Rural Food Locker Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs Strategic Acquisition Center Frederick is seeking to procure smart locker food systems for the Rural Food Locker Program, an initiative designed to provide secure, 24/7 accessible food distribution sites for Veterans experiencing food insecurity across five rural and highly rural VA healthcare sites. The contractor must supply and install temperature-controlled food lockers equipped with dual temperature capabilities (freezing and refrigeration), cellular connectivity, touchscreen interfaces, ADA compliance, a minimum of 12 large lockers per unit, and comprehensive software licenses, cloud hosting, and temperature monitoring systems. Key requirements include providing 24-hour emergency services with a maximum two-hour response time, conducting site safety and accessibility assessments, developing employee training materials, maintaining current criminal background checks, and submitting annual Periodic Performance Reviews. The program aims to deliver medically tailored groceries prescribed by healthcare providers to Veterans with diet-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. The pre-solicitation notice was posted on April 8, 2026, with a response deadline of April 22, 2026, and interested parties must submit detailed information regarding their business capabilities, relevant experience, pricing, and feedback on the draft Performance Work Statement via email.

This is a pre-solicitation notice with no set-aside designation, and the government has not identified any incumbent contractors or current service providers. The contract will have a five-year period of performance beginning from the award date, with specific budget information and award values not disclosed in the pre-solicitation materials. The contractor will be responsible for installing systems across five rural and highly rural sites and maintaining all units throughout the entire five-year performance period. Interested parties are encouraged to provide feedback on the draft Performance Work Statement and to indicate their interest in competing as prime contractors or planned subcontracting and teaming arrangements. All costs associated with responding to this pre-solicitation are the responsibility of the interested party, and the VA has explicitly stated that this notice is for market research purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or commitment to contract.