What USDA buys
Most USDA dollars don't go through open SAM.gov competitions. Here's how the spend actually breaks down:
Where USDA posts opportunities
Primary channels: SAM.gov · GSA Schedule.
Agency-Specific Portals
These channels post opportunities you won't find on SAM.gov — most contractors miss them.
- USDA Grants Portal grants
Agricultural research grants
USDA pain points
What USDA is actively trying to fix — sourced from agency strategic plans, IG reports, and FY26 budget justifications. Map your capabilities to these and you're writing toward an evaluator's actual problem.
- 1
Food safety modernization - FSIS inspection technology and pathogen detection systems
- 2
Rural broadband deployment - administering $65B+ for last-mile connectivity in underserved areas
- 3
Crop insurance systems - modernizing risk management platforms serving 1.1M+ policies
- 4
Forest management technology - wildfire prediction, fuels management, and reforestation tracking
- 5
Conservation program delivery - digital platforms for CRP, EQIP, and other stewardship programs
- 6
Supply chain resilience - agricultural supply chain monitoring and disruption early warning
FY26 funding priorities
Where the money is moving inside USDA in the current and upcoming fiscal years.
- $1.2B allocated for USDA's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) ReConnect Program to expand broadband access in rural areas, with grant and loan opportunities for ISPs and infrastructure firms through FY2025.
- $500M in FY2025 budget for Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) modernization, including contracts for IT systems and data analytics to enhance food safety inspections.
- $3.1B committed under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for USDA Forest Service wildfire risk reduction, with contracts for forest management and fuel reduction projects through FY2027.
- $800M allocated for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) integrity initiatives, with procurement opportunities for fraud detection software and payment processing systems in FY2025.
- $250M in FY2025 Congressional Justification for USDA IT modernization under FITARA compliance, with upcoming solicitations for cloud migration and legacy system replacement.
Small business set-asides at USDA
Set-aside percentages shift quarterly. Mindy flags every set-aside opportunity in your daily briefing.
How Mindy tracks USDA
Mindy pulls USDA opportunities from 4 sources every day — SAM.gov, USDA Grants Portal, agency forecast portals, recompete signals from expiring contracts — then filters by your NAICS, set-aside eligibility, and location. New opportunities and recompete signals land in a single morning email.
No more checking 12 portals. No more reading 80-page solicitations to figure out if you're even eligible.
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