On October 4, 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a resolution to allocate a subsidy from the state budget to local budgets in order to provide nutrition for primary school students in general education institutions.

According to the resolution, the subsidy covers 70% of the costs for feeding students in grades 1-4, while the remaining 30% must be funded by local budgets.

As reported by Elena Buinevich, the Director of the Department of Education and Science, the corresponding draft resolution of the Odesa City Council will be prepared shortly.

It is anticipated that about 20,000 students in grades 1-4 in educational institutions of Odesa will benefit from free meals.

«After the deputies review and allocate funds from the city budget, the next step will be the tender process. Currently, only students in grades 1-4 from low-income categories are being fed at the expense of the city budget in Odesa», - noted the head of the city's Department of Education and Science.