Cheddar and Mozzarella String Cheese for use in Domestic Food Assistance Programs
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)-Commodity Procurement Program (CPP) is soliciting offers for Cheddar and Mozzarella String Cheese for use in domestic food assistance programs. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products. Offers are due by January 29, 2026, at 1:00 PM Central Time.
Scope of Work
The procurement includes:
- Cheddar Cheese: Yellow Chunks (12/1 LB) and Yellow Shredded (6/2 LB).
- Mozzarella Cheese: LM PT SKM String (Box-360/1 OZ). All products must be manufactured in a USDA-approved plant and be a product of the United States, grown, processed, and prepared exclusively in the U.S. Deliveries are required between April 1, 2026, and June 30, 2026, to various U.S. locations on an FOB destination basis.
Contract Details
- Contract Type: Firm Fixed-Price.
- Set-Aside: Acquisition for Cheddar Cheese is Unrestricted. Mozzarella String Cheese includes up to a 35% Small Business Set-aside and Hub Zone preference.
- Eligibility: Potential contractors must meet AMS vendor qualification requirements (FAR Subpart 9.2). Information on becoming a qualified bidder is available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food or by contacting newvendor@usda.gov.
- References: The solicitation should be read with the Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements – Domestic Programs (MSCP-D) and commodity specifications, both available on the AMS website.
Submission & Evaluation
- Submission Method: Offers, modifications, and withdrawals must be submitted electronically via the USDA Web Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system (https://portal.wbscm.usda.gov/publicprocurement). Submissions by any other means will be deemed nonresponsive.
- Offer Due Date: January 29, 2026, 1:00 PM Central Time.
- Offer Opening Date: January 29, 2026, 1:00 PM Central Time.
- Acceptance Announcement: By February 12, 2026, 5:00 PM Central Time.
- Pricing: Bidders may submit different prices for each stop, with a maximum of three stops per line item.
Additional Notes
This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; a separate written solicitation will not be issued. All future information, including amendments and award notices, will be published through WBSCM and SAM.gov. Inquiries should be directed to the Contracting Officer.