Meal, Cold Weather (MCW)

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Troop Support Subsistence is procuring Meal, Cold Weather (MCW) rations, which are shelf-stable individual rations designed for consumption during extreme cold weather operations. The contract is an indefinite-quantity, five-tiered delivery order requiring offerors to supply 12 distinct menus, each containing 12 meals per box, with components including entrees, breakfast items, side dishes, desserts, snacks, beverages, and accessory items. Key contract requirements include submission of completed solicitations, technical proposals with Product Demonstration Models (PDMs) for all contractor-furnished material components, a business/price proposal with separate pricing for each of the five tiers, and supporting plans including a Food Defense Plan, Integrated Pest Management Plan, Quality Systems Plan, and (for large businesses) a Small Business Subcontracting Plan. Technical evaluation will focus on PDM acceptability based on sensory characteristics rated on a 9-point scale, with proposals containing more than three unacceptable PDMs rejected as technically unacceptable; award will be made to the responsible offeror with the lowest total evaluated price among technically acceptable proposals. The proposal submission deadline is March 31, 2026 at 3:00 PM EST, with electronic submissions sent to Contract Specialist Darren Gregory and Contracting Officer Tiendung Nguyen, while Product Demonstration Models must be physically delivered to specified government locations by the same deadline.

This acquisition has no set-aside designation and is unrestricted as to business size, though it does include a HUBZone price evaluation preference. The contract carries a minimum quantity of 30,000 boxes, an estimated quantity of 150,000 boxes annually, and a maximum quantity of 300,000 boxes across all five tiers, with each tier spanning 365 days and pricing based on the tier period when an order is placed rather than when delivered. All deliveries are F.O.B. Destination to Tracy, California, where the ration is stocked, with the place of performance identified as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The acquisition is subject to the Buy American Act and related contract clauses and regulations. No information regarding potential incumbents or current contractors is provided in the solicitation documents.