Nutritional__Program_SOO_Final.docx

Defense Commissary Agency

Statement of Objectives for Nutrition Guide Program

June 2015

Contents

1. Purpose: Nutrition Guide Program for Defense Commissary Agency

2. Scope The main focus of the program is to provide nutritional educational information at the point of purchase. The program will identify relevant nutritional attributes along with value brand identified items for each qualified item from selected categories in a shelf tag format. Additional complimentary nutritional program enhancements as well as point of purchasing labeling may also be offered for government acceptance.

3. Period and Place of Performance The base Period of Performance will be twelve (12) months from date of award with four (4) one (1) year options. Services will be provided at the vendor location.

4. Background The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is a Department of Defense (DoD) Agency responsible for the operation and management of 241 Commissaries worldwide (CONUS and OCONUS) providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. By shopping regularly in the commissary, patrons save an average of 30 percent on their grocery bill compared to shopping at commercial stores. Although an appropriated fund Government Agency, DeCA operates much like a retail grocery business except that the Agency is a benefit selling at cost and makes no profit. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.

Obesity and tobacco use among U.S. military health care beneficiaries add over $3 billion per year to the Department of Defense (DoD) budget in health care costs and lost duty days. Failure to meet weight standards is a leading cause of involuntary separation from the military, and obesity in the civilian community may be limiting DoD's ability to recruit qualified personnel. To help combat this problem, military installations are providing environments which encourage good nutrition, active lifestyles, and tobacco-free living. The Office of Military Community and Family Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense is carrying out the Healthy Base Initiative to help meet this need.[footnoteRef:1] As a DoD Agency we also actively support this initiative. [1: Military One Source]

Also, Health and Wellness is a mega trend that is shaping the future. Recognizing and responding to this trend will drive future business results. The Health and Wellness of our own nation is a huge concern as the US is the most obese nation in the world. Obesity leads to many diseases and chronic medical conditions. It is one of the main reasons recruits for the military are being turned away. It is vital for DeCA to assist our military community and it is also an opportunity to create more shopper loyalty by guiding them with their nutritional choices[footnoteRef:2]. On average, consumers want to eat better but face many challenges in understanding the nutritional information available and supplied on products. It is our hope that a nutrition guide program will expedite their shopping and ease their confusion when looking for healthier choices and at the same time build shopper loyalty. Our goal is to provide a modern and efficient process to ensure accurate nutritional information is easily available to the shopper. [2: Health and Wellness 360, Acosta Sales and Marketing, June 2014]

5. Objectives A Nutrition Guidance Program will provide shoppers with quick, easy to understand information at the point of purchase and increase their awareness of healthier choices. Additional nutrition program features may also be adopted to provide an overall enhanced shopping experience. Likewise, DeCA may choose to implement other point of purchase labeling for the purposes of standardization. This program will support DoD's Healthy Base initiative. The Contractor shall provide a full service nutrition guide program for all commissaries world-wide as indicated herein:

6. Deliverables

1. Overall Program: Contractor shall

1.1. Provide all mandatory program elements listed below. Priced optional program features may be unilaterally exercised by the government if proposed. Unpriced optional program features may be bilaterally modified into the contract upon agreement of both parties.

1.2. Provide a turnkey solution that utilizes industry standards and best practices that meet or exceeds the program elements.

1.3. Provide registered Dietitian consultation. Dietitian shall:

1.3.1. Provide guidance and advice on operating a Nutrition Guide Program.

1.3.2. During the start-up phase of the Nutrition Guide Program and then annually advise on selection of relevant attributes for each applicable category. Note: All nutrition attributes offered and provided with this contract shall be in strict accordance with USDA Dietary Guidelines and FDA nutrient health standards.

1.3.3. Identify a hierarchy of attributes for each applicable category that will be provided by DeCA. The non-mandatory and excluded categories are listed below. The list is subject to change and is not limited to the categories based on adding or any modification to the category hierarchy Non-mandatory Categories:

Candy Coffee Dessert Toppings, Frostings Drink mixes (margarita mixes, etc.)

Fresh produce, meat, seafood, deli, and bakery Pet Food Spices Tea Vitamins and supplements

Excluded Categories:

HBC

Non-food Tobacco and Tobacco Cession products Water (plain)

2. Data Requirements: Contractor shall

2.1. Provide DeCA the complete item nutritional data attributes of all qualified items for each specified attribute in applicable categories for all National, Regional, and Local items in Excel or CSV format. The data exchange will happen at the onset of the task and updates/modifications will be provided monthly.

2.1.1. Data will be store specific or have the capability to identify which items apply to each store. NOTE: DeCA uses a store identifier called DoDAACs. A DoDAAC listing will be provided to contractor in data file. A DoDAAC references list will be also be provided.

2.2. Conduct initial data match on all qualifying items and provide an exception list of items that do not match; also a monthly data match to identify qualifying new items, changes and deletes with the exception list of unmatched items

2.2.1. Contractor is responsible for adding nutritional attributes for all national and regional items that may not be in the contractor nutritional database at no cost to the government.

