» MFCA Procurement & Contract Administration

The State of Maryland is Open for Business and committed to helping vendors in facilitating this! 

This website assists vendors with doing business with the MFCA.  

• The Maryland Food Center Authority (MFCA) is a non-appropriated independent state agency and instrumentality of the State of Maryland.
• While provisions in MFCA’s solicitations and contracts may be similar as those used by State of Maryland agencies, the MFCA is not subject to most of the State of Maryland’s standard procurement regulations.  Except for Title 14, Subtitle 3, Minority Business Participation, the provisions of the State Finance Procurement article, Division II, Annotated Code Maryland, and regulations under the State Finance and Procurement Article, Division II, do not apply to the procurement procedures of the MFCA. 
• The MFCA is not subject to Maryland’s Prevailing Wage law. 
• The MFCA is generally exempt from federal excise taxes, Maryland sales and use taxes, District of Columbia sales taxes, and transportation taxes. Exemption certificates can be provided upon request. 

GENERAL INFORMATION 

• MFCA’s procurement staff’s mission is to assist all MFCA staff with the purchase of supplies and services at the lowest possible cost consistent with the quality and delivery required, and to oversee that all MFCA procurement processes are adhered to and that all purchases are made in an open and fair manner.   
• All purchases by an employee, acting as an agent of the MFCA, must be made within the budget which has been approved by the Board of Directors.  
• The Executive Director shall designate a Procurement Officer (PO) for procurements over a certain amount. The PO is the primary purchasing officer for the MFCA.   
• Only the PO and certain employees specifically authorized by the Executive Director have the authority to sign agreements, contracts, or other documents binding upon the MFCA. 
• The MFCA uses eMMA to post solicitations that are available for Competitive Sealed Bidding. 
• INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) – is the formal procedure used by the MFCA to solicit bids from vendors for services or supplies.  The bid is awarded to the vendor who has the lowest, responsive, responsible bid. 
• REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) – is the formal procedure used by the MFCA to solicit bids from vendors for services or supplies.  The bid is awarded to the vendor that can provide the services or supplies required, but not necessarily at the lowest price. 
• The MFCA is subject to Title 14, Subtitle 3 of the State Finance and Procurement Article, Minority Business Participation.  The policy requires and the MFCA strives to achieve an overall minimum goal of 29% of the total dollar value of all procurement contracts be made directly or indirectly to certified minority business enterprises (MBEs).  In the event a contract is equal or greater than $200,000, the MFCA shall follow the MBE Subgoal Directive as described in the State Finance and Procurement Article, Section 14-302 (a)(1)(ii).  
• MBE’s must be certified by the Maryland Department of Transportation in order to be utilized as a legitimate minority business on MFCA contracts.
• Work under MFCA contracts is usually performed within secured property. Contractors and their employees must use the first lane (guardhouse lane) to enter the Markets and check-in with Security.