Government of Canada invests in school food data and research to help improve school food programs across Canada

OTTAWA, ON, May 27, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Anna Gainey, Secretary of State (Children and Youth), announced eight research teams selected to receive over $1 million in funding as part of the Partnering for Impact – Catalyst Grant's Impacts of School Food Programs pool.

The Partnering for Impact – Catalyst Grant launched in July 2025 with 11 distinct funding pools, including the Impacts of School Food Programs pool, is a partnership between Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR).

The funded projects will generate new evidence on what works for school food programs, helping improve their impact on children and families in Canada. These research partnerships will fill key gaps in data and knowledge related to health and well-being of children, especially those facing barriers, as well as program delivery and governance in different jurisdictions and contexts, including in accordance with the National School Food Policy. Selected projects collectively span a range of topic areas, research approaches and geographies--from specific communities or regions to projects with national scope.

The National School Food Program (NSFP) is part of the Government of Canada's plan to lower costs for families. It helps 400,000 more children each year access nutritious food at school, while bringing parents more financial security in their household budgets.

Further information on the funded projects is available here

Quotes

"Top-tier research will help inform and strengthen investments to ensure more children access nutritious food at school. The Government of Canada is committed to data-informed policy to drive the delivery of impactful school food programs across the country--this is great for kids and great for Canada."
– The Honourable Anna Gainey, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)

"Investing in knowledge mobilization helps ensure research makes a real impact in the lives of Canadians. These projects will create meaningful partnerships that help move evidence into action--improving community programs, supporting better health services, and delivering practical health solutions for Canadians."
– The Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health

Quick facts

• Of the eight teams receiving grants in this pool, ESDC is exclusively funding six teams for a total of $780,224, and ESDC and CIHR are co-funding two teams for a total of $256,719. The titles of the eight projects selected for funding include:
  • Investigating the Economic Impacts of School Food Programs in First Nations Communities in Canada
  • The intersection between household food insecurity, participation in the Prince Edward Island School Food Program and the "pay what you can" model
  • Co-creation of a governance framework to maximize the social and economic impact of an equitable school food program in Quebec, in collaboration with stakeholders
  • CONNECT: Collaborative Opportunities for School Nutrition Equity and Community Transformation
  • Co-creation of a Human Resource Development Training Framework for School Food Program Providers
  • Feeding Equity: A Community-Driven Agenda for School Food Research in Canada
  • Partnering for Better School Food: A Mixed-Methods Study of Policy Impacts in Secondary Schools in two Ontario School Boards
  • Catalyzing School Food Research in British Columbia: Bridging Networks, Mapping Governance, and Understanding the Potential of Food Literacy to Improve Children's Health and Well-being
• The National School Food Program was launched in 2024-25 with an investment of $1 billion over five years to support provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners to enhance and expand school food programs across Canada. As of March 10, 2025, all provinces and territories had signed bilateral agreements with Canada under the Program.
• In Budget 2025, the Government of Canada committed to introducing legislation and to providing $216.6 million per year, starting in 2029-30, to make the National School Food Program permanent. The National School Food Program Act was enshrined in law in March 2026. Through the Act, the Government is cementing its commitment to maintain long-term funding for the National School Food Program, and to continue working with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners to enhance and expand school food programs across Canada.
• Participating families with two kids in school can save an estimated $800 a year, on average, on groceries.
• The National School Food Program is administered by three federal departments: Employment and Social Development Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.
• CIHR is part of the Health Portfolio, which supports the Minister of Health in maintaining and improving the health of Canadians. Composed of 13 institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to health researchers and trainees across Canada.
• As the Government of Canada continues to implement the National School Food Program with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners, investment in school food data and research ensures that school food programs across Canada are informed by the latest robust, applied evidence and real community needs.

Related products

• Catalyst Grant: Partnering for Impact - Impacts of School Food Programs Backgrounder

Associated links

• Government of Canada invests $10M to enhance collaboration between health researchers and community members across Canada
• CIHR Notice of Decision: Catalyst Grant: Partnering for Impact
• Feeding the future today: Canada's National School Food Program
• National School Food Agreements
• Engagement on School Food Data and Research Priorities (2025): What We Heard

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

Contacts: For media enquiries, please contact: Elsa Niyongabo, Press Secretary and Communications Advisor, Office of the Secretary of State (Children and Youth), [e-mail]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [e-mail]; Media Relations Office: Canadian Institutes of Health Research, [e-mail]