Cross-dock, cold/freeze package and deliver perishable food items for export

The Defense Logistics Agency Distribution is seeking a contractor to provide cross-docking, cold/freeze packaging, and export delivery services for perishable food items destined for military operations in locations including Honduras and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The procurement requires receiving government-owned subsistence items twice weekly from suppliers within 30 miles of Charleston, SC, processing them at a refrigerated warehouse facility, and coordinating shipments to Charleston Air Force Base. The contractor must operate a minimum 40,000 square foot facility with specific temperature-controlled storage capabilities, including dry, chill, and freeze storage areas, while maintaining strict security, safety, and sanitation standards. The anticipated contract structure will be a Firm-Fixed-Price Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity arrangement with evaluation focusing on the contractor's ability to demonstrate capability through a comprehensive capability statement. Interested small businesses must submit their 6-page capability statements by October 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM EST to brian.keckler@dla.mil with the subject line "East Coast Export Mission."

This opportunity is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside under NAICS code 493120 (Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage), requiring contractors to be certified as small businesses in the System for Award Management database. The prime contractor must perform at least 50% of contract personnel costs using their own employees, and all respondents must demonstrate their ability to meet the draft Performance Work Statement requirements. The contract will span a five-year ordering period, though specific award values or budget ranges were not disclosed in the sources sought notice. The facility must include 4,000 square feet of dry storage, 28,000 square feet of chill storage, and 8,000 square feet of freeze storage, with operations occurring twice weekly to support ongoing military export missions. No current incumbent contractors were identified in the documentation, as this appears to be structured as an informational sources sought notice to determine market capability and support the agency's decision on set-aside designation.