marketing to school districts

A solicitation is more than a purchasing mechanism, it is a powerful tool that can be designed to help districts meet a variety of goals.

Solicitations are how school districts communicate: what products they’re looking for, when they need them, how much they need, and any requirements they have for potential vendors.

Solicitations are used both to solicit information from potential vendors (such as local producers) and establish terms for a contract.

It’s important to take the opportunity to stand out as a local vendor! You can indicate that you’re interested in offering field trips, coming for classroom visits, providing marketing materials to support cafeteria-based promotion, and supporting special events. All of these activities are great examples of an important offering that adds value to your products and differentiates you as a local vendor. Remember, in order to be considered responsive, potential vendors must be able to “deliver” on all the qualities named in the solicitation.

Specifications  describe product standards required to meet the needs of the school market you are seeking to sell to.  Specifications are based on industry standards. School buyers may be accustomed to receiving Grade A products and wholesale pack size from distributors. However, that does not mean that these standards are necessary for their operation.

There is flexibility! The school district can change its specifications, but only through a written amendment to the solicitation before it is announced.  Producers can support this process by helping SFAs understand what standards are feasible for local producers to meet. In fact, your ability to deviate from standards might make your products more attractive to school buyers.

For example, small apples that don’t meet other standards may be a great fit or schools. They’re better for little hands and can be offered whole to students, minimizing processing time on the part of school food service.

Important! Potential vendors must be able to meet the required specifications stated in the solicitation, or they will be considered “non-responsive.”

Vendor requirements vary by solicitation type and school district. However, there are some common requirements for potential vendors seeking to sell to school markets:

Post-Harvest Handling Practices: harvest and wash-station procedures, product traceability and labeling information, and packing requirements (including details like new boxes or reusable crates)

Food Safety Practices: third-party certification programs (e.g., Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)/Good Handling Practices (GHP), required infrastructure (e.g., stations and cold storage), and food safety plans (including documentation of practices)

Insurance and Licenses: product liability insurance, auto insurance (in the case of delivery), business licenses and Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) licenses (for regional school markets)

Payment Systems: invoicing requirements, payment schedules and lag times (often no payment upon delivery), and registration in required vendor systems

Distribution Logistics: delivery locations, schedules, and equipment requirements (like for accessing loading bays)

It’s important to know that some vendor requirements are mandatory (in order to comply with federal rules), while others are determined by the school district (for example, food safety or delivery requirements). Regardless, a producer responding to a solicitation must comply in order to be eligible for selection.

Do not assume that all schools have the same motivations and requirements!

You should make an opportunity to meet with the School Nutrition Director (or other school buyer) to learn about their specific needs and requirements. Here are some key points to discuss together:

Program goals: Understanding the buyer’s professional and personal motivations may provide producers an opportunity to negotiate requirements based on shared values and priorities.

Product needs: Ask about the kinds of products they are interested in purchasing locally—how much and how often do they need products to be processed, and how are they used to receiving local products?  You may also consider asking what they plan to make with the product. This question may reveal that there are unidentified flexibilities or new product opportunities.

Sourcing practices and preferences: Find out if they are interested in purchasing directly from you or if they prefer to work through a distributor. Depending on past experiences, they may have hesitations about sourcing through certain market channels. Be sure to find this out, so you can address potential issues proactively.

Solicitations and procurement: Ask what type of procurement method they typically use for the products you’re interested in selling, and what the timing is for those solicitations. It’s important to understand that certain products may commonly be purchased informally, while others may need to be purchased through formal methods, due to the dollar value of purchases.

Payment: Understanding the school’s invoicing and payment processes is critical to anticipating cash-flow requirements and avoiding delays.

Contingencies: It is important to make plans for addressing the unexpected such as missed delivery, crop failure, natural disasters, etc. These things happen. What’s important is that you establish clear expectations and have a mutual understanding for addressing them. This reduces risk and helps maintain working relationships.