More than 340 primary schools across 76 municipalities in the country have volunteered for a pilot program to provide school meals, exceeding available funding. The program, set to begin next year, has garnered significant interest from both public and independent institutions.

The Ministry of Children and Education announced the high level of participation. A total of 282 public primary schools and 64 independent primary schools have signed up for the trial.

The initiative was approved as part of this year’s budget, with DKK 854 million allocated for the period of 2025-2028. Due to the oversubscription, a lottery will be held to determine the final participants.

Minister for Children and Education Mattias Tesfaye expressed his satisfaction with the overwhelming response. “I look forward to seeing what this very large financial investment will mean for students’ health, learning and well-being,” he stated in the press release.

The selected schools will be divided into three different funding models: 70% of students will receive free school meals, 15% will have a parental payment of DKK 15 per meal, and the remaining 15% will have a parental payment of DKK 25 per meal.