Purpose: Alachua County is seeking proposals to develop a Food Hub Plan with a community engagement strategy, market analysis, and business plan for a food aggregation and distribution program that will primarily sell to institutional food purchasers while serving economically challenged and marginalized communities in the county by providing affordable access to healthy local foods. Proposers will be required to have expertise in food systems, aggregation, and distribution facility development with a focus on supporting local growers, farmers, and farm communities, providing financial, self-sustaining alternative markets for food, food insecurity, food sovereignty, and emergency food assistance. 

The services requested by the County under this solicitation are for the Fresh Food Pathways Consultant Services to develop a Plan for a community-based FOOD HUB.  This project will be implemented from early 2024 through 2026.  Approximately $962,000 is allocated to create the FOOD HUB community engagement strategy, market analysis, and business plan and manage sub-awards to local community-based organizations and non-profits.  Sub-awards will be for various food system services that inform the market analysis and business plan context. The Plan must show how it will serve two to six low-income and marginalized communities lacking access to local, fresh, healthy, affordable food and multiple institutional food purchasers in Alachua County. 

Project Timeline: The project will be implemented over two years starting in early 2024.  

Project Budget: The total project budget is approximately $962,000. At a minimum, proposals must allocate 80% of funds to Food Hub community engagement strategies, marketing analysis, and business plan development services and a maximum of 20% to Emergency Food Assistance programming.  

RFP submissions are open to all vendors/organizations (profit and non-profit) interested in implementing Food Hubs in Alachua County.