Poultry Processing

NAICS Category 311615 (Poultry Processing) encompasses the manufacturing and processing of poultry products for various commercial and governmental markets. This category includes companies that prepare and package chicken, turkey, and other poultry products for distribution to food service providers, retail markets, and government food assistance programs. The processing involves activities such as slaughtering, cutting, deboning, further processing, and packaging poultry items ranging from whole birds to specific cuts, ground meat, and specialized prepared products.

Federal contract awards in this category primarily involve the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service and Agricultural Marketing Service procuring chicken and turkey products for domestic food assistance programs. Awards typically range from $10,000 to over $16 million, with contract durations spanning one to six months. Frequently awarded entities include large poultry producers such as Tyson Foods Inc., Pilgrim's Pride Corporation, Foster Poultry Farms, and Gold Creek Foods, LLC. Most awards are firm-fixed-price contracts with no set-aside designation, though some include partial or total small business set-asides. Delivery locations span multiple states, with a focus on supporting national school lunch programs, food banks, and other nutrition assistance initiatives.

Recent federal contract opportunities continue to solicit chicken and turkey products for domestic food assistance programs, with solicitations targeting specific product types like chicken strips, canned and pouch boned chicken, and various cut and processed poultry items. Most opportunities are issued by the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service and require products to be grown, processed, and prepared exclusively in the United States. Performance locations include multiple states such as California, Florida, Minnesota, and New York, with delivery periods typically ranging from January to July 2025. Opportunities frequently include potential small business set-asides and require vendors to meet stringent vendor qualification requirements established under Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 9.2.