SEEKING CONTRACTORS TO PROVIDE SUBSISTENCE (FOOD) FOR THE FDPIR REGIONAL VENDOR MODEL, A NEW PILOT PROGRAM

SEEKING CONTRACTORS TO PROVIDE SUBSISTENCE (FOOD) FOR THE Food Distribution Program On Indian Reservations (FDPIR) REGIONAL VENDOR MODEL, A NEW PILOT PROGRAM. This is a Sources Sought Document. No Solicitation Document exists, and requests for the solicitation will be ignored. All information contained herein is preliminary, subject to change, and is in no way binding on the Government. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking vendor(s) who would be interested in providing Full Line Food Distribution services for certain Indian Tribal Organizations (ITO) participating in FDPIR. FDPIR is a Federal program that provides food to low income households living on Indian reservations and Native American families residing in designated areas near reservations. Many Native Americans participate in the FDPIR as an alternative to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) because they do not have easy access to grocery stores. Interested vendors must have a distribution system, quality control procedures, and experience sufficient to ensure that they can safely and reliably supply and deliver food to ITOs participating in the pilot. These will be multi-food shipments, containing a variety of market-ready items that may have different temperature requirements (dry, chilled, frozen, etc.). Delivery of these orders must be accomplished on a just-in-time basis. The vendor(s) must also be able to provide participating ITOs with access to an effective food ordering and delivery system. Please see the attached document for a description of the types of foods that a vendor would be required to deliver to participating ITOs Only one of the Groupings below will be selected to participate in the FDPIR Regional Vendor Pilot. However, we request that interested vendors review the proposed Groupings and, if it would increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their service, feel free to recommend modifications to those Groupings. For example, if a vendor thinks it could provide more effective and efficient service by dividing the Midwest Grouping into two or more groupings, the vendor may recommend such a change. Nevertheless, as they make such recommendations, vendors should be mindful of the fact that our intent is to operate as large a pilot as possible, to evaluate the possibility of ultimately implementing this model on a nationwide basis. The Midwest Grouping (Grouping #1) is composed of ITOs in Nebraska, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Approximately 5.1 million pounds of multi-food shipments are delivered on an annual basis. The multi-food shipments for this Grouping will go to approximately 17 different locations. The Southwest Grouping (Grouping #2) is composed of ITOs in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona. Approximately 5.4 million pounds of multi-food shipments are delivered on an annual basis. The multi-food shipments for this Grouping will go to approximately 17 different locations. The Oklahoma Grouping (Grouping #3) is composed of ITOs in Oklahoma. Approximately 4.1 million pounds of multi-food shipments are delivered on an annual basis. The multi-food shipments for this Area will go to approximately 7 different locations. The New Mexico/Arizona Grouping (Grouping #4) is composed of New Mexico and Arizona. Approximately 1.3 million pounds of multi-food shipments are delivered on an annual basis. The multi-food shipments for this Area will go to approximately 10 different locations. The Northwest Grouping (Grouping #5) is composed of ITOs in Oregon and Washington. Approximately 2.1 million pounds of multi-food shipments are delivered on an annual basis. The multi-food shipments for this Area will go to approximately 5 different locations. NAICS Code 424410 - General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers, Size Standard is 100. This sources sought is open to both small and large business. When providing information about your company, request the following information at a minimum be provided: 1. Name of Company 2. Point of Contact and title 3. Telephone number 4. E-mail address 5. Web Address 6. City and State of your where your warehouse(s) are located 7. Provide details regarding your companies capabilities to make deliveries 8. State whether your company would be able to provide food to all areas, and if not which area you would be able to deliver food to. 9. The delivery areas (i.e. Grouping) the company would be interested in serving and/or any suggested recommendations to the our Groupings. 10. Business size and Firms Business Type i.e., (WOSB and/or EDWOSB; 8(a); Disadvantage; HUBzone; Service Disabled Veteran Owned; Veteran Owned; Small Business or Large Business) 11. Provide applicable Dun and Bradstreet Number (DUNS #) 12. Indicate if your firm is actively registered in CCR and ORCA Written responses shall be e-mailed or faxed to the attention of Linda N. Bolton, Contract Specialist, email address: linda.bolton@kcc.usda.gov or faxed to (816)448-5889. These responses must be received no later than 10 days after publication of this notice.