Meal, Cold Weather (MCW)
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 Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Troop Support has issued a Solicitation for Meal, Cold Weather (MCW) assemblies, identified by NSN 8970-01-467-1753. This is an Indefinite-Quantity Contract (IQC) with a potential maximum of 300,000 boxes. The acquisition is Unrestricted with a HUBZone price evaluation preference. Proposals are due March 24, 2026, at 3:00 PM EST.
Scope of Work
This opportunity seeks contractors to provide Meal, Cold Weather (MCW) assemblies, designed for extreme cold weather operations. Key requirements include:
- Procurement of MCW assemblies according to "ACR-C-022 Meal, Cold Weather (MCW), Assembly Requirements" (Change 02, effective Feb 26, 2026).
- Adherence to specific menu requirements (Menus #1-12) and Contractor Furnished Material (CFM) components.
- Compliance with Performance-Based Contract Requirements (PCR), Commercial Item Descriptions (CID), Packaging Requirements and Quality Assurance Provisions (PKG&QAP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and Hazard Analysis.
- Submission of a stand-alone Food Defense Plan (FDP) and an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan.
- All deliveries are F.O.B. Destination to Tracy, California.
Contract & Timeline
- Contract Type: Indefinite-Quantity Contract (IQC).
- Quantities: Minimum 30,000 boxes, Estimated 150,000 boxes, Maximum 300,000 boxes.
- Period of Performance: Five (5) consecutive tiered delivery periods, each 365 days.
- Set-Aside: Unrestricted, with a HUBZone price evaluation preference. Subject to the Buy American Act.
- Proposal Due: March 24, 2026, at 3:00 PM EST.
- Published: March 3, 2026 (latest amendment).
Submission & Evaluation
Proposals must be submitted via email to Darren Gregory (Darren.Gregory@dla.mil) and Tiendung Nguyen (Tiendung.Nguyen@dla.mil). Email attachments are limited to 5MB per attachment and 10MB per email. Initial Product Demonstration Models (PDMs) must be delivered physically. Offerors must be registered in SAM.gov.
Evaluation will be based on Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) criteria, encompassing technical proposals (including PDMs) and business evaluations (price and price realism). The government reserves the right to award without discussions and may utilize a Reverse Auction for pricing.
Important Notes
- The requirement for an Initial PDM for "Cereals, Rolled Oats, Instant, Regular, Maple and Brown Sugar" has been waived due to product unavailability.
- Substitutions are permitted for PDMs: Animal Sugar Cookie for Patriotic Sugar Cookie, and Granola, Apple Cinnamon for Reduced Sodium Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup.
- Bidders should refer to the latest "MCW Component Spreadsheet.xlsx" for detailed item lists and pricing templates.