SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Consumers and Retail Food Markets Program
- Notice Date
- 8/29/2005
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541910
— Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Acquisition and Property Division, Acqusition Branch (DC), 1280 Maryland Avenue, SW Suite 580C, Washington, DC, 20024-2142
- ZIP Code
- 20024-2142
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-05-3K06-777
- Response Due
- 9/13/2005
- Archive Date
- 10/13/2005
- Description
- SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE. This is not a request for competitive quotes and no solicitation is available. The Consumer and Retail Food Markets Program, Economic Research Service (ERS), Service, US Department of Agriculture, in Washington, DC is responsible for conducting studies on economics of interactions between consumers? food choices and dynamics of at-home and away-from-home markets. This program has been designed to provide ERS with flexible means of collecting and analyzing primary and extant data, both of which ERS needs to inform policy and decision-making processes. The Economic Research Service (ERS), as the lead economic research arm of the Department, has responsibility to conduct economic research supporting the mission of the Department. This responsibility includes conducting research and providing information to Department officials on economic issues related to food safety, nutrition and health (including factors related to food choices), consumption patterns at and away from home, food prices, food assistance programs, nutrition education, and food industry structure. While some of this research can be accomplished using publicly available data, some issues may require collection of new data. For example, there are no public sources for current information on who is consuming what, how much, where, and what price. Similarly, there are no public sources for important factors such as consumers? dietary and health knowledge, attitude, purchasing behavior along with their demographic and health status. While publicly available data are based on large samples, the administration and tabulation of surveys often result in outdated information. A primary objective of the research program is to understand food purchase and consumption patterns of consumers and how these change as people age, households change, new products are introduced, and new information is acquired; identify and develop consistent strategies for consumers in various demographic groups and regions to effectively adopt the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; better understand the market dynamics of food safety and other consumer health issues; and understand links between foods, physical activity and health outcomes; quickly survey consumers about new issues or developments. Another key objective of the program is to provide real-time information on consumer reactions to unforeseen events and disruptions, current market events, and government policies. When markets are shocked, effective management of market impacts require a solid understanding of how consumer reactions would be linked to actual food purchases, sales, consumption, and price information. Finally, the program seeks to understand how individual attitudes and knowledge and healthful eating affect food choices, dietary status, and health outcomes. Data needs consist of historical and most recent updates on prices, quantities sold, and total sales volume for various food products (see attached list) on a national, regional, and market (where available) basis across the U.S. for foods consumed either at or away from home. These data would be used to: Examine trends in the retail food market. Identify differences in food prices across markets in the U.S. Measure the impact of food purchasing behavior on food prices, accessibility, services, and assortment. Compare measures of food purchase behavior to measures of food purchase behavior in the Consumer Expenditure Survey. Determine the types of foods that U.S. households purchase by demographic segment with specific focus on low-income households and how they differ from other demographic groups. Identify the prices that households pay for foods purchased and how household demographics, including income, affect prices paid and quantities purchased. Assess how low-income households differ in the food choices they make and the prices that they pay for food. In addition, historical and current purchase data are need at item level for food consumed either at or away from home that are based on a demographically and geographically representative sample of U.S. households. These data will be used to implement research in such issues as: Investigating the impact of USDA's National Organic Program on product differentiation and household demand for differentiated milk products (organic, non-rBGH, and conventional); Identifying what price households pay for foods purchased and how household demographics, including income, affect prices paid and quantities purchased; Identifying differences in food prices across markets in the U.S. and analyzing the impact the increasing number of alternative retail outlets for food on food prices and accessibility; Investigating the effect of different tastes and preferences across households on food demand; and Measuring the impact of consumer food purchasing behavior on food prices, accessibility, services, and assortment. These issues require transaction-level information that would cover food purchases by each household for all restaurants and all food store outlets available to a household and identify the