April 21, 2020

USDA Provides Initial Details on CFAP Food Box Distribution Program

UPDATED 4/24: USDA Request for Proposal Now Available. Click here to access the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box website. 

As part of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), regional and local food distributors will be the focal point of USDA’s strategy to purchase and distribute $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat in the form of pre-approved food boxes provided to food banks and other non-profits. The goal is to begin the delivery of these food boxes by May 15.

On a webinar today, staff from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service laid out their plan to solicit offers from distributors, who will be asked to submit proposals to procure the food items from producers, construct the food boxes, and deliver the food boxes to non-profits.

Distributors with awarded contracts will be responsible for establishing their supply chain and managing their relationships with producers and non-profit organizations, as well as invoicing USDA and providing payment to producers.

The food boxes must comprise of 100% domestically grown and processed items, and any packaged items should be suitable for household use (e.g. smaller foodservice packs would be acceptable). 

Key dates outlined on the webinar are as follows:

  • April 24: Solicitations for offers from distributors will be released
  • May 1: Proposals from distributors will be due
  • May 8: Contracts to distributors will be awarded
  • May 15: Distributors will begin delivery of food boxes

Click here to access more information on USDA’s Food Box Distribution Program.

Click here to subscribe to email updates, including notification of the solicitation release.

Additional questions can be emailed to [email protected].