Single Source Procurement: Just Say Yes (JSY) Stellar Farmers Market Initiative
Pursuant to New York State Finance Law § 163.10(b), The New York State Department of Health is presenting the following summary of relevant circumstances, and material and substantial reasons why a competitive procurement was not feasible.
The Division of Nutrition (DON) is requesting a waiver from competitive bidding requirements to extend the current contract C027896 for one year with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) to administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Just Say Yes to Fruits and Vegetables (JSY) Stellar Farmers' Markets (SFM) initiative.
JSY SFM operates at farmers' markets in low-income neighborhoods and their surrounding community to provide free nutrition and cooking workshops to SNAP-eligible New York City (NYC) adults. JSY SFM aims to improve dietary habits by providing education and resources for planning, purchasing and preparing healthy meals that feature locally grown produce. JSY SFM workshops run from July through mid-November and feature approved lesson plans that address current nutrition-related topics, such as, healthy portion sizes, nutrition facts labels, reducing food costs, increasing physical activity, healthy beverage consumption and meal planning. JSY SFM activities are year-round and are not limited to workshops at farmers' markets.
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) is currently providing these services via contract C027896. NYCDOHMH's Physical Activity and Nutrition Program has successfully implemented the Stellar Farmers' Markets (SFM) initiative to address the issue of limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables in low-income communities. Since its inception in 2009, SFM has continued to grow from just eight markets participating in 2009 to twenty markets in 2016. In addition, these farmers' markets accept SNAP-Ed benefits, Farmers' Markets Nutrition Program coupons and NYCDOHMH Health Bucks and continue to serve as an optimal site for a variety of public health interventions including nutrition education.
Their ability to reach the target population; increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables; and their experience in implementing citywide initiatives makes NYCDOHMH the best choice for continuing this initiative until it is competitively re-procured. A new SFM Request for Applications (RFA) is anticipated to be released in late 2017 for new contracts to start 10/1/2018.
| Procurement / Program Name | Just Say Yes (JSY) Stellar Farmers Market Initiative |
|---|---|
| Contractor Name(s) | New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene |
| Contract Period | 10/1/2017 – 9/30/2018 |
| Contract Number(s) | C027896 |
