UNSPSC 93131610: Food planning services

UNSPSC 93131610 Food planning services, a Commodity code, encompasses the procurement and operational planning activities state and local governments buy to support institutional and community nutrition programs—including WIC rebate contracting, school nutrition management, senior meal services, correctional facility food operations, and specialty programs such as farm-to-school planning and mobile market development. Issuing bodies span state departments (health, agriculture, education, veteran affairs), county governments, school districts, and special-purpose authorities; the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Michigan state departments, and county commissioners appear as repeat buyers across the recent solicitation record. State and local procurement under this code extends across diverse food service modalities: competitive rebate contracting for infant formula (Texas HHS), food service management company (FSMC) operations for school districts and institutional facilities (Michigan veteran homes, psychiatric hospitals, correctional jails), senior congregate and home-delivered meal programs (Hillsborough County, Pasco County), concession and catering operations (school districts, county parks, performing arts venues), and strategic program development (farm-to-school planning, mobile market feasibility studies). Notice types are mixed—RFP, RFQ, IFB, and ITN structures predominate, with occasional RFI phases used for market research prior to formal procurement.

Geographic activity concentrates in Texas (WIC rebates, farm-to-school planning, jail food service), Michigan (veteran homes, psychiatric hospitals), Florida (senior meals, park concessions), and Georgia (school districts, county parks, municipal food distribution). The recent record shows substantial activity in the Southeast and Midwest, with scattered opportunities in the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest. Representative recent solicitations include the Texas Health and Human Services Commission IFB for WIC infant formula rebates across Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, and Choctaw Nation (response due January 11, 2027), the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services RFP for nutritional services at two state psychiatric facilities (proposals due May 28, 2026, with October 1, 2026 commencement), Hillsborough County Florida's ITB for senior meal preparation and delivery services at an estimated contract value of $17.8 million over three years (bids due June 25, 2026), and Pasco County Florida's RFP for senior congregate and home-delivered meal production (proposals due June 9, 2026). Evaluation criteria across this code commonly weight prior experience with comparable populations, financial stability, operational capacity, compliance certifications (food safety, HACCP, dietary management), menu quality and nutritional compliance, and pricing competitiveness; many solicitations require Registered Dietitian involvement and mandate insurance minimums ($1 million to $5 million general liability depending on scope). Contract terms typically range from one to three years with renewal options, and passthrough or cost-reimbursable pricing structures are common in institutional settings, while fixed per-meal or per-event pricing models dominate concession and school nutrition contracts.