Student Nutrition Program Grant Applications & Appeals

Purpose of Student Nutrition Program Grants

The City of Toronto awards funding to eligible schools to help them offer a healthy meal or snack to their students. The goal of the funding is to help student nutrition programs serve healthier foods, operate on more school days each week and ensure those with the greatest need have access to food, within the context of universal access for all students.

All applications will be considered for funding from two separate levels of government:

1. City of Toronto Student Nutrition Program funding
2. Ontario Student Nutrition Program funding offered by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. Information about this funding is available from the Ministry’s website

There is limited funding available to meet the needs of all interested applicants. The priority is to increase the sustainability of currently funded student nutrition programs that continue to meet the funding criteria.

The municipal Student Nutrition Program funding:

• Can only be used to support the cost of nutritious food for the student nutrition program
• Will cover up to 20% of the total program’s operating costs

The balance of the program costs must be raised by the funded site. These costs are often raised from parental contributions, local fundraising, other grants and donations.

Each year, the number of programs awarded funds and their dollar amount awarded changes depending on the funds available and the nature of applications submitted. Student Nutrition Program funding allocations are based on:

• The number of students participating per day
• The number of days the program is offered during the school year
• The type of meal or snack served
• The level of need in the school community
• The total amount of funding available from the City of Toronto and Province of Ontario

Funding Eligibility

It is not possible to award funding to all qualified applicants or to all previously funded programs. Funding priority is given to student nutrition programs that have received municipal and/or provincial funding within the last three years and continue to meet eligibility requirements.

• Municipal funding may be available for student nutrition programs in independent schools that have not previously received funding. For more information, please visit the section below titled Funding for New Programs in Independent Schools.
• All student nutrition program funding is:
  • Subject to meeting funding criteria
  • Based on review and recommendations by Student Nutrition Ontario-Toronto, the partnership which provides oversight and support for student nutrition programs in Toronto
  • Determined by the funding amount provided by the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario

To be eligible for Student Nutrition Program funding your program must:

• Provide breakfast, morning meal, snack or lunch to school-aged children or youth
• Physically operate in the City of Toronto, and have at least 85% of the students enrolled living in the City of Toronto
• Offer a full-time academic program teaching elementary and/or secondary school grades, unless the program has maintained funding since 2007
• Have facilities and training to safely prepare and store food, in accordance with the Ontario Food Premises Regulation 493/17
• Be assessed for overall level of need of the student population

Programs not eligible:

• Lunch, afternoon snack or dinner programs that have not received municipal student nutrition program funding within the last three years
• Programs not physically operating in the City of Toronto
• Summer programs
• Camps
• Before- and after-school programs
• Preschool programs
• Postsecondary institutions
• Part-time credit programs
• Weekend programs

Breakfast and morning meal programs receiving provincially enhanced funding are encouraged to operate five days per week, offer meal programming during the morning hours and offer full meals. Other programs must operate a minimum of two days per week.

Funding Criteria

All programs receiving municipal and/or provincial funding are required to meet the criteria outlined below, in addition to the eligibility outlined above. Programs will be monitored for adherence to the criteria for nutritious food, food safety and financial accountability.

Serve Nutritious Food:

• Plan a menu cycle based on the Nutrition Guideline Summary for Student Nutrition Programs. This PDF offers a variety of healthy food choices, suitable to the cultures of your community.
• A meal at a Student Nutrition Program (Breakfast, Morning Meal, Lunch) includes at least:
  • One vegetable or fruit
  • One protein food
  • One whole grain food
• A snack at a Student Nutrition Program includes at least:
  • One vegetable or fruit
  • One protein food or one whole grain food

A Public Health Dietitian is available for consultation in areas related to nutrition and menu planning. To set up a time for a phone consultation or to ask question, please email snp@toronto.ca.

