Vegetable Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil for use in Domestic Food Assistance Programs

The solicitation 12-3J14-26-B-0343 is a combined synopsis and invitation for bid issued by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service for the procurement of vegetable oil and extra virgin olive oil to support domestic food assistance programs. This is not a small business set-aside, and the solicitation is open to all eligible vendors without restriction. Bids must be submitted by the deadline of July 29, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and the procurement is governed by commercial acquisition procedures under FAR Part 5.101(d), with all applicable provisions and clauses incorporated by reference and accessible through www.acquisition.gov. The contract will be awarded based on competitive bidding, and performance is expected to support federal nutrition programs nationwide, though no specific place of performance is designated. Primary point of contact for inquiries is Laura Krupka, with Jenny Babiuch as secondary contact. The USDA has established an internal Alternative Dispute Resolution program to handle protests, encouraging bidders to first engage informally with the Contracting Officer before escalating to a formal agency protest filed with either the Contracting Officer or the USDA Ombudsman for Agency Protests. Formal protests require prior good-faith efforts to resolve issues, must include all information specified in FAR 33.104(a)(3), and are subject to a 35-day resolution timeline. Contract awards or performance may be suspended during protest review unless the government justifies continuing due to urgent or compelling needs. Protests must be filed within timeframe limits set by FAR 33.104 and submitted electronically to SPE.inquiry@usda.gov and the Contracting Officer. Filing a protest with the USDA bars the protester from simultaneously pursuing the same matter with the Government Accountability Office or any other external forum, and any external filing will result in dismissal of the agency protest.