Retail Food Store Location and Characteristics Data

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service seeks retail food store location and characteristics data covering all supermarkets, superettes, mass-merchandisers, wholesale clubs, drug stores, and convenience stores, with quotations due May 26, 2026 at 10:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time and questions due May 21.

This is an unrestricted RFQ under FAR Part 12 for commercial items, open to all responsible sources. Place of performance is Washington, DC. The NAICS code is 541910, Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling; PSC is R702, Support-Management: Data Collection. The small business size standard is $22.5 million.

The contract comprises one one-year base period and four one-year option periods, for a total duration not exceeding five years and six months. Data delivery is due July 1 each year, with the base year covering June 2026 data. Required data elements include store-level information (name, address, FIPS codes, street-level geocodes, type, sales volume, selling area, ownership identifiers, food/pharmacy/gasoline/tobacco/alcoholic beverage categories, MSA identifiers, and SNAP/WIC authorization status), plus annual documentation of new market entries, closures, and ownership changes. Data must be delivered in Excel 2007 or later or text format; documentation in Word format. The contractor must provide comprehensive documentation covering data sources, collection procedures, estimation methods, data dictionaries, and data quality assessments.

Evaluation is on a best-value basis across four factors: Technical Capabilities (data collection methodology knowledge and skill), Relevant Experience (similar work performed), Past Performance (minimum three projects completed within the last three years with detailed references), and Price (fair and reasonable per FAR 12.204). Quotations lacking detailed descriptions of capabilities and experience will not receive further consideration. All pricing must cover the base year and all four option years. Vendors must be active and registered in SAM.gov at submission and award. USDA retains indefinite rights to the data and resulting findings for dissemination through professional journals, publications, and presentations.