The pilot project provides SDAs selected states additional flexibility in the procurement of unprocessed fruits and vegetables. SFAs in selected states, or SDAs acting on behalf of participating SFAs, are permitted to competitively solicit a USDA-approved vendor using USDA Foods NSLP entitlement funds.
Authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, the USDA Pilot Project for Procurement of Unprocessed Fruits and Vegetables was designed to provide states with additional flexibility in the procurement of unprocessed fruits and vegetables. Participating states and school food authorities can purchase approved items with existing USDA Foods National School Lunch Program entitlement funds from any USDA Pilot-authorized vendor in support of the school meal standards.
The revised policy memo requires supplemental reporting from processors and requires state verification of credits provided by the processor to the SFA. Processors wishing to continue participation in the pilot will have to sign the attached revised NPA amendment to extend their participation in the pilot.
This report assesses that pilot and includes a qualitative evaluation of the vendor and ITO experiences and an assessment of pilot costs.
The Prime Vendor Pilot was conducted as part of USDA's Business Process Re-engineering efforts to improve the administration and operation of the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. Under this pilot, USDA partnered with the Department of Defense, which had an existing contract with commercial vendors and distributors.