Food Services Government Bids & RFPs
427 open food services procurement opportunities from federal, state, and local agencies nationwide.
How many food services government bids are open right now? 427 as of July 14, 2026, with 2 closing within the next 7 days. The most-active agencies are EU Tenders Electronic Daily, North Carolina Electronic Vendor Portal, Louisiana LaPAC, Iowa Department of Administrative Services, NYC City Record Online. Browse the full list below.
Top agencies posting food services bids nationally: EU Tenders Electronic Daily,North Carolina Electronic Vendor Portal,Louisiana LaPAC,Iowa Department of Administrative Services,NYC City Record Online.
Latest Food Services Opportunities
Burns Building Food Services, Tallahassee, Florida
The Florida Department of Transportation requests competitive sealed bids/proposals/replies for the procurement of: Burns Building Food Services, Tallahassee, Florida All Bidders, ...
Food Items for CDC Warehouse
The State of Iowa will be conducting a solicitation for Food items for the CDC Warehouse in Woodward Iowa. The solicitation may be viewed at the IMPACS Electronic Procurement System website link below...
163-163-07132026TB - Pest Management
CMBE School Nutrition Department seeks qualified contractor(s) to provide an Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM) that emphasizes prevention, monitoring, sanitation, exclusion, and targeted treatm...
Woodward Food Service Elevator Replacement
The Iowa Department of Administrative Services will be receiving bids for removing and replacing existing food service elevator at the Woodward Resource Center,1251 334th Street, Woodward, Iowa 50276....
Request for Bids for the Operation of Circus & Carnival Concessions at Various Park Locations, Citywide
In accordance with Section 1-12 of the Concession Rules of the City of New York, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) is issuing, as of the date of this notice, a Request for...
Vending Machine Services - Greater St. Louis and Southwest Regions
Solicitation issued on behalf of the Department of Social Services
189-IFB#7126-27
This invitation is issued to Distributors with interest in submission of a NEW CONTRACT for the procurement and delivery of FROZEN DAIRY PRODUCTS & FREEZERS as listed for Federally funded Child Nutrit...
SPO-41-35D2
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) is seeking proposals from qualified operators to lease/manage its newly renovated restaurant facility at the Piedmont Triad...
Pārtikas produktu piegāde Cēsu pilsētas pansionātam
Pārtikas produktu piegāde Cēsu pilsētas pansionātam | Pārtikas produktu piegāde Cēsu pilsētas pansionātam | Pārtikas produktu piegāde Cēsu pilsētas pansionātam | Pārtikas produktu piegāde Cēsu pilsēta...
12 Vending Machine Service Repairs Bep
The Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania O ...
163-163-05272026TB - Beverages
It is the intent of CMBE to purchase canned and bottled beverages from qualified vendors. This purchase must comply with Federal regulations and State statutes. These products will be dispensed in sch...
163-163-05272025TB - ICE CREAM
It is the intent of CMBE to purchase Ice Cream and Frozen Fruit Products from a qualified vendor (this purchase must comply with Federal regulations and State statutes). These products will be dispens...
274-1-PullCafe-2026
The City of Raleigh is seeking a partner to operate the café space at Pullen Park Amusements. The café includes a 1,988 square foot building with nearly 70 feet of frontage, accompanied by an adjacent...
192-022627
Request for bids on local (NC) 80/20 ground beef, packaged in either two ten-pound chubs or four five-pound chubs per twenty-pound case.
63-JDJ1176440
North Carolina State University’s NC State Dining (hereafter referred to as “Dining” or “University”) seeks proposals from qualified temporary staffing agencies (hereafter referred to as “Contractor” ...
Browse Food Services Bids by State
About food services government procurement
Government food-services procurement covers school lunch programs, jail and prison meals, hospital dietary services, senior nutrition programs, military dining facilities, university residence-hall meals, and cafeteria operations at government buildings. School districts are the largest issuer — the National School Lunch Program alone serves 29 million students daily, and every district writes food-services contracts on 1-5 year cycles.
