Texas Local Food for Schools

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) Food and Nutrition Division is working to increase the amount of Texas-produced food served through the National School Lunch (NSLP) and School Breakfast Programs (SBP).

TDA recently entered into a cooperative agreement with the Agricultural Marketing Service of the US Department of Agriculture to procure Texas products that will be provided to Texas schools at no cost during school year 2023-2024. Purchases will focus on socially disadvantaged producers and small businesses. The grant award is for $22.3 million.

For the purpose of this program, “socially disadvantaged” is a farmer or rancher who is a member of a Socially Disadvantaged Group. A Socially Disadvantaged Group is a group whose members have been subject to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and, where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program.

TDA plans to release a competitive solicitation in early 2023 for the procurement and delivery of Texas products to schools across the state. The selected vendor(s) will be responsible for expanding their purchasing from and developing new relationships with socially disadvantaged producers and small businesses in Texas.

If you are a socially disadvantaged producer or small business in Texas and would like to share your contact information with TDA so that it can be shared with vendors that bid on this project, please complete the following form:

Business Name*

Business Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

Zip Code

Primary Contact Person*

First NameLast Name

Phone Number*

Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.

Email*

Website (if available)

Foods you would like vendors to know you can provide

Assistance available in English and Spanish. Please call 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325) for help. In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or Email: program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.