The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is seeking Utah beef and tree fruit producers interested in selling their products to schools across the state, according to an October 2 statement. USBE has opened a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Local Food for Schools Cooperative Contracts to create opportunities for local producers to become approved vendors for school meal programs.
Approved vendors will receive state contracts designed to make it easier for schools to purchase their products. While a contract does not guarantee specific purchases, it provides producers access to a significant institutional market and simplifies the procurement process for participating schools. The initiative presents a major opportunity to expand market access for producers while bringing more locally grown food into Utah schools, which serve over 660,000 students.
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is working to connect eligible producers with this opportunity and is providing technical assistance throughout the application process. Interested parties can review requirements and submission instructions by visiting Utah’s Public Procurement Place and searching for USBE-JB26254-RFP.
Questions regarding the solicitation must be submitted through the Q&A process by October 16, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. MDT. Proposals for the contracts are due by October 23, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. MDT.
