Wyoming schools can apply for the 2025-26 School Protein Enhancement Grant to receive a portion of the $25,000 that will be awarded towards the cost of processing Wyoming-raised proteins donated to food service programs. Applications must be submitted by October 31, and awards will be made by November 15. Funding will be provided on a competitive basis.
A qualifying school must:
- Be a public school.
- Include, as part of the application, a description of the district’s goals for increasing the quantity of Wyoming meat used in school lunches.
Limitations:
- Grant funding shall equally match funding contributed by the school district to pay for the processing costs of donated Wyoming meat.
- Grant funding can only be used to assist in the payment for processing costs of Wyoming meat donated for use in school meals. Grant funding cannot be used for the cost of processing prime cuts or other cuts not intended for school meals.
- Processing costs for local meats purchased by the district cannot be paid with this grant funding. However, USDA Federal Food Program reimbursement funds can be used to purchase and process local meat for use in school meals.
- Animals raised in Wyoming and offered for sale or donation must be slaughtered and processed in a Wyoming Department of Agriculture-inspected facility (same as a USDA-inspected facility within Wyoming). If that meat is processed across state lines, it must be processed in a USDA-inspected facility. Animals slaughtered and processed in a “custom‐exempt” plant may not be used in school meals.
For more information or to request an application, contact Susan Benning, Accountant, at susan.benning@wyo.gov or 307-777-6280.