2.2.2. Government will be responsible for the cost associated with contractor adding applicable nutrition attributes to local items that DeCA requests to be added that may not be in contractor’s database.

Note: All nutrition attributes offered and provided with this contract shall be in strict accordance with USDA Dietary Guidelines and FDA nutrient health standards.

3. Tag Requirements: Contractor shall

3.1. Design a custom nutrition tag unique to DeCA - Tag shall

3.1.1. Display 2-3 applicable nutritional attributes for each specific category.

3.1.2. Include DeCA’s “Value” attribute (if applicable to qualifying items) (see attached picture).

3.1.2.1. Value Brand attribute color: 1655c with white Folio BT font.

3.1.2.2. Value tag items data will be provided to contractor initially and upon value tag update that normally occurs once every six months.

3.1.3. Affix over existing price labels or covers where applicable. (see attached photos)

3.1.4. Contain qualified UPCs, product bar codes, nomenclatures.

3.1.5. Be:

3.1.5.1. In full color.

3.1.5.2. Water/moisture resistant.

3.1.5.3. Repositionable.

3.1.5.4. Non-curling.

3.1.5.5. Free of adhesive residue when removed.

3.1.5.6. 1¾ inch wide x 3½ inches high.

3.1.6. Have:

3.1.6.1. Adhesive that can adhere in frozen temperatures.

3.1.6.2. A transparent top that is 1¾ wide x 1½ inches high.

3.1.6.3. Attributes sizes that can be adjustable depending on the number qualified attributes.

4. Stand-alone Value tags:

4.1. Additional to the nutritional tags, a stand-alone value tag will be required.

4.2. This will be a tag that supports the established DeCA’s “Value Brand” program. (see attached picture)

4.3. Value tag items data will be provided to contractor initially and upon value tag update that normally occurs once every six months.

4.4. Tag shall be:

4.4.1. Repositionable.

4.4.2. Water/Moisture resistant.

4.4.3. Non-curling.

4.4.4. In full color.

4.4.5. Free of adhesive residue when removed.

4.4.6. 1¾ inch wide x 3½ inches high.

4.5. Adhesive must adhere in frozen temperatures.

4.6. The transparent top of the sign shall be 1¾ wide x 1½ inches high.

4.7. The current Value Brand attribute color is1655c and White Folio BT font.

4.8. Stand-alone value tags do not identify individual items.

5. Tag Replacement/ordering:

5.1. Monthly - Contractor shall accept nutrition and value tag replacement orders from each store by a DeCA preferred method that could be through the contractor’s Website provided by the contractor or email that may include a scanned document or spreadsheet with replacement UPCs listed.

5.2. Store Resets - Contractor shall accept nutrition and value tag replacement orders for an entire set of nutrition tags or specific categories from individual stores by a DeCA preferred method that could be through the contractor’s Website or email.

5.3. The majority of the orders for replacement and reset tags will be placed within a 3-5 day window to be determined by DeCA.

6. Tag printing: Tag Printing will include

6.1. Initial printing of nutrition tags for all qualified items in each applicable category in Planogram/Department/Commodity/Generic (D/C/G) cluster by individual store.

6.2. Monthly printing of qualified new item nutrition tags in applicable categories and replacement nutrition tags in Planogram/Department/Commodity/Generic (D/C/G) cluster by individual store.

6.3. Monthly printing of replacement value tags ordered by individual stores.

6.4. Printing of reset tags (request will be submitted during monthly ordering window).

7. Tag Shipment: Shipping tags will include

7.1. Identifying, segregating, and packaging each store’s nutrition tags separately in planogram/ D/C/G clusters order to include store name and DoDAAC.

7.2. Shipping to locations listed in attachment initially and monthly thereafter. Some individual shipments will include multiple stores.

8. Customer Care Support: The contractor will provide a customer service point of contact to answer questions or address issues on Commissary tag replacement orders and shipments. The point of contact should be available during normal business hours and shall respond within a 24 hour period.

9. Implementation Plan:

9.1. Contractor shall submit an event based implementation plan to include a timeline that begins once contract has been awarded. At a minimum, the plan will include:

9.1.1. Detailed requirements from DeCA.

9.1.2. The timelines for Initial attributes per category recommendations that will be submitted for approval.

9.1.3. Delivery timeline for tags after attribute approval.

10. Security Requirements:

Contractor Shall:

10.1. Not share or sale DeCA’s database to third parties. A non-disclosure agreement will be executed with prime contractor with flow-down provisions applicable to subcontractors.

10.2. Receive and transfer files only by DeCA’s security data standards and requirements.

11. Optional features and/or Services: (Must benefit patrons and the internal process for DeCA)

11.1. Store perimeter (e.g. produce, fresh cut meat, seafood, deli, and bakery) attributes.

11.2. Enhanced features (e.g. mobile app, website applications, and personalized customer shopping list).

11.3. Marketing and educational material, news articles, and any infographics that compliments nutritional tags.

11.4. Quick Response Code(s) (QR) leading stores to additional nutritional information.

11.5. Any and all additional attributes included within the proposed license price Program launch materials.