New AMS Website Launched

Date
August 03, 2015

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has launched an all new, agency-wide website.  The new site is located at www.ams.usda.gov.  AMS Commodity Procurement stakeholders will need to update their shortcuts and hyperlinks to gain direct access to the new pages.

A new section called “Selling Food to USDA,” is located as a navigational tab at the top of the AMS main webpage.  Under this tab you will find the information from our former webpages, including solicitation listings and award reports, product specifications and technical requirements, new vendor and small business vendor information, WBSCM information and resources, and more.

Here are some useful URLs to get you started on the new website:

  • Solicitations and Awards: http://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food/solicitations
    Search documents by solicitation number, or click one of the commodity groups listed on the webpage to find current and past solicitation and award documents. Former-FSA products will be added soon, and we anticipate additional search functions for these pages in the coming months.
    NOTE: The “Group B” (grain, dairy, oilseed products) Master Solicitation, schedule,  solicitations and award reports are still available on the FSA website and on the WBSCM public procurement page (https://portal.wbscm.usda.gov/publicprocurement)
  • Becoming a USDA Vendor: http://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food/becoming-approved
    This page provides information on vendor approval requirements in USDA Food purchase programs. The approved vendor lists are located here.
  •  Pilot Project for the Procurement of Unprocessed Fruits and Vegetables: Information about the “UFV Pilot” is located here; AMS is working on including additional information.
  • Specifications and Technical Requirements: http://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food/product-specs
    Supplements to the Master Solicitation, commodity specifications, and other technical requirement documents can all be found on this webpage.
  • WBSCM: http://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food/wbscm
    The Log-In link is available here, as well as training documents, work aids, and other useful documents for WBSCM users.  AMS is working on including additional information.
  • AMS Commodity Procurement Staff Key Contacts: http://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food/cp-contacts

Purchase Summary Reports and Annual Purchase Reports can be found by navigating to the “Resources” tab at the top of any page, and selecting Reports Food Commodity Purchasing.

We are aware of some missing documents and navigational issues on the new website, and are working closely with AMS Public Affairs to get these resolved.  Please report any comments or concerns about the new website to Sara Hernandez via email (Sara.Hernandez@ams.usda.gov) so that we can address them as quickly as possible.

AMSCPNews, our subscription-based listserv, remains active and program notifications (with links to procurement documents and reports) will continue to be sent without interruption.  AMS will be transitioning to a new listserv in the next few months and will notify stakeholders of that upcoming change.  Meanwhile, continue to use the Subscribe to AMS CP NEWS! link to subscribe or update your AMSCPNews preferences.

If you have any questions or concerns about the new AMS website, please send them to Sara.Hernandez@ams.usda.gov and she will work to have them addressed.

Thank you for your participation in AMS Commodity Purchase Programs.