UPDATE: The Belazu Equipment Fund is now closed for applications. If you’d like to receive updates about future awards and our news, sign up for our email newsletter. To see the impact of the fund, follow us on instagram and twitter.

School food is more than just a meal, it can spark curiosity and excitement about good food. But ingredients are only half the story. What children see, feel and sense around them when they’re eating matters, and the equipment kitchen teams use has to be high quality. And that’s where the Belazu Equipment Fund comes in.

Is your dining hall a little dilapidated, does your cutlery need the chop, could your food education be finessed or do you have a wish list for new kitchen equipment? If so, thanks to the Belazu Foundation we might be able to help. Our charity is offering grants of up to £1,500 for schools keen to transform their food culture. We have around thirty grants to give away in this first round of funding.
Here are some ideas we love…

Who can apply?

Any schools working with us to transform their school food, who have over 30% of pupils eligible for free school meals, can apply. We also have grants available for schools in the South West who’ve signed up to our School Food Charter and have over 30% of pupils eligible for free school meals.

What kind of things does the fund cover?

Anything that helps your kitchen team cook up a storm or improves the food culture at your school. Whether that’s new cutlery, equipment for food education classes, switching plastic trays for proper plates or jazzing up the dining hall. The ideas are endless and we have just under £30,000 to give away. Read the full Terms & Conditions.

These grants are available thanks to the generosity of The Belazu Foundation, here’s why they’re supporting us:

“Belazu values great taste and healthy food and through the Belazu Foundation it aims to give children and their families access to a balanced, tasty meal. With Chefs in Schools we want all children to learn about the pleasures of cooking and enjoying food together. The Kitchen Fund is a great way to support schools to achieve that same goal.”

How to apply:

Tell us about your idea by filling out our application form. Applications close at midnight on June 15th 2022. We’ll announce the successful applicants a few weeks later.

Why are we only accepting applications from schools with over 30% free school meal eligibility?

We’ve worked with many inspiring teachers and kitchen teams in schools with high levels of free school meal eligibility. These teams have lots of ideas but less spare money to invest in facilities and equipment. We want to help more of these schools get the little extras that can make a big difference to school food culture.

Anything else?

All schools who apply will go into a draw for a copy of our cookbook – Feed Your Family – for their library.