The Great Food Collection 2026 returns this weekend to supermarkets across all of Spain with the aim of helping families who have difficulties covering their basic needs. The campaign, organized by the Spanish Federation of Food Banks (FESBAL) and its 53 associated banks, will take place between Friday 13 and Sunday 15 November, with the participation of more than 11,000 establishments and thousands of volunteers tasked with informing customers about the different ways to get involved.
Under the slogan "The Graaaaaan Food Collection", the organization has set the goal of gathering the equivalent of 10 million kilos of food, an amount intended to strengthen the warehouses of the food banks and ensure assistance for around one million people in situations of vulnerability. The initiative makes it possible to get involved in two main ways: by donating non-perishable products at the enabled establishments or by making a financial contribution when going through the checkout.
The campaign comes in a context marked by the rising cost of food and housing, two of the expenses that most affect family budgets. According to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) for 2025, the 25.7% of the Spanish population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion, a situation that reflects the difficulties faced by many households in meeting their everyday expenses.
What food can be donated during the 2026 Great Food Collection
The Food Banks recommend prioritizing basic, nutritious and non-perishable products, which can be stored for extended periods without needing refrigeration. In this way, the products can be sorted and distributed among the partner social entities without risk of deterioration during transport.
Among the most requested foods are milk, oil, rice, pasta, legumes, and tinned fish or meat. Cooked legumes, canned tomato, cereals, and products intended for infant feeding, including specific preparations for babies, are also especially useful.
In the case of ALDI, which participates this year with more than 460 supermarkets, the chain has stated that the priority donations are canned goods, cooked legumes, milk, and oil. These are everyday consumer products that make it possible to meet different food needs and can be stored without difficulty.
Food banks also remind that needs may vary depending on the territory. In Cantabria, for example, the organization has requested infant food, diapers and feminine hygiene products, due to the increase in attention to families with minors. For its part, the Banco de Alimentos de Vigo has highlighted the usefulness of canned meat and fish, ready-prepared legumes, and other foods that can be consumed easily.
Before making a physical donation, it is advisable to check that the containers are closed, the products have not exceeded their expiration date, and do not require refrigeration. It is also recommended to avoid fresh foods such as meat, fish or refrigerated dairy products, unless the corresponding establishment or food bank has explicitly enabled a system to receive them.
How to collaborate with Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl, ALDI and other supermarkets
The way to collaborate will depend on the distribution chain and on the specific establishment. Not all supermarkets allow delivering food physically, since many have adopted a system of cash donations that makes subsequent product management easier.
At Carrefour, more than 500 hypermarkets, supermarkets and service stations participate in the campaign between 13 and 15 November. Customers can make cash contributions at the checkout and, in most hypermarkets, also deliver non-perishable products at the designated points.
ALDI participates with more than 460 stores and will have volunteers in some establishments to facilitate the collection of food. For its part, Alimerka, with a presence in northern Spain, allows delivering products during 13 and 14 November and keeps open the possibility of making cash donations until 21 November, both in its stores and through its online service.
In Catalonia, the campaign receives the name Gran Recapte. There, chains such as Mercadona, El Corte Inglés and Consum collaborate by means of financial donations at the checkout counters, rather than receiving products directly from consumers. This form of participation must be distinguished from the conditions that may apply in establishments in other autonomous communities.
In the case of Lidl, the company especially promotes contributions through Bizum and states that only a limited number of stores have spaces for receiving food. For this reason, before buying products intended for the campaign, it is advisable to ask the supermarket staff whether they accept in-person donations.
The main advantage of financial contributions is that the money is converted into balance available for the Food Banks within the distribution chain. In this way, organizations can purchase the products they need during the following months, adjusting their purchases to the real needs of the people served.
How to donate via Bizum or the Internet if you can’t go to the supermarket
The Gran Recogida also allows people to collaborate without having to travel to an establishment. FESBAL has enabled the Bizum code 00090, through which anyone can make a contribution from their bank’s app, using the option intended for donations to social organizations.
Another possibility is to make the donation through the official page www.granrecogida.org, where you can select the amount and complete the payment procedure. The national campaign keeps online contributions enabled until the end of December, so it is not mandatory to collaborate exclusively during the weekend.
Financial donations can be eligible for tax deductions in the IRPF, provided that the requirements established are met. To do so, FESBAL recommends keeping the payment receipt and, in the case of contributions made in supermarkets, saving the ticket and following the validation procedure available on its website. The announced deadline for processing these receipts ends on 31 December 2026.
It is also possible to collaborate through volunteering. The organization estimates that it needs around 80,000 volunteer people to cover the different collection points during the campaign. The usual shifts last four hours and consist mainly of informing shoppers about the initiative, explaining which products are needed, and facilitating donations.
Until when can food be donated this weekend
The national campaign takes place on November 13, 14 and 15, although on Sunday only the supermarkets that remain open will participate. In addition, some provinces and chains concentrate physical collection on Friday and Saturday, so the dates may vary depending on each establishment.
In the Community of Madrid, the Banco de Alimentos reminds that this is its main solidarity campaign of the year. During 2025, the contributions received in the Great Collection accounted for 9% of all the staple foods that entered its warehouses, a proportion that reflects the importance of these days for maintaining supplies for social entities.
The 2026 edition aims to mobilize consumers, companies and volunteers to reinforce food reserves for the coming months. The president of FESBAL, Pedro Miguel Llorca, has called for citizen participation and has reminded that the initiative seeks to guarantee access to decent food for nearly a million people.
For those who want to collaborate, the recommendation is to first check whether their supermarket accepts food or only money. If it allows physical delivery, staple products with a long shelf life are the most suitable. If it works through donations at the checkout, the amount donated will allow food banks to progressively buy what they need and distribute it through the social entities that support vulnerable families.