Solicitations in this category range from small "milk and dairy" RFQs under $50,000 to multi-year prime vendor contracts worth tens of millions. Awards frequently split by category: fresh produce, frozen protein, bakery, dairy, dry goods, beverages, and disposables. Federal school lunch dollars flow through USDA and impose Buy American and nutrition standards that affect what counts as a responsive bid.
Winning vendors need SAM.gov registration for federal work (military dining, VA hospital food services, federal prison meals), plus state-level vendor registration for the state education agency and health department. Most large school districts require submission through Bonfire, PlanetBids, or state-specific portals. Cooperative purchasing agreements — Sourcewell, OMNIA Partners, US Communities — offer piggyback contracts that let districts skip the RFP process for pre-vetted vendors.
Set-asides matter here. USDA prioritizes small and disadvantaged farmers for school procurement, HUBZone certification helps in rural districts, and women-owned small businesses (WOSB) certification is a common tie-breaker in tie-priced bids. Prime vendor competition is dominated by Sysco, US Foods, and Performance Food Group; small businesses typically win niche categories (local produce, ethnic-specialty foods, specialty diets).
Common NAICS codes for food services contracts
- 311422 Specialty Canning
- 311612 Meat Processed from Carcasses
- 311811 Retail Bakeries
- 424410 General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers
- 424420 Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers
- 424460 Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
- 424470 Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers
- 424490 Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers
- 424480 Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers
- 722310 Food Service Contractors
- 722320 Caterers
Set-asides in food services
USDA gives explicit preference to farmers and small businesses in school food procurement (Farm-to-School program). At the federal level, 8(a) certification opens sole-source awards up to $7M for food-services contracts. Local school-district set-aside preferences vary by state — Massachusetts and California have the strongest local-farmer preferences; Texas and Florida enforce vendor-diversity goals across all district contracts.
When food services bids are posted
Peak issuance is March–May for the following school year (July start), with a smaller wave in October–November for calendar-year contracts. Multi-year contracts typically run 1-year base with 2–4 renewal options.
Food Services Procurement — Frequently Asked Questions
Who buys food services from the government?
The largest buyers are K-12 school districts (via the National School Lunch Program), state departments of corrections, VA and public hospitals, universities, senior-services agencies, and federal military dining facilities. County jails and juvenile detention centers also issue food-services contracts, typically 1-3 year cycles.
What NAICS codes should I use for food-services government contracts?
Prime vendors typically use NAICS 722310 (Food Service Contractors) and 424490 (Other Grocery Wholesalers). Specialty vendors pick from 424410 (Canning), 424460 (Fish), 424470 (Meat), 424480 (Produce), or 311xxx for manufacturers. School caterers commonly use 722320.
How do I bid on school district food contracts?
Register with the state education agency vendor portal AND on the platform each district uses (Bonfire, PlanetBids, ESM, TIPS, Sourcewell). Look for RFPs 60-90 days before the contract start date; response windows are typically 3-5 weeks. USDA compliance certification and food-safety accreditation are usually required.
What is the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)?
NSLP is the USDA program that reimburses school districts for meals meeting federal nutrition standards. Vendors supplying NSLP-participating districts must meet Buy American rules, Child Nutrition Labeling, and specific commodity standards. Compliance documentation is often part of the bid response.
Are food-services contracts open to small businesses?
Yes. USDA prioritizes small farmers and disadvantaged businesses through Farm-to-School. Many districts split awards by category so that small local vendors can win the produce, dairy, or bakery portions even when a large prime vendor wins the total protein or dry-goods category. 8(a), WOSB, HUBZone, and SDVOSB certifications are meaningful tie-breakers.
What is a prime vendor contract in school food service?
A prime vendor contract designates one supplier for the majority of the district's food purchases (typically 80–95%). The prime vendor delivers weekly against pre-agreed pricing tied to a market index (usually the USDA Market News monthly report). Smaller specialty vendors serve as secondary suppliers.
How much do government food-services contracts typically pay?
Small district contracts (under 1,000 students) run $250K–$1M annually. Mid-size districts (5,000–20,000 students) run $2M–$10M. Large-district and university prime vendor contracts run $10M–$50M+ annually. Correctional food services average $2.50–$4.00 per meal at the state level, higher at the federal level.