The School Meals programme is an initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW). The meals at school are provided through the Youth Education Fund, while the grocery cards are provided through the Red Cross. The initiative was launched at the end of March 2023.
One third of the schools choose the grocery cards. Each card is worth 11 euros per child, per week. By now, around 3,000 pupils have received a grocery card through their parents. Two thirds of the schools choose free meals at school. For this, they receive 9 euros per pupil per week. Schools can decide for themselves how to use the funds. For example, volunteers can come and prepare breakfast or lunch. Another option is for schools to hire a catering company.
The largest number of participating schools come from South Holland (387) and North Holland (238). These provinces also have the most schools that meet the conditions for the School Meals programme. Schools can still register. The programme runs until 31 December 2023. An amount of 100 million euros is available for 2023. When applying for school meals, schools may be asked to provide an NCO report. Read in this guide how your school can find and use the correct report when submitting an application.