Up to £1,500 for Schools and Community Groups Supporting Children's Healthy Eating – Tesco Fruit & Veg Grants

Tesco, working with community charity Groundwork UK, is offering grants of up to £1,500 to schools, registered charities and not-for-profit organisations helping children and young people access healthy, nutritious food.

The Tesco Fruit & Veg Grants Programme, which replaces Tesco Stronger Starts, supports local projects providing fruit, vegetables, healthy meals and opportunities for children to learn about nutrition.

From breakfast clubs and school food initiatives to community gardening, cooking workshops and holiday food programmes, the funding aims to help children develop healthier eating habits while reducing barriers to nutritious food.

Applications are currently open on a rolling basis.

Here's what you can expect:

• Grants of up to £1,500 per project

• Funding available across the United Kingdom

• Support for schools, charities and community organisations

• Funding for breakfast and after-school clubs

• Support for healthy snacks and nutritious meals

• Funding for cooking and gardening initiatives

• Support for holiday food programmes

• Grants covering up to 100% of eligible project costs

• Community voting through participating Tesco stores

• No fixed national application deadline

What projects can be funded?

1. School Breakfast and After-School Clubs

Projects providing fruit, vegetables and nutritious food to children during school activities.

2. Holiday Food Programmes

Initiatives helping children access healthy meals and snacks during school holidays, particularly where families experience food insecurity.

3. Community Gardening and Food Growing

Projects teaching children how to grow fruit and vegetables through school gardens, allotments and community growing activities.

4. Cooking and Nutrition Education

Workshops helping children and families learn how to prepare affordable, nutritious meals.

5. Youth and Sports Clubs

Community clubs and sports teams providing fruit, vegetables and healthy snacks alongside their activities.

6. SEND and Inclusive Activities

Projects supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities through healthy food provision and inclusive food-related activities.

7. Community Food Support

Food banks and community organisations providing nutritious food to families with children.

Who can apply?

The programme welcomes applications from eligible UK organisations supporting children and young people.

These may include:

• Schools and nurseries

• Parent-teacher associations

• Registered charities

• Voluntary and community organisations

• Youth clubs

• Sports clubs and teams

• Scouts, Guides and other uniformed youth groups

• Eligible community interest companies

• Other not-for-profit organisations

The programme is available across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Key eligibility requirements

Projects should:

• Benefit children or young people.

• Improve access to healthy food, particularly fruit and vegetables.

• Deliver a clear benefit to the local community.

• Demonstrate how the funding will be spent.

• Be delivered by an eligible organisation.

• Meet the programme's funding and application requirements.

Priority is given to projects incorporating healthy food provision.

Who cannot apply?

The programme does not accept applications from:

• Individuals

• Profit-making businesses

• Community interest companies limited by shares

• Community interest companies limited by guarantee that have operated for less than two years

Other restrictions may apply under the official grant guidance.

What cannot be funded?

The programme excludes:

• Activities that have already taken place

• General organisational running costs and overheads

• Political donations

• Fundraising events or challenges

• Conferences and seminars

• Overseas appeals and travel

• Religious or political promotion

• Marketing activities

• Research projects

• Activities that statutory bodies are legally required to provide

How much funding is available?

Shortlisted projects participate in Tesco's customer voting programme.

Three local projects are selected for each voting round, with the final funding amount determined by customer votes.

First Place: Up to £1,500

Second Place: Up to £1,000

Third Place: Up to £500

All three shortlisted projects receive funding.

Maximum Grant: £1,500

Funding Type: Community project grant

Match Funding: Not required

Geographic Eligibility: United Kingdom

Application Deadline: Rolling

How does the application process work?

Step 1 – Review the Guidance

Read Tesco's grant guidance and check that the proposed project supports children's access to healthy food.

Step 2 – Find a Local Tesco Store

Use Tesco's store locator to identify the relevant store for the project.

Step 3 – Prepare the Application

Explain:

• What the project will deliver

• Which children and young people will benefit

• How the funding will improve access to nutritious food

• What the grant will pay for

• How the project will benefit the local community

Step 4 – Submit the Application

Complete the online application through the official Tesco Fruit & Veg Grants programme.

Step 5 – Shortlisting

Applications are assessed, and Tesco colleagues help select projects for local customer voting.

Step 6 – Customer Voting

Three shortlisted projects are featured in participating Tesco stores.

Customers use blue tokens to vote for their preferred local cause.

Step 7 – Funding Award

Each shortlisted project receives a grant based on its voting position.

Funding information

Funder: Tesco

Delivery Partner: Groundwork UK

Programme: Tesco Fruit & Veg Grants

Funding Amount: Up to £1,500

Grant Awards: £500, £1,000 or £1,500

Funding Type: Community grant

Geographic Eligibility: United Kingdom

Eligible Applicants: Schools, charities and eligible not-for-profit organisations

Priority Area: Children's healthy eating and access to fruit and vegetables

Application Deadline: Rolling