The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that a selection of local authorities in England will be awarded £155,000 each to improve food procurement practices.

Defra said pupils, patients and public sector workers would benefit from “healthier, more sustainably sourced” meals, with the grants aiming to strengthen food procurement in local communities.

Councils receiving funding include Middlesborough, Brighton and Hove, Bristol and Cambridge.

The funding will work to increase the provision of healthier and more sustainable food options, and support local and small food businesses to understand better how to supply the public sector.

Food Security Minister Angela Eagle said: “With nearly £5 billion spent on food and catering in England each year, the public sector has enormous purchasing power.

“That is a real opportunity to improve public health, back local businesses and build more sustainable food supply chains.

“By learning from those already leading the way, we can raise food procurement standards right across England and ensure our food procurement spend delivers for the local economy.”

England’s public sector spends £4.9 billion on food and catering each year, said Defra, highlighting that lessons learned from the grants will help other councils across England source “healthier, more sustainable and better value” food.

The aim of the funding is to use public spending power to support more sustainable food procurement practices across England and work towards the Government’s ambition for at least half of all public sector food to be sourced locally or certified to higher environmental standards.

It forms part of the Government’s Good Food Cycle, which Defra said would contribute to healthier and more sustainable food environments that aim to meet high animal welfare standards while having environmentally sustainable supply chains and resilient domestic food production.