Entitlement, Dried Fruit 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) has issued a combined synopsis/solicitation for Dried Fruit, Dried Fruit and Nut Mix, and Nuts for use in domestic food assistance programs, including The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). This procurement seeks offers for various commodities with deliveries to multiple U.S. locations on an FOB destination basis. The contract type will be firm-fixed-price. Bids are due February 4, 2026, at 1:00 PM CT.
Scope of Work
The solicitation covers the procurement of specific commodity line items, including:
- Almond Natural Whole Shell
- Cranberries Dried
- Fruit and Nut Mix Dried
- Plums Pitted Dried
- Raisins (two types)
Commodities must be products of the United States, grown, processed, and prepared exclusively in the U.S. Packaging and container components are subject to WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) and Free Trade Agreements (FTA).
Contract Details
- Type: Firm-Fixed-Price (Combined Synopsis/Solicitation)
- Invitation Type: Definite Delivery
- Delivery: FOB destination to various U.S. locations.
- Set-Aside:
- 100% Small Business Set-Aside for Almonds, Cranberries, Fruit and Nut Mix, and Plums.
- 50% Small Business Set-Aside for both types of Raisins.
- HUBZone Small Business Price Evaluation Preference available for manufacturer/producers.
Submission & Evaluation
- Bids Due: February 4, 2026, 1:00 PM CT
- Awards Announced: February 12, 2026, 11:59 PM CT
- Submission Method: Electronically via the USDA Web Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system (https://portal.wbscm.usda.gov/publicprocurement).
- Eligibility: Offerors must meet AMS vendor qualification requirements established in accordance with FAR Subpart 9.2 and be active in WBSCM with required bidder roles. Information on becoming a qualified bidder is available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food or by contacting newvendor@usda.gov.
- References: AMS Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements – Domestic Programs (MSCP-D) and commodity specifications documents.
Additional Notes
New-to-USDA contractors may be subject to a probationary period, limiting initial awards to 10 truckloads per product. FDA labeling requirements are detailed.