2026 FDA U. S. Human Food Inspection Program - Notice of Intent to Sole Source

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Acquisition and Grant Services has published a Special Notice announcing its intent to award sole source contracts for the 2026 FDA U.S. Human Food Inspection Program. The solicitation is being issued under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(5), which permits non-competitive procurement when competition does not exist. The FDA seeks to contract with state and territorial organizations to conduct regulatory food safety inspections and investigations in compliance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This Special Notice was posted on January 15, 2026, with a response deadline of January 30, 2026. The contracts will be structured as a 12-month base period with four optional 12-month periods.

The primary objective of this solicitation is to secure inspection services from legally authorized state and territorial governmental organizations that can conduct compliance assessments at regulated food establishments and farms. Eligible contractors must possess statutory authority under state or territorial law to access commercial establishments for regulatory inspections, maintain trained personnel experienced in federal and state inspectional procedures, and demonstrate expertise in implementing corrective actions for violations. Interested organizations must submit a statement of capabilities via email to Cynthia.Martin@fda.hhs.gov within 15 days of the announcement. The FDA emphasizes that only governmental entities possess the unique qualifications to perform these mandatory regulatory functions, and the agency retains discretion to determine whether competitive procurement will be pursued based on submitted responses. This procurement is classified under NAICS 923120 (Administration of Public Health Programs) and PSC H199 (Quality Control – Miscellaneous).