Indefinite Delivery Contract 123J1426D0004

Bongards Creameries, a small agricultural cooperative headquartered in Norwood Young America, Minnesota, was awarded a multiple-award Indefinite Delivery Vehicle contract by the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service with a ceiling value of $104.14 million and an ultimate completion date of June 30, 2027. The contract was awarded on February 9, 2026, on a firm-fixed-price basis without any small business set-aside designation, indicating open competition against other qualified vendors. The prime contractor will deliver processed cheese commodities including Cheese Blend American Skim, Cheese Blend American Skim/Yellow Regular, and related cheese products in multiple packaging configurations such as 12/2-pound loaves and 6/5-pound sliced formats to support the USDA's domestic food assistance programs. Performance locations include Bongards Creameries' manufacturing facilities in Perham and Humboldt, Tennessee, and Norwood Young America, Minnesota, with delivery on an FOB destination basis to various locations throughout the United States.

The underlying solicitation, posted January 20, 2026, with an offer due date of January 30, 2026, sought approximately 50.37 million pounds of processed cheese products across six line items for food donation programs serving vulnerable populations nationwide. Mandatory qualifications required bidders to demonstrate Food Safety Modernization Act compliance, maintain valid Dun and Bradstreet numbers and System for Award Management registration, and provide evidence of on-time delivery capability and commercial brand identification. The contract structure authorizes the USDA to issue task orders without requiring separate competitive procurements for each order, enabling efficient procurement of dairy commodities while maintaining reliable supply chain continuity for nutrition assistance initiatives including school meal programs and food banks.