Food Services Government Bids & RFPs
475 open food services procurement opportunities from federal, state, and local agencies nationwide.
How many food services government bids are open right now? 475 as of July 29, 2026, with 8 closing within the next 7 days. The most-active agencies are EU Tenders Electronic Daily, North Carolina Electronic Vendor Portal, Louisiana LaPAC, Iowa Department of Administrative Services, Pennsylvania eMarketplace. Browse the full list below.
Top agencies posting food services bids nationally: EU Tenders Electronic Daily,North Carolina Electronic Vendor Portal,Louisiana LaPAC,Iowa Department of Administrative Services,Pennsylvania eMarketplace.
Latest Food Services Opportunities
5011 Omhsas Wesh Proteins Oct Dec 26
Supplier To Provide Proteins To We ...
5000 Omhsas Wesh Food 2 Oct Dec 2026
Supplier To Provide Food 2 To Wern ...
5019 Preparedsalad Oct To Dec Dsh Fy26
This Is To Provide Prepared Salads ...
5044 Frozenveggies Oct To Dec Dsh Fy26
This Is To Provide Frozen Veggies ...
4810 Nonperishable Oct To Dec Dsh Fy26
This Is To Provide Misc Frozen Ite ...
N.Y.C. Groceries Operator(s)
New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), in collaboration with the City of New York (the City), is releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to retain one or more (up to a maximum ...
Dairy Products for Tacachale
7/24/26 - The Agency hereby posts ITB 2526-039 for Dairy Products for Tacachale.
Psp Headquarters Food Service Provider
Psp Is Seeking A Food Service Prov ...
Food Services
The Department of Management Services (Department) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to Florida’s vendor community to obtain industry information from qualified food service managemen...
Town of Minerva Food Scrap Collection and Composting Facility
Agency: Essex County. Location: Minerva
161-07202026
Vendor shall provide: Fresh fruits Fresh vegetables Locally grown seasonal produce Products shall be: USDA Grade No. 1 (when applicable) Free from decay Clean Properly packed Properly ...
Browse Food Services Bids by State
About food services government procurement
Government food-services procurement covers school lunch programs, jail and prison meals, hospital dietary services, senior nutrition programs, military dining facilities, university residence-hall meals, and cafeteria operations at government buildings. School districts are the largest issuer — the National School Lunch Program alone serves 29 million students daily, and every district writes food-services contracts on 1-5 year cycles.
Solicitations in this category range from small "milk and dairy" RFQs under $50,000 to multi-year prime vendor contracts worth tens of millions. Awards frequently split by category: fresh produce, frozen protein, bakery, dairy, dry goods, beverages, and disposables. Federal school lunch dollars flow through USDA and impose Buy American and nutrition standards that affect what counts as a responsive bid.
Winning vendors need SAM.gov registration for federal work (military dining, VA hospital food services, federal prison meals), plus state-level vendor registration for the state education agency and health department. Most large school districts require submission through Bonfire, PlanetBids, or state-specific portals. Cooperative purchasing agreements — Sourcewell, OMNIA Partners, US Communities — offer piggyback contracts that let districts skip the RFP process for pre-vetted vendors.
Set-asides matter here. USDA prioritizes small and disadvantaged farmers for school procurement, HUBZone certification helps in rural districts, and women-owned small businesses (WOSB) certification is a common tie-breaker in tie-priced bids. Prime vendor competition is dominated by Sysco, US Foods, and Performance Food Group; small businesses typically win niche categories (local produce, ethnic-specialty foods, specialty diets).
Common NAICS codes for food services contracts
- 311422 Specialty Canning
- 311612 Meat Processed from Carcasses
- 311811 Retail Bakeries
- 424410 General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers
- 424420 Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers
- 424460 Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
- 424470 Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers
- 424490 Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers
- 424480 Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers
- 722310 Food Service Contractors
- 722320 Caterers
Set-asides in food services
USDA gives explicit preference to farmers and small businesses in school food procurement (Farm-to-School program). At the federal level, 8(a) certification opens sole-source awards up to $7M for food-services contracts. Local school-district set-aside preferences vary by state — Massachusetts and California have the strongest local-farmer preferences; Texas and Florida enforce vendor-diversity goals across all district contracts.
When food services bids are posted
Peak issuance is March–May for the following school year (July start), with a smaller wave in October–November for calendar-year contracts. Multi-year contracts typically run 1-year base with 2–4 renewal options.
Food Services Procurement — Frequently Asked Questions
Who buys food services from the government?
The largest buyers are K-12 school districts (via the National School Lunch Program), state departments of corrections, VA and public hospitals, universities, senior-services agencies, and federal military dining facilities. County jails and juvenile detention centers also issue food-services contracts, typically 1-3 year cycles.
What NAICS codes should I use for food-services government contracts?
Prime vendors typically use NAICS 722310 (Food Service Contractors) and 424490 (Other Grocery Wholesalers). Specialty vendors pick from 424410 (Canning), 424460 (Fish), 424470 (Meat), 424480 (Produce), or 311xxx for manufacturers. School caterers commonly use 722320.
How do I bid on school district food contracts?
Register with the state education agency vendor portal AND on the platform each district uses (Bonfire, PlanetBids, ESM, TIPS, Sourcewell). Look for RFPs 60-90 days before the contract start date; response windows are typically 3-5 weeks. USDA compliance certification and food-safety accreditation are usually required.
What is the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)?
NSLP is the USDA program that reimburses school districts for meals meeting federal nutrition standards. Vendors supplying NSLP-participating districts must meet Buy American rules, Child Nutrition Labeling, and specific commodity standards. Compliance documentation is often part of the bid response.
Are food-services contracts open to small businesses?
Yes. USDA prioritizes small farmers and disadvantaged businesses through Farm-to-School. Many districts split awards by category so that small local vendors can win the produce, dairy, or bakery portions even when a large prime vendor wins the total protein or dry-goods category. 8(a), WOSB, HUBZone, and SDVOSB certifications are meaningful tie-breakers.
What is a prime vendor contract in school food service?
A prime vendor contract designates one supplier for the majority of the district's food purchases (typically 80–95%). The prime vendor delivers weekly against pre-agreed pricing tied to a market index (usually the USDA Market News monthly report). Smaller specialty vendors serve as secondary suppliers.
How much do government food-services contracts typically pay?
Small district contracts (under 1,000 students) run $250K–$1M annually. Mid-size districts (5,000–20,000 students) run $2M–$10M. Large-district and university prime vendor contracts run $10M–$50M+ annually. Correctional food services average $2.50–$4.00 per meal at the state level, higher at the federal level.