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NAICS Code· 311211

NAICS 311211: Flour Milling

This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) milling flour or meal from grains (except rice) or vegetables and/or (2) milling flour and preparing flour mixes or doughs. Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in--Show more

NAICS 311211 – Flour Milling encompasses the industrial processing of raw grains—primarily wheat, corn, and other cereals—into milled flour, meal, and related products through mechanical grinding, sifting, and purification processes. This sector supports federal supply chains requiring consistent, food-grade flour for institutional feeding programs, military rations, emergency food assistance, and nutrition services administered by federal agencies.

11
Active Contracts
$109.6M
Total Obligations (12mo)
95
Awarded Contracts (12mo)
17
Contractors Awarded (12mo)
6
Median Bidders per Award
-14.6%
YoY Growth

Industry Spending Overview

Federal obligations, top contractors and agencies, and related industry codes for NAICS 311211.

AI Industry Description

NAICS 311211 – Flour Milling encompasses the industrial processing of raw grains—primarily wheat, corn, and other cereals—into milled flour, meal, and related products through mechanical grinding, sifting, and purification processes. This sector supports federal supply chains requiring consistent, f...

NAICS 311211 – Flour Milling encompasses the industrial processing of raw grains—primarily wheat, corn, and other cereals—into milled flour, meal, and related products through mechanical grinding, sifting, and purification processes. This sector supports federal supply chains requiring consistent, food-grade flour for institutional feeding programs, military rations, emergency food assistance, and nutrition services administered by federal agencies. While not a traditional IT or defense contractor category, flour milling plays a critical role in the federal food security infrastructure, ensuring compliance with USDA food safety standards, HACCP protocols, and nutritional specifications for federally funded meal programs. Contractors in this space must maintain GFSI-certified facilities, rigorous traceability systems, and scalable logistics capabilities to meet government delivery requirements. The primary contractor operating in this NAICS code is VISIONCORPS, a specialized supplier with expertise in bulk food product procurement and distribution for federal agencies. The competitive landscape is concentrated, with few large-scale mills holding the certifications and capacity required to serve government contracts, creating a niche but high-barrier entry environment for qualified small businesses with established food processing infrastructure. The Department of Justice is the leading federal buyer in this category, primarily procuring flour and grain-based products for use in federal detention facilities, correctional institutions, and inmate nutrition programs. Demand is driven by statutory mandates for nutritional compliance, dietary restrictions, and large-scale feeding operations within the federal justice system. The market is characterized by low contractor density and high regulatory compliance requirements, making it a specialized opportunity for processors with USDA, FDA, and FSIS certifications. Contracting opportunities are steady but limited to firms with proven ability to deliver consistent quality, batch traceability, and just-in-time logistics under federal food service contracts. There is minimal competition from non-specialized suppliers, creating a stable, if narrow, procurement corridor for qualified industry participants.

Small Business Size Standard

The SBA threshold that decides who can bid NAICS 311211 work as a small business.

1,050 employees
Applies to the whole industry code

The SBA cap for this NAICS (13 CFR 121.201). A business at or under it can self-certify as small for work in this code, which is what makes it eligible for a small-business set-aside. The cap is set per NAICS, so the same company can be small in one code and not in another.

13 CFR 121.201, effective January 1, 2026. The SBA revises the table roughly once a year.

Top Contractors

Companies with the highest total award value under NAICS 311211, ranked by dollars won.

Top Agencies

Federal agencies directing the most contract spending toward NAICS 311211.

Competition

How many companies historically bid on federal awards in NAICS 311211, from bidder counts reported on USAspending.

Crowded Field

Median above 5 bidders per reported award. · 6,243 reported awards

Median Bidders

6

Per reported award, all-time

Single-Bid Awards

8%

Share of reported awards with one bidder

10+ Bidder Awards

25%

Share of reported awards with 10+ bidders

Reported Awards

6,243

96% of 6,510 total awards

Bidder Count Distribution by Fiscal Year

Share of reported awards in each bidder-count bracket per federal fiscal year.

How this code compares up the NAICS hierarchy. Parent cohorts pool every code under their prefix, so they are the steadier baseline when a 6-digit sample is thin.

