Vorarlberg raises school meal price cap to eight euros

Vorarlberg’s “Kinder.Essen.Körig” school meal initiative will raise its price cap from seven to eight euros for the 2026/27 school year, ORF reported. The increase sets the maximum parent contribution but does not automatically make meals more expensive, as municipalities decide the amount families pay.

The initiative has operated since the 2023/24 school year. Municipalities organise lunches for pupils and receive funding from the provincial government. It began with 61 municipalities serving 449,800 meals. Last school year, 74 municipalities took part and the number of meals rose to more than 900,000.

The provincial government said the higher cap was intended to prevent rising costs from affecting the quality of school meals.

Funding depends on municipalities meeting the initiative’s criteria, which are based on three pillars: quality, regional sourcing and the proportion of organic food. If the organic share falls or is eliminated, the level of support will also decrease.

Parent contributions may not exceed eight euros. Municipalities charging more would no longer be able to participate in the initiative.

Applications for funding for the new school year can be submitted until October 16, 2026. Eligible schools include public primary schools, public lower secondary schools and the lower grades of public grammar schools.