This Solicitation opportunity from Minnesota was posted on October 10, 2024. The submission period has ended. Browse the details below for market research, or find similar active opportunities.
Regional Local Food Connector
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
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AI Contract Overview
The Minnesota Department of Education's Nutrition Services Division is issuing a formal solicitation for the engagement of 4 to 6 Regional Local Food Connectors (RLFC) across various regions of Minnesota, including Northwest, Northeast, Central, Metro, Southwest, and Southeast. These RLFCs will be responsible for implementing targeted, community-specific activities aimed at enhancing farm to school and early care programs by fostering regional food systems. Their primary tasks include providing technical assistance, regional knowledge, and networking opportunities to connect local producers—such as farmers, ranchers, and food-makers—with institutional buyers like school foodservice departments, Tribal schools, and early care providers. The overarching goal is to increase local food procurement, support agricultural education, and strengthen regional food networks throughout Minnesota and its Tribal Nations. This initiative builds upon a successful pilot project from 2021 called PARSNIP, which demonstrated the benefits of regional coordination in southeastern Minnesota. The current effort aims to expand this model statewide, deepening connections and resources to promote local food use in Child Nutrition Programs. Proposals must be submitted exclusively through the SWIFT eSupplier portal by November 7, 2024, with the contract valued between $500,000 and $1,500,000. The project emphasizes place-based, community-specific strategies to support sustainable regional food systems and agricultural education, aligning with the department’s broader efforts to expand farm to school activities and local food procurement across Minnesota.
General Info
Agency
Place of Performance
MN, USASet-Aside
Timeline
Submission Closed
Organization & Contact Information
Full Description
The focus of the Farm to School State Formula Grant is to support state agency efforts to implement and expand farm to school and early care activity among institutions participating in Child Nutrition Programs, 1) to build and increase the capacity of participating institutions to procure and use local food in program meals; 2) to provide agricultural education opportunities for participating children.
A similar pilot occurred in 2021, the PARSNIP project (PARSNIP: Pilot to Accelerate Regional Support for Nutrition at Institutions from Producers), whose goal was to look at the benefits of a strategically placed regional coordinator in southeastern Minnesota, who focused on connecting local schools and early care settings to local farmers and producers. The PARSNIP project was a success and since, there has been a desire to expand the original pilot statewide and offer more in-depth connections and place-based resources.
The goal of the RLFC is to provide region and place-specific knowledge, technical assistance and networking opportunities to buyers (school foodservice departments, Tribal schools and early care providers) and producers (farmers, ranchers, aggregators, food-makers, Tribal producers, etc.) to implement and strengthen regional food systems and networks to increase local procurement and agricultural education through farm to school and early care programming throughout the State of Minnesota and its Tribal Nations.
THIS IS A FORMAL SOLICITATION. MDE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING PROPOSALS OUTSIDE OF SWIFT. RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED TAL OF SWIFT.
SWIFT CONTRACTOR ASSISTANCE HELP DESK. Contractors needing help with registration and/or completing their response to this Event in the Supplier Portal may contact the Contractor Assistance Helpdesk: +1 (555) 000-0000, Option 1.
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