This is a Request for Information from stakeholders, including local operators, state administrators, industry and producers, about the Buy American provision in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP). The NSLP and SBP, which are administered by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, play a critical role in ensuring that America's children have access to nutritious food they need to learn and succeed in the classroom, in addition to supporting American agriculture, and small, minority, and women's businesses and agricultural producers.
In order to claim federal reimbursement for meals served, school food authorities (SFAs) must follow federal procurement and program regulations. These include the Buy American provision. The purpose of this Request for Information is to help FNS gather feedback from a wide variety of stakeholders on how the Buy American provision and guidance are currently implemented, changes FNS should make to current regulations and guidance and feedback on how FNS can better support local operators as they strive to purchase domestic foods and food products.
Supplemental Information
On Jan. 25, 2021, President Biden signed the Executive Order on Ensuring the Future is Made in All of America by All of America's Workers (referred to as the Buy American Executive order hereafter) supporting the American economy by requiring terms and conditions of federal financial assistance awards and federal procurements to maximize the use of goods, products, and materials produced in, and services offered in, the United States. FNS is issuing this RFI in response to this Executive Order.