Farm to School Food Hub Aggregation: Central Region

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has issued an Invitation for Bids (IFB) to procure the services of a contract for the centralized sourcing, procurement, and distribution of unprocessed or minimally processed local food to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. The successful bidder(s) will be responsible for the defined services in this IFB. The key objectives include providing a centralized food hub to aggregate and distribute local, unprocessed, or minimally processed food to participating LEAs. The contract will require the successful bidder(s) to demonstrate the ability to effectively manage the sourcing, procurement, and distribution logistics. The IFB has a posted date of September 17, 2024, and a due date of September 30, 2024, allowing bidders a short window to respond.

This procurement opportunity is open to all qualified vendors, and there are no set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond. The MSDE has not provided any information about incumbent vendors or current contractors, nor has it specified any existing infrastructure or technology that requires integration. The IFB does not include any details about possible award values or budget ranges, so interested bidders will need to carefully review the requirements and submit their most competitive proposals to be considered for this contract.