FedReady

Government food service contracts

Agencies contract for dining facility operations, cafeterias, meal preparation and catering at bases, hospitals, training centers and events. This work is posted on SAM.gov under NAICS 722310 (Food Service Contractors) and 722320 (Caterers).

Below are the food service contracts open right now, who buys them, and what a small business needs to bid.

Open contracts now
11
Federal spending, FY2026
$1.3 billion
Share won by small businesses
18%
Small businesses registered
2,817
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Open food service contracts, due soonest

See all 11 open food service contracts →

What to know before you bid

Wage rates are set for you

Service contracts over $2,500 fall under the Service Contract Act, so you must pay at least the wage rates in the contract's wage determination, which is published on SAM.gov. Price your bid from those rates, not your usual ones.

Read the meal counts and menus

Dining notices list meal counts, serving hours, menus and sanitation standards. Price from those numbers, and check who supplies the equipment and the food.

Catering is often small and local

One-time catering for meetings and events is often a small purchase from a local business, which makes it a good first contract.

NAICS codes for food service contracts

Each notice carries one NAICS code, and its SBA size standard decides who counts as small. These are the codes on open food service notices right now:

CodeIndustrySBA size standardOpen now
722310Food Service Contractors$47 million receipts7
722320Caterers$9 million receipts4

Who buys food service services

Agencies that awarded the most for this work over the last three fiscal years, per USAspending.gov:

AgencyObligated
Department of the Army$1.5 billion
Department of the Navy$1.3 billion
Department of the Air Force$496.6 million
Forest Service$349.6 million
U.S. Coast Guard$118.4 million
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center$83.9 million

Open notices right now come from Dept of Defense (8), Department of State (2) and Department of Justice (1).

Where the work is

The most open food service contracts by place of performance are in California, Iowa and Louisiana. Federal contracts are posted nationwide on SAM.gov; state and local government bids are on each state's own procurement site instead.

  • California: 1 open
  • Iowa: 1 open
  • Louisiana: 1 open
  • Ohio: 1 open
  • Pennsylvania: 1 open

Set-asides on open food service contracts

  • No set-aside (full and open): 7
  • Total small business set-aside: 4

See which you may qualify for with the free SBA certification screener, or read set-aside contracts, explained.

Frequently asked questions

Are there government contracts for food service businesses?

Yes. 11 federal food service contract opportunities are open on SAM.gov right now. Agencies obligated about $1.3 billion on this kind of work in fiscal year 2026, according to USAspending.gov.

What NAICS code is used for government food service contracts?

Dining facility and cafeteria operations use 722310, Food Service Contractors. Event catering uses 722320, Caterers.

How do I bid on government food service contracts?

Register your business on SAM.gov (it's free), choose the NAICS codes for your work, then search open notices and respond by each one's deadline, following its instructions. Free help is available from APEX Accelerators.

Other industries

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FedReady is an independent company, not affiliated with SAM.gov or any government agency. Open-contract counts come from SAM.gov and update daily; spending figures come from USAspending.gov.