: Financial summary table
Investment/expenditures in 2026 to 2027 are based on Ontario's notional annual allocation of the total federal funding envelope, which is calculated/updated annually based on updated population projections.
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Category | Anticipated spending |
|---|---|
| Food | 77% |
| Personnel | 9% |
| Infrastructure (for example, fridges, food storage) | 4% |
| Data/research | 5% |
| Administration | 5% |
| Other costs | 0% |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Category | Anticipated spending |
|---|---|
| Food | 77% |
| Personnel | 11% |
| Infrastructure (for example, fridges, food storage) | 5% |
| Data/research | 1% |
| Administration | 6% |
| Other costs | 0% |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Category | Anticipated spending |
|---|---|
| Food & Distribution | 57% |
| Personnel | 11% |
| Infrastructure (for example, fridges, food storage) | 8% |
| Data/research | 1% |
| Administration/Supplies to Public Health Units | 16% |
| Other costs (Food Security) | 7% |
Note: *Budget figures are estimates and may change based on consultation with program partners.
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Category | Anticipated spending |
|---|---|
| Food & Distribution | 70% |
| Personnel | 7% |
| Infrastructure (for example, fridges, food storage) | 1% |
| Data/research | 0% |
| Administration/ Supplies to Public Health Units | 16% |
| Other costs (Food Security) | 6% |
Note: **Budget figures are estimates and may change based on consultation with program partners.
FNSNP Financial Summary Table
FNSNP partners are responsible for all aspects of the design and delivery of their programs, including budgeting/expenditure decisions. Funding remains flexible and allows Indigenous partners to continue to have full autonomy to design and deliver programming based on the needs of communities. Accordingly, anticipated spending will look different in every community.