store and restaurants from which each item or meal is purchased. In addition, all available descriptions such as ?organic?, ?non-RBST?, ?genetically-engineered?, ?GE?, ?non-GE?, and/or ?non-RBGH? should be clearly identified. Research would depend on (1) full knowledge of sampling and expenditure weights in order to aggregate measures both nationally and per local market for individual food products and aggregated food groups, and (2) a complete description of sample design. In addition to sample weights and design, other relevant data (such as strata and clusters) drive the research. A data description dictionary that provides a full explanation of any abbreviated terms in the data and a listing of all the available common characteristics are particularly important. All information on household demographics and l outlet details are significant components of successful research implementation. For food-away-from-home issues, recipes (when available) are critical. Food Consumption Special Reports: Historical and current data and analytical intelligence on consumption (rather than purchase) of foods at and away from home are needed to examine how consumer attitudes and market trend and fads affect consumers diet and health. For this purpose, consumption data for members of a demographically and regionally representative sample of US household along with rich demographic, including dietary and attitudinal, information is needed. Special Requests for Consumer and Market Information: Responding to requests for specific product, brand, or outlet information or anticipating key issues relating to specific foods, customized analyses will be require to examine in detail at a specific product or sub-group of food items for foods consumed either at or away from home. For example, a report may contain detailed information on the retail trends in orange juice sales or report changes in the type and frequency of beef sales by region by various household (or individual), or restaurant characteristics. In addition, an ad-hoc, drill-down analyses on the impacts of specific policy concerns or unexpected events on specific foods or meals, market conditions, demographic groups, or any combination of the above-mentioned items is required. For example, the influence of low-carb diets on sales of bakery products, restaurant foods, and new product and meal introductions at retail stores and restaurants. Non-proprietary or syndicated analyses or publications on issues of interest could also be considered. Special requests can quickly provide analytical information on high-profile issues, particularly as they relate to consumers? attitude and health and knowledge information. Special requests often call for collecting primary data from panel members on their perceptions, intentions, and attitudes with respect to unforeseen disruption or high-profile market events. Such information is needed to examine how consumer intentions would impact the market, or match consumers? actual purchases in the market place. Non-proprietary or syndicated analyses or publications on these issues would also be of interest. This ?Sources Sought? notice is being published to determine the availability of potential businesses who can provide data and information related to consumers and food market research with experience and interest in analyzing components in foods and dietary supplements listed below. Additionally, provide information on how current the information/data will be at the time of the request. The Government is very interested in and encourages small businesses to respond. Please send the following information: Name of Company Address Contact Person(s) Website Types of components in foods and dietary supplements routinely analyzed, tracked, and researched both at-home and away-from-home from the following list for which you have analysis and research capability, and any other statement of capability information to support meeting the technical requirement in this notice. List of aggregate Categories Cereals and Bakery Cereals products Flour and prepared flour mixes Breakfast cereal Rice, pasta, cornmeal Bakery products Bread Fresh biscuits, rolls, muffins Cakes, cupcakes, and cookies Other bakery products Meats, poultry, and fish Meats Beef and veal Uncooked ground beef Uncooked other beef Pork Processed fresh Other pork Other meats Poultry Chicken Other poultry including turkey Fish and seafood Fresh fish and seafood Processed fish and seafood Eggs Dairy and related products Milk Cheese and related products Ice cream and related products Other dairy and related products Fruits and vegetables Fresh fruits and vegetables Fresh fruits Apples Bananas Citrus fruits Other fresh fruits Fresh vegetables Potatoes Lettuce Tomatoes Other fresh vegetables Processed fruits and vegetables Canned fruits and vegetables Frozen fruits and vegetables Other processed fruits and vegetables including dried Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials Juices and nonalcoholic drinks Carbonated drinks Frozen noncarbonated juices and drinks Non-frozen noncarbonated juices and drinks Beverage materials including coffee and tea Coffee Other beverage materials including tea Sugar and sweets Fats and oils Butter and margarine Salad dressing Other fats and oils including peanut butter Soups Frozen and freeze dried prepared foods Snacks Spices, seasonings, condiments, sauces Baby food All other miscellaneous foods
- Place of Performance
- Address: N/A
- Country: USA
- Country: USA
- Record
- SN00881516-W 20050831/050829211623 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
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