A new law enters into force.
And brings new drive to the school catering market.
The Bundestag has introduced a new law on all-day care for primary school pupils, which has now also been passed by the Bundesrat. The law stipulates that from August 2026, all Year 1 pupils will be entitled to full-day support and care. This entitlement will be extended to one additional year group each consecutive year. From August 2029, every primary school pupil in Years 1 to 4 will therefore have a right to full-day care.
Since 2006, the number of primary school children who attend after-school care and full-day schools has risen from around 580,000 to 1.45 million in 2019, with constant calls for additional places.
In December 2020, the federal government established a special fund for the expansion of full-day education and care for primary school children, through which it provides financial aid of up to EUR 3.5 billion.
Full-day care includes catering
Children's right to full-day care also includes the provision of meals. As a result, the demand for food service in schools is set to increase enormously in August 2026.
Indeed, the new legislation puts primary schools on the spot – schools that already offer catering must increase their capacities, while schools that did not previously provide food must meet the conditions in order to comply with the law.
Some federal states, such as Brandenburg, Hamburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, have already introduced a legal entitlement to full-day care. From August 2026, the new law will lead to a particularly significant increase in demand in those federal states where there is currently no legal entitlement to full-day schooling, such as the financially strong and heavily populated states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhein-Westphalia.
Creating customer loyalty – advising and planning for tomorrow today
The legal entitlement that will enter into force in August 2026 will prompt a noticeable upturn in demand in the areas of planning, catering, food transport and food serving.
Our recommendation: don't delay – take a proactive approach today. Whether a specialist planner, caterer or specialist dealer, your expertise is now in demand. Take advantage of these opportunities and actively approach school management boards and parent councils now. Present yourself as an experienced professional by providing reliable advice on school catering, thus taking a decisive step towards this future growth market.
Special concepts adapted to the requirements of primary school children can help to open doors here, such as the child-friendly solutions in the B.PRO Kids range.
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