Industry FamilyCompetitionMedian BiddersSingle-BidBidder MixReported Awards
311211This Code
Flour Milling
Crowded Field68%
6,24396% of 6,510
31121NAICS Industry
Crowded Field68%
8,56497% of 8,837
3112Industry Group
Grain and Oilseed Milling
Moderate Competition510%
14,10197% of 14,507
311Subsector
Fewer Bidders236%
967,99711% of 8,488,622
31Sector
Manufacturing
Fewer Bidders240%
1,478,76516% of 9,263,130

Bidder counts reported on past federal awards in this NAICS (USAspending). An open opportunity has no bidders yet, so this is the historical norm for similar work, not a fact about this solicitation. Not all awards report bidder counts, and fewer bidders often means incumbent-held work rather than an easier win. Federal reporting of bidder counts fell from ~96% of awards (FY2016) to ~30% (FY2018 onward); the chart shows shares of reported awards, and washed-out stretches mark years with fewer than 30 of them.

Related NAICS Codes

Industries similar to Flour Milling, by shared sector, subsector, and industry group.

Explore contracts across multiple NAICS codes Browse all NAICS Codes

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NAICS 311211 FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

NAICS code 311211 covers Flour Milling. This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) milling flour or meal from grains (except rice) or vegetables and/or (2) milling flour and preparing flour mixes or doughs. Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in--

Recently Posted in Flour Milling

NAICS: 311211
New
Federal
Wheat Flour and Bakery Flour Products CRD
Solicitation # 12-3J14-Notice-26-022
The Wheat Flour and Bakery Flour Products CRD, issued by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, establishes the technical specifications and quality standards for the procurement of various flour products, including all-purpose enriched bleached, 100 percent whole wheat, bakers hard wheat, and bread flour. A critical requirement of this contract is the strict prohibition of Potassium Bromate across all materials. Products must adhere to Commercial Item Description A-A-20126H and FDA sifting definitions in 21 CFR 137.200. Quality control is paramount, with vomitoxin levels limited to 1 ppm in the final product, and any wheat testing above 2 ppm is prohibited from production. Contractors must provide commercial brand products only and certify their successful history in domestic commercial channels. Packaging must follow current commercial shipping practices and comply with specific regulatory sections, with requirements for maximum safe stacking height markings and optional Not for Retail Sale labels. Deliverables include a Certificate of Analysis for each lot, which must be retained for seven years, and official weight certificates and mill laboratory analyses for bulk shipments. To ensure freshness, products must have a minimum shelf life of one year and cannot be manufactured more than 30 days prior to shipping. Storage must be maintained at 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 percent humidity.
USDA Ams 3J14

POSTED

6 days ago

DEADLINE

in 3 months
View Details
NAICS: 311211
New
Federal
Corn Products CRD
Solicitation # 12-3J14-Notice-26-021
The Corn Products CRD, issued by the USDA AMS 3J14, is a special notice solicitation (12-3J14-Notice-26-021) for the procurement of commercial brand corn products for domestic programs. Effective October 2026, the scope of work includes the delivery of white and yellow corn grits, degermed yellow cornmeal, and blue cornmeal. Key revisions to this requirement include a strict prohibition of added sodium in white and yellow corn grits and the removal of quality discount language. All products must be commercial brands with a proven history of domestic distribution and consumer acceptance. Contractors are held to rigorous quality and safety standards, including mandatory aflatoxin testing with a disqualification threshold of 20 ppb and compliance with FDA standards of Identity for Enriched Corn Meal (21 CFR 137.260). Deliverables must meet specific Commercial Item Descriptions, such as A-A-20066C for cornmeal and A-A-20035E for corn grits. Quality must be verified via a Certificate of Analysis (COA), which the contractor must retain for seven years. Additionally, products must be manufactured no more than 60 days prior to shipment, with shelf-life requirements of one year for yellow/white degermed cornmeal and six months frozen for blue cornmeal. Packaging must follow current commercial shipping practices, include maximum safe stacking heights, and comply with specific Master Invitation for Bids sections regarding unitization.
USDA Ams 3J14

POSTED

6 days ago

DEADLINE

in 3 months
View Details

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