Safe food handling:

• Always have at least one person trained in food safety on site, when the student nutrition program is operating
  • Some programs will be required to have a representative who has Food Handler Certification, on site when the program is running. A Public Health Inspector can advise of this requirement. For more information on this requirement, visit Training and Resources
  • All other programs are required to have at least one person who has completed the free, online Basic Safe Food Handling for Student Nutrition Programs training offered by Toronto Public Health, on site when the program is running
  • Encourage all volunteer student nutrition program coordinators and other volunteers to complete the free, online Basic Safe Food Handling for Student Nutrition Programs training
• A Public Health Inspector will inspect the kitchen facility and/or food preparation areas
• For food safety related questions email: dinesafe@toronto.ca

For more information on safe food handling, visit our Food Safety Requirements page.

Universally accessible:

• The program is offered to all children/youth regardless of their ability to contribute financially
• The program is non-stigmatizing or efforts to reduce stigma are made
• All children/youth are made to feel welcome and respected
• The location of the program is safe, clean and comfortable
• Measures are taken to ensure that all children/youth are aware of the program

Ethnocultural sensitivity:

• Menus and educational components are inclusive and consider the faiths, cultures and preferences of the children/youth and their families
• Serve foods that promote faiths and cultures of students

Financial accountability and liability:

• The site must have a separate bank account for the student nutrition program. Where not possible, please contact the Toronto Foundation for Student Success or the Angel Foundation for Learning for assistance
• Each cheque must be signed by at least two signing officers, one being the Site Authority
• The program must submit monthly financial and activity reports on how the grant was spent

Budget:

• A budget is completed based on the number of children/youth planning to attend the program to estimate program costs
• Programs must operate according to the number of children/youth estimated to attend the program AND the number of days the program is operating as stated on the application
• Any changes to numbers estimated on the Funding Application must be reported
• A minimum of 70% of program costs should be spent on food

Local fundraising/community partnerships:

• An operating budget should be used to set targets for fundraising. Local fundraising from businesses, faith groups, charities and/or the community is required in order to supplement the funding received from this municipal and/or provincial grant

Local program planning and consultation:

• A local program committee is established to plan and administer the program and meets a minimum of twice a year
• This committee may include, but is not limited to: school principal, parents, students, volunteer coordinators and other volunteers, as well as other interested individuals such as local business people, faith group members, community agency staff, and school board representatives
• For a youth student nutrition program, the majority of the committee members should be youth participants
• This committee will collaborate with the Site Authority, such as the principal or executive director
• This committee is responsible for:
  • Choosing the type of program
  • Approving the menu and budget
  • Recruiting, training and coordinating volunteers
  • Communicating with youth/parents and receiving contributions
  • Organizing fundraising:
    • Fundraising involving food sales should be focused on healthy food choices.
    • The School Food and Beverage Policy (PPM 150, The Ministry of Education) outlines food and beverage standards related to on-site school fundraising.
  • Contributions:
    • For a youth student nutrition program, the local program committee may request non-financial contributions from youth to facilitate life skill development and to provide the opportunity for youth to be actively involved in the program, for example participation in fundraising, menu planning, cooking and clean-up

Confidentiality:

• Programs must ensure that the names of program participants and their financial contributions are kept confidential. All information on volunteers, including name, address and telephone number must also be kept confidential

Food donations:

• Donated food can be used by student nutrition programs as long as:
  • Donated food is fresh, safe to eat and meets the Nutrition Guideline
  • Donated food does not originate from the emergency food system (e.g., food banks)

Other principles of program operation

When possible:

• Aim to reduce waste through minimal food packaging
• Recycle and compost
• Offer Ontario grown and/or produced foods
• Incorporate nutrition education and physical activity promotion for children/youth in the program. Information is available from a number of sources, including Toronto Public Health
• Involve youth in learning skills related to the nutrition program, for example, budgeting and financial skills or healthy food shopping

Funding Timelines

Funding for New Programs in Independent Schools

The Toronto Board of Health recognizes that some independent schools may have a student population with a similar level of need to some public schools which offer student nutrition programs. A student nutrition program can help provide a more equitable environment for children and youth to learn and succeed. Since the 2019/20 school year, Toronto City Council approved expansion funding for student nutrition programs in eligible independent schools serving higher needs communities. This funding opportunity is intended to help offset the cost of nutritious food. If awarded, the municipal funding will cover a small portion of the student nutrition program’s costs. The remaining costs must be raised by the school/community. All available funding may not be allocated and will depend on the number of applications assessed as meeting eligibility and needs assessment criteria. Higher needs communities are defined as having a significant proportion of students living in lower income households.

