The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) has been designated as one of the budget priorities for 2026, as stated in Book II of the Financial Notes and the Draft State Budget (RAPBN) for Fiscal Year 2026. The government plans to allocate IDR 335 trillion throughout the year, representing a sharp increase of 96% compared to this year’s allocation of IDR 171 trillion.

This budget is targeted to benefit 82.9 million participants, including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, toddlers, and school-aged children. The primary goal is to enhance human resource quality from an early age by fulfilling nutritional needs.

The allocated funds will be used to process local food sources, ensuring that the meals provided meet age- and gender-appropriate nutritional standards. The menu will include staple foods, side dishes, vegetables, fruits, and milk as a complement.

As written in Book II of the Financial Notes and RAPBN 2026, “This program prioritizes the use of local food sources while ensuring adequate nutrition, diversity, quality, safety, and affordability.”

The MBG program will be distributed through the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), which are responsible for managing and delivering meals to participants.

Each SPPG is led by a head appointed by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and works in collaboration with nutrition experts to ensure quality, hygiene, and smooth food distribution to beneficiaries.

The program also engages local MSMEs, particularly those in the food and beverage sector, as partners in providing nutritious meals. This initiative is expected to create a multiplier effect by driving economic growth and boosting employment through MSME empowerment.

“Collaboration with farmers and MSME players is also crucial to support the program’s success, ensuring that food supplies are available quickly and efficiently,” the document states.

Previously, the Head of the National Nutrition Agency, Dadan Hindayana, revealed that MBG currently serves beneficiaries through 5,103 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) spread across Indonesia.

“The number of beneficiaries has already exceeded 15 million and, God willing, will soon reach around 20 million,” he said on Tuesday (August 12, 2025).

These SPPGs cover 38 provinces, 502 regencies, and 4,770 districts, supported by extensive partnerships involving the military (TNI), police (Polri), the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), the Indonesian Catering Entrepreneurs Association, and other local business actors. In addition to the 5,103 active units, thousands more are currently being prepared.

“If calculated financially, each service unit requires around IDR 1.5 to 2 billion. Therefore, the total funds already circulating in society have reached almost IDR 28 trillion, and that amount does not come from the state budget but from partner contributions,” Dadan explained.

He further noted that, so far, the APBN allocation for MBG has absorbed IDR 8.2 trillion, primarily focused on nutritional interventions. Meanwhile, the physical construction of SPPG units has been fully funded by partners.