Review Vendor Eligibility

Bon Appetit is a management company and a subsidiary of the Compass Group. In 1999 the company launched its Farm to Fork Program to help pair local farms with chefs. Chefs that work for Bon Appetit are required to purchase at least 20 percent of their ingredients from small farms located within 150 miles of their kitchen. Farmers in the Farm to Fork program have a streamlined process to achieve eligibility.

The requirements for eligibility for the Farm to Fork Program vary by farm type:

• Small farms, orchards, mills growing plant-based products:
  • Owner operated
  • Within 150 miles of a Bon Appetit kitchen
  • Annual sales less than $5 million
• Small producers of meat, poultry, and eggs, dairy, and cheese:
  • Owner operated
  • Within 150 miles of a Bon Appetit kitchen
  • Annual sales less than $5 million
• Mid-size producers of meat, poultry, and eggs, dairy and cheese:
  • Owner operated
  • Within 500 miles of a Bon Appetit kitchen
  • Annual sales less than 1% of industry leaders’ sales volume for each species cultivated
  • Third-party humane certification

Aramark works through Avendra group to accept vendors. Avendra group has two separate vendor certification programs. The first program is for general registration, and the second program is for diverse and small business suppliers including: minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, LGBT-owned, and small businesses. To be considered a small business at Aramark, the products that are grown, raised, caught, manufactured or processed by a farm or an independently owned business must be located within 250 miles of the Aramark location. Below are the step-by-step guidelines for general vendor registration and diverse vendor certification.

General requirements:

• Step 1: Submit a Prospective Supplier Form. The form asks for initial information about the farm and is used by Aramark to understand the farmer’s business and what the farm is selling.
• Step 2: Confirmation from Aramark. Once the Prospective Supplier Form is returned to Aramark, Aramark sends a confirmation email.
• Step 3: Category Review. Category Review can take anywhere from one to four years. During this time, Aramark considers a variety of factors including:
  • Years of business history (three year minimum required);
  • A record of excellent customer service;
  • Competitive pricing;
  • Rigorous standards for quality, consistency of service, and on-time delivery; and
  • Insurance and indemnification requirements.

Sodexo has a strong commitment to supplier diversity, and it supports small, minority-owned, and diverse businesses through its Supplier Diversity Program, established in 2000. This program actively seeks partnerships with businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. In fiscal year 2023, Sodexo spent over $1 billion with diverse and small businesses in the U.S., engaging nearly 3,000 vendors through Tier 1 and Tier 2 purchases.

To participate in Sodexo’s Supplier Diversity Program, vendors are encouraged to register through Sodexo’s Supplier Diversity Program Management portal. The registration process requires vendors to submit company information, demographic details, annual sales figures for the past three years, relevant industry codes, and diversity certification information. Sodexo prefers that all diverse vendors obtain third-party certification from national NGOs or certification bodies at the city, county, or state level.

Sodexo’s dedication to supplier diversity is further emphasized through SodexoMagic, a joint venture with Magic Johnson Enterprises. SodexoMagic is a food services management provider for corporations, healthcare facilities, K-12 schools, and higher education campuses that focuses on community empowerment by hiring locally and sourcing from minority- and women-owned businesses.