VISN 6 commissary shipping

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Integrated Service Network 6 is preparing to solicit refrigerated food transport services, with an offer due date of September 11, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The procurement is set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses. NAICS 484220 (Specialized Freight Trucking, Local).

The contractor will pick up processed cook-chill food products weekly from Hampton VA Medical Center in Hampton, Virginia and deliver them to eight receptor sites: Asheville, Fayetteville, Durham, and Salisbury, North Carolina; and Salem, Chesapeake, Piedmont, and Williamsburg, Virginia. All deliveries must be completed within three working days. Weekly pickup occurs Monday mornings at 8:00 a.m., with deliveries scheduled Monday through Wednesday during normal operating hours (5:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday-Friday).

The contractor must operate two refrigerated trailers (35–40 feet) equipped with electric standby power (220V), microprocessor temperature monitoring with remote communications capability, and data tracking systems with web-based alerts. Food products must be maintained at temperatures between 28–32°F. Penalties apply for temperature deviations exceeding 32°F with more than six non-sequential excursions per trip. The contractor must employ licensed drivers in business casual attire, maintain USDA food safety compliance, manage approximately 11 refrigerated pallets weekly (572 annually) on Hampton VAMC-owned pallets, return empty pallets and bins within fourteen working days, and provide contingency service plans.

Base contract performance runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, with four optional one-year renewal periods through September 30, 2032. The estimated contract value is $34 million. Contracting Officer: John P. Harmsen.