Bottled Juice for use in Domestic Food Assistance Programs

This contract solicitation, issued under solicitation number 12-3J14-26-B-0341, seeks commercial bottled juice products for use in domestic food assistance programs through an invitation for bid, and is exclusively set aside for small business concerns. The procurement, governed under part 5.101(d), does not require a separate written solicitation and is being administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service. The primary product under consideration is Bottled Grape Juice, specifically Concord Grape Juice in 8/64 FL OZ bottles, with a clarification allowing the 2025 crop year to remain acceptable until the 2026 crop becomes available. The initial response deadline has been amended to August 6, 2026, with the award date extended to August 27, 2026, reflecting adjustments to the original timeline. The solicitation is issued by the USDA’s Office in Washington, D.C., with Nicholas Cavazos and Ashley Train listed as primary and secondary points of contact. Protests regarding the procurement process are managed internally through the USDA Ombudsman Program for Agency Protests, which offers both informal consultations and formal protest procedures with binding timelines and suspension provisions for contract award or performance. Protesters must first attempt to resolve concerns with the Contracting Officer before escalating to the Ombudsman, and formal submissions must include required legal information and be filed within specified deadlines under FAR 33.104. Once submitted, the USDA aims to resolve all protests within 35 calendar days; however, filing a protest with USDA precludes simultaneous action with external forums like the Government Accountability Office. The latest version of the solicitation and amendments can be viewed through the provided SAM.gov link.