Food and Nutrition Service

The Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, a civilian sub-agency within USDA, administers federal nutrition assistance programs and procures research, studies, equipment, and vendor services to support food nutrition policy and program delivery. The FNA operates across contract and grant mechanisms, with contracts supporting programmatic research and operational needs and grants funding state and local nutrition assistance delivery.

The FNA has awarded 32,329 federal contracts totaling $32.19 billion in combined potential value since 1985, with $31.91 billion obligated. Contract activity over the last five years shows 1,723 awards in 2023, 1,841 in 2024, 1,648 in 2025, 1,193 in 2026, and 2 year-to-date in 2027. The competitive landscape is fragmented: the top five primes by award count hold 16 percent of recent awards, led by Transnow Inc. with 447 awards ($2.1 million potential value), Aqua Gulf Transport Inc. with 300 awards ($1.3 million), and Olga H Barrios with 194 awards ($151 million). By potential value, concentration is highly fragmented at 7 percent of combined value, with Tyson Foods Inc. leading at $772.9 million across 117 awards, followed by Bongards Creameries at $502.7 million and Associated Milk Producers Inc. at $370.5 million. The contract portfolio spans 1,676 distinct prime contractors. Open market competition dominates the set-aside mix: 77 percent of awards carry no set-aside designation, 10 percent are total small-business set-asides, and 9 percent are partial small-business set-asides; 8(a) sole source and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business designations together account for 3 percent.

The FNA has awarded 55,348 federal grants obligating $728.81 billion in federal dollars (with $742.8 billion total federal and non-federal share combined) since 2000. Grant activity in the last five years shows 2,474 awards in 2022, 2,328 in 2023, 2,253 in 2024, 2,222 in 2025, and 93 year-to-date in 2026. Grant recipients are highly fragmented: the top five by award count hold 6 percent of recent awards, led by Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services with 125 awards ($222.7 million federal dollars), North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services with 104 awards ($2.56 billion), and Wisconsin Department of Health Services with 99 awards ($1.01 billion). By federal dollars obligated, concentration remains highly fragmented at 4 percent, with Texas Department of Agriculture leading at $14.21 billion across 75 awards, California Department of Social Services at $10.43 billion, and Michigan Department of Education at $3.12 billion. The portfolio serves 1,657 distinct grant recipients. Grants are predominantly formula grants (75 percent of awards), with project grants at 24 percent and cooperative agreements at 1 percent.

Recent contract opportunities span WIC program research (Notice of Intent for WIC food package scientific assessment, due September 29, 2026), state eligibility and reach estimation studies (competitive solicitation, due August 31, 2026), access-control system upgrades set-aside for small business (due September 29, 2026), laboratory sterilization equipment (due September 21, 2026), and small-business-set-aside equipment and signage procurements. The most recently recorded award date is January 1, 2027, indicating continuing activity into the new fiscal year.

The Food and Nutrition Service provides children and low-income people access to food, a healthful diet, and nutrition education.