Independent schools that would like to apply for first-time funding for a student nutrition program are required to complete the screening and postal code needs assessment of students enrolled in the school to determine eligibility, in addition to an application. Eligible schools can apply and receive funding for only one of the following student nutrition programs: breakfast, morning meal, snack AM.

Please Note:

• For the purposes of this funding opportunity an independent school is defined as a business or not-for-profit academic institution that operates independent of the Ministry of Education (i.e., not publicly funded)
• The application details listed above apply to all schools applying for municipal and/or provincial student nutrition program funding, including independent schools
• If you are an independent school applying for funding for a new student nutrition program, please contact snp@toronto.ca

How to Login to TGRIP & Support

Toronto Grants, Rebates and Incentives Portal (TGRIP)

Through TGRIP, organizations can:

• View, draft, collaborate and share their application with staff and/or volunteers at any time
• Get access to their deadlines and applications from anywhere, at any time
• View their draft, submitted, declined and funded applications in one place
• Add contacts to their organization to give them access to their application information
• Get access to all their funding history and related documents in one place at any time

How to Log In

To access TGRIP at any time, open a compatible browser and go to cot.smartsimple.ca. Remember to save the website link as a favourite so you can easily return to it.

1. Input your email address (i.e., your username) into the ‘Email’ field.
2. Input your password into the ‘Password’ field.
3. Click on the ‘Login’ bar/button.

If you’re having trouble logging into your TGRIP account try:

1. Resetting your password on the login page.
2. Review the support tab below.
3. Email snp@toronto.ca for assistance

Please Note: Access to the Student Nutrition Program application in TGRIP is by invitation only. All previously funded applicants are automatically invited to apply. New interested organizations must email snp@toronto.ca to confirm eligibility, confirm set up of a TGRIP account, and receive an invitation to apply.

System Requirements

To access TGRIP, you will need:

• Computer, mobile phone, or tablet with high-speed internet access;
• The latest version of one of the following web browsers, with pop-up windows enabled.
  • Firefox
    • Latest Version: Download the latest Firefox
    • Pop-ups: How to allow pop-ups
    • Clear Cache: How to clear cache
  • Chrome
    • Latest Version: Download the latest Chrome
    • Pop-ups: How to allow pop-ups
    • Clear Cache: How to clear cache
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Safari (Mac only)
• Do not use Internet Explorer.
• If you continue to have technical difficulties, please email tgrip@toronto.ca. A City of Toronto staff member will respond within two business days.
• For issues related specifically to the Student Nutrition Program funding opportunity, please email snp@toronto.ca.
• For assistance completing the Student Nutrition Program Application or Appeal please contact your affiliated school board or foundation representative.

Passwords

Passwords are case sensitive and are subject to rules that are intended to strengthen security.

Passwords must:

• Be at least 12 characters long;
• Include one capital letter, one number, and one symbol; and
• Not include part of your name or email.

If you save your password, use a secure password manager. Take all reasonable measures to protect your security in TGRIP by:

• Refraining from sharing your password;
• Preventing the loss, disclosure, modification, and unauthorized use of your password; and
• Controlling access to computers or devices containing your password.

Forgot Your Password?

You can reset your password at any time by clicking on the “Forgot Password?” link found on the log-in page.

When you reset your password, the system will send a new temporary password to the email address you entered. The email will be sent from TGRIPnoreply@smartsimplemailer.com. If you do not see the email in your inbox, check your ‘spam/junk mail’ folder.

After logging in with the temporary password, change your password by choosing the Personal Settings menu, then choose the Password tab.

After you type your new password, click the Change Password button. Refer to the information above about how to keep your password secure.

TGRIP Instructional Resources

• How to Submit an Application in TGRIP
• How to Access your Funding Letter
• How to View and Update your Organization Profile
• How to View and update your Organization Contacts
• How to Submit or Withdraw an Appeal or Late Application
• TGRIP Quick Tips Video 1: Appeal to change student nutrition program application details
• TGRIP Quick Tips Video 2: Appeal to add a program to the student nutrition program application