You are here

Local Procurement

Overview

Green Delivery Truck

Purchasing local goods and services supports surrounding communities and economies, helps the environment, and creates a more resilient supply chain. The definition of “local” is defined by each School Food Authority (SFA). There is no federal definition. The SFA’s definition of local may change seasonally, or with the type of product, service, or special event. Local can be defined by a certain number of miles from the SFA, within the county, the state, or adjacent state(s), etc. Below are resources for procuring locally.
 
For more information on starting a Farm to School (F2S) program, visit the SNT F2S Webpage.

Sourcing Local Goods and Services

Schools can connect with local suppliers, farmers, producers, and ranchers through a few different channels. Consider using the Wisconsin Local Foods Database as a place to begin searching for producers, ranchers, and farmers in your area. Connections can be made by calling, emailing, meeting in person, or if necessary, sending out a written solicitation. 
 
  • Prime vendor (AKA commercial distributor)
  • Direct to farmer
  • School garden
  • Farmer’s market or auction

Common Procurement Methods

Most SFAs utilize informal procurement to obtain local goods and services. Before deciding which method to use, estimate the value of your purchase and have your specifications defined. In short, the value of a micro-purchase is estimated by transaction and is the most flexible method. Whereas, a small-purchase and formal procurement are estimated based on volume used over the course of a typical school year.
 

Local Procurement Decision Tree

 

Informal

  • Micro-purchase (non-competitive)
  • Small-purchase (3 Bids and a Buy)

Formal

  • Invitation for Bid (IFB)
  • Request for Proposal (RFP)

Identify Needs and Define Local 

To make a purchase, first identify your needs. Procurement terminology refers to this process as “creating specifications”. For example, what exact product do you need to purchase? Ask a few questions like: How much do you need? When do you need it? Do you need organic? What size or type do you need? 
 

Step 1

Conduct market research. If you do not know exactly what you are looking for, or what is out there, do some research. This process is referred to as “ Request for Information (RFI)”. This is similar to conducting a survey of what is available in your area. At this time, you are not buying the product or service, just collecting information to create your specifications and better defining your needs. For example, you may reach out to a few tomato suppliers or farmers to discuss the tomato products they offer (size, type, organic, quantity, season(s) of availability, etc.).

Step 2

After you do research, use the specifications developed during the RFI to request pricing. You may need to communicate further with suppliers to educate them on your specifications and the unique needs of the Child Nutrition Programs. When the specifications are clearly defined, suppliers will be able to respond completely and provide comparable pricing. A potential supplier must meet the requirements of the product or service outlined in your specification to be considered "responsive".  

Example: Locally grown whole beefsteak heirloom tomato (or equivalent slicing tomato), medium size, estimated volume to purchase 15-20 cases per week during growing season.

Crediting Foods for Child Nutrition Programs: A Resource for Local Producers

Step 3

Define local for your SFA. Your definition of local may change by product and season. For informal procurement like micro-purchase and small-purchase, keep the definition in mind when deciding who to contact for pricing. For formal procurement (IFB or RFP), include the definition in your solicitation document in addition to your written technical specifications. 

Geographic Preference

As of July 1, 2024 the geographic preference option has expanded to allow use of the term “local” (e.g., “locally grown”, “locally raised”, or “locally caught”) as a required procurement specification for unprocessed agricultural products for the Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs).

Operators may choose to:

  • Use local as a specification (i.e., the written description of a product or service that a vendor must meet to be considered responsive to a solicitation) for local unprocessed agricultural products;
  • Use a defined scoring advantage (e.g., additional credit or points given to local unprocessed agricultural products during the evaluation of responses to a solicitation) for local unprocessed agricultural products;
  • Adopt a mix of both strategies; or,
  • Elect not to use any of these approaches.

For more information on using the Geographic Preference, visit the USDA Procuring Local Foods webpage.

Wisconsin Local Food for Schools (WI LFS) Program

Overview

The Wisconsin Local Food for Schools (WI LFS) Program was authorized by the USDA to support the purchase of local unprocessed and minimally processed food for distribution to eligible SFAs participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP/SBSEVERE). During the first round of program activity, Wisconsin issued non-competitive sub-awards to School Food Authorities (SFAs) and Non-SFAs, like farmers/producers and food hubs. The program built a more resilient food chain by expanding and strengthening local and regional markets, with all purchases targeting small businesses and/or socially disadvantaged farmers/producers.
 
Termination of the Wisconsin Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) Program 
On Friday, March 7, 2025, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team (SNT) received notice that the second round of funding between the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is terminated for the Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) Program. 
 

Outcomes 

The below resources were developed during the first round of funding in collaboration with internal and external partners to support sustainability of local procurement activities. If you want to learn more about the first round of the LFS Program, review the Announcement Memo, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and resources below.

flier

WI LFS Program Summary

state of wi

 WI LFS Evaluation Report

barn and silo

Resources for Producers

 
Wisconsin LFS Eligible Beneficiary List - This list served as a tool for all subawardees both SFAs and Non-SFAs to connect. As program activity continued, farmer/producer and product purchases were expanded and shared.
 
We want to thank the LFS subawardees and all community partners for their participation and support of this program during round one. We encourage all SFAs to continue purchasing local and supporting our Wisconsin farmers. We would love to hear your LFS success stories and how you plan to continue incorporating local products in your school meal program. Please email our LFS inbox to share your pictures, success stories, and future local purchasing plans at dpisntlfsprogram@dpi.wi.gov.
 
If you have any questions relating to Farm to School (F2S) in general, please reach out to our F2S team at dpif2s@dpi.wi.gov. Keep an eye out for communications in the coming months highlighting the success stories and farmers/producers from round one. 

Resources and Policy Memos

Policy Memos