Subcontracting opportunities: NAICS 311513, Cheese Manufacturing

11 prime contractors held small business subcontracting plans on 164 federal cheese manufacturing contracts (NAICS 311513) in FY2022–FY2024, worth $370M including options. Only primes that aren't small businesses need these plans, and each one sets goals for work the prime gives to small businesses, so these are the companies looking for small subcontractors in this industry.

Primes with plans
11
Plan contracts
164
Agencies
1
Total value
$370M

A free account shows the primes that subcontract 311513 work in your state and the small businesses they hire.

Primes with subcontracting plans in 311513

Most plan contracts first.

Prime contractorPlan contractsValueMain agencies
Saputo Cheese USA Inc.Milwaukee, WI71$146MAgricultural Marketing Service
Agropur Inc.Appleton, WI24$59.3MAgricultural Marketing Service
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.Kansas City, KS24$48.2MAgricultural Marketing Service
Masters Gallery Foods, IncorporatedPlymouth, WI13$26.7MAgricultural Marketing Service
Leprino Foods Dairy Products CoDenver, CO · part of Leprino Foods Company10$42.2MAgricultural Marketing Service
Land O Lakes IncSaint Paul, MN8$11.1MAgricultural Marketing Service
Great Lakes Cheese Co IncHiram, OH7$22MAgricultural Marketing Service
Associated Milk Producers, Inc.New Ulm, MN2$7MAgricultural Marketing Service
Sargento Foods IncPlymouth, WI2$4.9MAgricultural Marketing Service
Winona Foods, Inc.Green Bay, WI2$1.9MAgricultural Marketing Service
Sorrento Lactalis IncNampa, ID1$777KAgricultural Marketing Service

Which agencies

AgencyPlan contractsValue
Agricultural Marketing Service164$370M

Where the work is

New Mexico (42), California (42), South Dakota (24), Pennsylvania (20), Idaho (13), Minnesota (10), Wisconsin (5), Utah (4), Illinois (2), Ohio (1), and 1 more.

How to win subcontracts with these primes

  1. Register in the prime's supplier portal. Most large primes have one, usually under “supplier diversity” or “small business programs” on their website. Buyers search it when they need a subcontractor, so list your NAICS codes, certifications and past work.
  2. Contact the small business liaison officer. Every prime with a plan names someone to run it. Find them through the supplier portal, or for defense primes in DoD's prime contractor directory. Send a one-page capability statement that names the contracts and agencies you can support.
  3. Watch SBA's SubNet. Primes post subcontracting solicitations and sources sought notices on SubNet.
  4. Be easy to vet. Keep your SAM.gov registration active and check that you count as small under 311513's size standard. Certifications such as 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB and SDVOSB count toward the prime's goals, which makes you more valuable to them.
  5. Get free help. APEX Accelerators introduce small businesses to primes and run matchmaking events. Our guide to becoming a government subcontractor covers the rest.

More on 311513: open contracts and top small-business winners. Primes also post subcontracting opportunities on SBA's SubNet.

Frequently asked questions

What is a small business subcontracting plan?

Under FAR 19.702, a large business that wins a federal contract over $900,000 ($2 million for construction) with subcontracting possibilities must agree to a plan with goals for subcontracting to small businesses, including small disadvantaged, women-owned, HUBZone and service-disabled veteran-owned firms. The prime reports its progress twice a year in eSRS. Contracts awarded before October 2025 used the older $750,000 and $1.5 million thresholds.

How do I become a subcontractor to these 311513 primes?

Register in the prime's supplier portal (most large primes have one, often called supplier diversity or small business programs), keep your SAM.gov registration active, and send the prime's small business liaison officer a capability statement that names the contracts and agencies you can support. Primes need small subcontractors to meet their plan goals, so being easy to find and easy to vet matters.

Where does this data come from?

Primes and their plan contracts come from SBA's Directory of Federal Government Prime Contractors with Subcontracting Plans for FY2022–FY2024, which is drawn from FPDS. Recent subcontracts come from the subaward reports primes file on USAspending.gov (most subcontracts over $30,000 on prime contracts over $750,000 must be reported). A subcontractor is shown as a small business when it has an active SAM.gov registration as small under at least one NAICS code, or an SBA certification.

Source: SBA's directory of prime contractors with subcontracting plans (FY2022–FY2024, from FPDS) and USAspending.gov subaward reports. Contact names are never shown. Values are base plus all options, not what has been paid.