Cooked Meats: Pulled Chicken, Beef Crumbles & Pulled Pork for use in Domestic Food Assistance Programs

This solicitation, numbered 12-3J14-26-B-0357, is a combined synopsis and invitation for bid for cooked meats including pulled chicken, beef crumbles, and pulled pork intended for use in domestic food assistance programs. The acquisition is exclusively set aside for small business concerns under the SBA Small Business Set Aside – Total program, with the NAICS code 311612 applicable to meat processing. Offers must be submitted by the deadline of August 14, 2026, at 6:00 PM EDT, and no separate written solicitation will be issued. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service is the issuing agency, with the point of contact listed as Kennetta Boone and Carrie Meyers, and the office located in Washington, D.C. The notice outlines a two-tiered protest resolution process specifically for USDA acquisitions. Interested parties are first encouraged to resolve concerns directly with the Contracting Officer through Tier 1, which requires submission of detailed concerns and expects a response within 10 business days; however, this stage does not pause the solicitation or award timeline. If unresolved, a formal agency protest may be filed under Tier 2 with either the Contracting Officer or the USDA Independent Review Authority, with the protester required to specify their chosen review forum. Protests must include all information mandated by FAR 33.104-4(a)(3) and be submitted electronically to SPE.inquiry@usda.gov and the Contracting Officer. Filing an agency protest prohibits simultaneous protests to the GAO or other external forums, and agency awards or performance may be suspended during protest review unless justified by urgent government interest. The USDA aims to resolve agency-level protests within 35 business days.