Three pilots are already up and running in Durham, Newham and Wolverhampton and Children’s Secretary Ed Balls has announced the government wants to take this total to at least nine by September this year.
An extra £35m has been made available to expand the pilot scheme.
Balls says the extension follows positive feedback from the three areas already taking part.
He added: "I’d like to thank everyone in Durham, Newham and Wolverhampton who are already making the pilots such a success for families in their areas. I’m delighted that we’re now in a position to offer other local authorities the chance to get on board and help us all to understand the positive impact a healthy school meal can have for children."
The pilots in Durham and Newham involve universal free school meals for all primary school pupils.
The Wolverhampton project involves extending the eligibility criteria to include primary and secondary school pupils whose parents receive working tax credits and have an annual income of up to £16,040. All three launched in September last year and will run for two years.
The deadline for councils to express an interest in this latest wave of funding is 17 February, and the deadline for full applications is 12 March.
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