All pupils attending municipal schools will receive free hot meals from the new academic year

From 1 September, all pupils in Years 1–11 (12) attending municipal schools across Ukraine in person or under blended learning arrangements will receive free hot meals funded through a state subvention. This will cover approximately 3 million children. The relevant decision was adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

To support the programme, the Government will allocate an additional over UAH 7.4 billion in subventions for the period from September to November 2026. The funds will be transferred to local budgets to provide one free meal per day for pupils.

“The Government is providing communities with the necessary financial resources well in advance so that, from 1 September, free hot meals are available to all pupils attending municipal schools in person or under blended learning arrangements. This gives communities sufficient time to prepare for the new academic year, complete all procurement procedures and organise high-quality school meals,” said Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi.

The Government will fund food costs at UAH 50 per day for each primary school pupil and UAH 60 per day for pupils in lower and upper secondary education. This approach will apply to all communities regardless of region or school meal delivery model, except for certain frontline regions receiving support from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). In those regions, a separate funding mechanism will apply for primary school pupils: UAH 35 per pupil will be provided through the state subvention and UAH 15 per pupil through the WFP support programme.

The amount of the state subvention allocated to each region has been determined based on actual needs. The allocation takes into account:

• the number of pupils studying in person or under blended learning arrangements;
• the number of school days;
• pupil attendance rates;
• the cost of one hot meal;
• the school meal delivery model used by each community.

Regional state administrations and the Kyiv City State Administration will distribute the funds, ensuring that the needs of each community are taken into account and that funding is directed where it is most needed.

The changes also introduce systematic monitoring of school meal provision, which will help improve future funding planning and better reflect the actual needs of communities.

In addition, with the support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine (EUACI), a digital tool is being developed to monitor food prices and the cost of school catering services.

The expansion of the programme forms part of the implementation of the School Meals Reform Strategy through 2027, launched at the initiative of Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska. The reform aims to promote healthy eating habits among children and families and includes updated nutrition standards, modernised food preparation technologies, and upgraded school kitchen equipment.