Nutrition Program Bulletin – Week of April 7, 2025
Each section contains updates relevant to those nutrition programs. You can jump to the section you're interested in by clicking the link.
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Notification of Potential Eligibility
The School Year (SY) 2025–26 School Food Authority (SFA) (district) Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) proxy data and 2025–26 Individual Site (school) CEP proxy data is now available on the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) CEP webpage under the Data heading.
CEP allows eligible districts and schools in low-income areas to provide school lunches and breakfasts at no charge to all students through use of simplified meal counting and claiming procedures.
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SFAs and/or schools must have a minimum Identified Student Percentage (ISP) of 25% as of April 1, 2025.
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The ISP calculation is explained on the MDE CEP webpage.
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CEP applications for SY 2025–26 are due June 30, 2025.
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MN Free School Meals Program requires a participating school with an ISP ≥ (greater than or equal to) 62.5% to participate in CEP.
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The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) evaluates CEP data submitted to validate eligibility when a school applies to participate.
New Procurement Resources
Food Service Management Company (FSMC) Agreements:
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Fixed Price Request for Proposal (RFP) and Contract 2025-26 – The RFP template must be used for all FSMCs solicitations to ensure free and open competition, and so that the SFA receives the best value for FSMC services. This is a required template for an FSMC with fixed meal prices to meet SNP requirements.
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Invitation for Bid Vended Meal Contract – This template must be utilized for all vended school meal contracts to ensure free and open competition and that the SFA receives the best value for vended meals. The bid documents include the Invitation for Bid/Vended Meals Contract, Attachment 3 and Attachment 4.
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Joint Agreement Contract – Required template agreement for two separate Local Educational Authorities (LEAs) that agree to operate a School Nutrition Program (SNP) with one SFA operating under the sponsorship of the other.
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Joint Agreement - Renewal – Required agreement renewal template for two separate Local Educational Authorities (LEAs) that agree to operate a SNP with one SFA operating under the sponsorship of the other.
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Procurement Procedures Template –SFAs are required to have procurement procedures and code of conduct in place for procurement. This template will support SFAs in the creation of their own procurement procedures and code of conduct.
Procurement Documentation Submission Reminder
SFAs going out for bid to procure services with a vended meal provider or FSMC in 2025 for the 2025–26 school year should submit the completed RFP and Invitation for Bids (IFB) by April 15, 2025, to MDE.FSMC@state.mn.us. Documents should include the 21-day cycle menu, three months of Cyber Linked Interactive Child Nutrition System (CLiCS) claims, and a completed labor and fringe worksheet. Refer to the School Nutrition Procurement webpage for resources.
Any questions can be directed to MDE.FSMC@state.mn.us.
SNP Administrative Review List for SY 2025–26
The list of SNP sponsors to be Reviewed in 2025–2026 has been posted to the MDE website. SFAs scheduled for a review in SY 2025–26 can prepare now by reading the Action Guide to Prepare for the SNP Review and using the Site Level Compliance Checklist for School Nutrition Programs.
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