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The provision of healthy school lunches is currently funded for 2025 and 2026. An adjusted funding approach will continue to be applied.
Find out more about the programme, including the number of schools, students and suppliers in the programme.
External model schools#
The School Lunch Collective – 2025/2026 #
This external supplier delivers lunch to 43% of schools in the programme. They provide a base rate of $3 per lunch delivered, based on a 240g meal (excluding GST).
Year 9+ students receive 2 additional food items to meet the 300g nutrition requirement and the School Lunch Collective receive an additional 84 cents per student.
Contributing primary schools, specialist schools and Teen Parent Units – 2025#
Term 4, 2025 per meal price (excluding GST):
- Years 0 to 3 – $6.34
- Years 4 to 8 – $7.41
- Years 9 and over – $9.44.
In 2025, the per meal price for contributing primary schools (Years 0 to 6), specialist schools and Teen Parent Units is adjusted based on inflation each term.
In Term 4 2025, pricing adjustments responded to changes in the Food Price Index, Labour Cost Index, relevant categories of the Consumer Price Index and an increase in the living wage rate.
Contributing primary school – external delivery model in 2026#
The weighted average per meal cost will be $3.46 for external model suppliers to contributing primaries (Years 0 to 6).
The supplier price points range from $3 to $5 depending on the unique parameters of their region, such as school size, distance required to travel to isolated schools, and whether cost efficiencies can be gained from preparing and delivering lunch.
Read more about contributing primary schools.
Internal and iwi and hapū delivery models#
In 2025, internal model schools and iwi and hapū providers are paid $4 per lunch (excluding GST).
Small and isolated school funding#
Schools entitled to receive small and isolated funding will be contacted directly. This funding is adjusted each term to reflect changes in inflation indices and the living wage.
Eligible schools will receive the following termly funding allocation from Term 4, 2025:
- school roll 0 to 15 – $5,790
- school roll 16 to 35 – $4,342.50
- school roll 36 to 80 – $3,474.
Complex special dietary funding#
Complex special diets (CSD) are where a student requires a meal that is made just for them, rather than a standard menu or common dietary option.
This could be due to the complex nature or the severity of their condition.
Meal providers receive CSD funding above the meal cost, based on the meal type required. This is available for any students with complex special dietary needs.
Distribution funding 2025–2026#
Funding is provided to schools and kura receiving meals from external suppliers to support the safe and efficient distribution of ready-to-eat lunches onsite.
The funding is based on the most efficient delivery model appropriate for each school type and size, and the staffing rate is aligned with the 2025 living wage of $28.90 per hour.
It does not include minor capital items to support distribution.
Schools may choose their own distribution approach and employ staff under their preferred arrangements.
Funding is available in Pourato as batch payments to eligible schools and kura.
Maximum termly funding by school type and roll size for 2025–2026#
Distribution funding for 2026#
External model schools and kura eligible for distribution funding in 2026 will be contacted by the Healthy School Lunches programme. Schools and kura will be considered on a case-by-case basis, which looks at the supplier delivery method, style of food, size and location.
Lunch distribution case studies#
Case studies for efficient lunch distribution at composite schools, full primary schools, intermediate schools, and secondary schools based on the 2025/2026 funding approach.
These show how the funding might be used across the different school types, with varying factors like student and staff numbers, and school size.
Case study: Efficient lunch distribution for composite schools [PDF, 696KB]
