Farmers' Market EBT Double Dollars Program

Dane County is procuring a vendor to administer the Farmers' Market EBT Double Dollars Program through Request for Proposal #425014, issued by the Dane County Department of Human Services. The primary objective is to support SNAP/EBT clients' access to fresh, locally grown produce at area farmers' markets by providing matching funds for EBT transactions. The successful vendor will be responsible for recruiting and training staff and volunteers, coordinating with market managers, conducting community outreach, providing nutrition education, tracking program usage, and submitting monthly and annual reports. Key deliverables include expanding market participation among culturally diverse populations and areas with limited healthy food access, with a targeted 3,135 service delivery units defined as program-related staff hours. The procurement will utilize a points-based evaluation across six criteria: program overview, strategies and activities, experience and qualifications, quality improvement, cost, and local vendor preference. Critical dates include a proposal release on April 8, 2024, a deadline for questions on May 3, 2024, and a proposal submission deadline of June 4, 2024 at 11:59 pm. The contract will be effective for one year with options to renew for four additional one-year periods.

The procurement appears open to various organizational types, with a comprehensive vendor summary form requiring detailed information on board composition, staff demographics, and organizational practices. The form specifically requests information on state certifications, including Minority Business Entity, Woman Owned Business Entity, and Disabled Veteran Business status, suggesting potential preference or evaluation points for diverse businesses. The current program provider is the Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin, operating with 1.3 FTE, while the new contract requires a minimum of 1.7 FTE. The program includes approximately $10,000 in direct-to-client funding for double dollar incentives at Dane County Farmers' Markets, with administrative costs capped at 15%. The cost proposal will be scored quantitatively, with the lowest-cost proposal receiving the most points, and final pricing to be negotiated before contract execution. Vendors must demonstrate capacity to bill for discrete service units and provide detailed budget breakdowns across personnel, operating expenses, space costs, and special program-specific expenses.