USDA Foods Warehousing and Distribution ServicesBid Documents

The Indiana Department of Administration (IDOA) and Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) are soliciting proposals for USDA Foods Warehousing and Distribution Services, seeking up to three vendors to manage the receipt, storage, and distribution of USDA-allocated food products to public and private schools across five regions in Indiana. The contract will cover the school year 2025-2026, with potential renewal for an additional one-year term, and requires vendors to have comprehensive warehouse facilities capable of storing dry, cooler, and frozen food items with strict temperature maintenance protocols. Contractors must demonstrate at least three consecutive years of experience in public storage warehousing or food distribution, and provide detailed capabilities in employee management, inventory tracking, fleet logistics, and delivery processes. Proposals will be evaluated across multiple criteria including management quality, operational capabilities, and cost, with a total possible scoring range of 90-103 points, and cost proposals will be normalized with the lowest cost receiving 30 points. Key submission deadlines include a pre-proposal conference on October 24, 2025, at 10:00 AM ET, and proposal submissions due on November 17, 2025, at 3:00 PM ET, with an estimated total case delivery volume of 353,689 cases across 348 educational institutions.

The procurement includes specific requirements for Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) participation, with contract goals of 8% for Minority Business Enterprises and 11% for Women Business Enterprises, and vendors must comply with Indiana's Veteran-Owned Small Business (IVOSB) subcontractor commitment program. Respondents must be registered with the Indiana Secretary of State and provide documentation such as financial statements, client references, and detailed information about their organizational structure and capabilities. The state emphasizes technology security standards and requires compliance with the Indiana Office of Technology's Information Security Framework, with additional requirements for data protection, encryption, and incident reporting. While no specific incumbent vendors are mentioned, the contract allows for potential integration with existing state technology infrastructure and requires vendors to be prepared for comprehensive security assessments. Although a precise contract value is not specified, the estimated case delivery volume and multi-year potential suggest a significant procurement opportunity with substantial economic impact for the selected vendors.