The Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub supports people working to
improve meals in schools across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.
This initiative, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service’s Healthy Meals Incentives (HMI) Initiative and convened by IPHI, offers funding, training and other assistance to partnerships that include farmers, food producers, suppliers, distributors, schools and organizations.
The deadline to apply for 2026 Spark and Innovation Collaborative Awards is January 23, 2026 at 5:00 pm CST. Apply today.
Spark Awards fund projects that need a short-term infusion of funds for school food system and product improvements, such as capacity-building, planning and product-testing projects.
Innovation Collaborative Awards fund projects that promote systems-level change of the school food system, such as scaling up of programs, forming regional partnerships, or developing or integrating new programs or products.
Wonder if you have what it takes to go after these opportunities? Don’t hesitate! The Innovation Hub team can guide you through the application process, and all grantees receive ongoing support tailored to their needs and goals.
Learn more and apply today at InnovateSchoolFood.org/apply.