Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Federal Actions Needed to Help Veterans Access Benefits

TL;DR

GAO found that millions of veterans experienced food insecurity and that participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) among veterans varies by state. States may conduct targeted SNAP outreach and must have USDA‑approved outreach plans to receive partial federal reimbursement; most states with outreach plans in fiscal year 2026 (39 of 47) identified veterans as a target group. Stakeholders told GAO that veterans’ misconceptions about SNAP hinder outreach and that USDA has not developed veteran‑tailored outreach materials in the past five years, despite program changes affecting veterans. USDA and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established a memorandum of agreement (MOA) in September 2023 to address veteran food insecurity, but collaboration slowed since April 2025 after USDA lost key staff; the agencies have not reviewed the MOA as specified, leaving its current operational status unclear. Immediate implications: expect increased demand from states and veteran organizations for outreach planning, veteran‑targeted communications, and interagency coordination support; contractors focused on social services, outreach & communications, and veterans services should prepare capture and proposal materials. Monitor USDA/VA activity and state outreach plan solicitations closely for near‑term opportunities.

Key Points

• What happened: GAO reviewed SNAP outreach and found veterans face food insecurity, state participation varies, most states with FY2026 outreach plans target veterans, USDA has not produced veteran‑tailored outreach materials in the past 5 years, and USDA–VA collaboration under an MOA (Sept 2023) slowed since April 2025.
• Who is affected: Social Services; Outreach and Communications; Public Relations; Veterans Services; Food Assistance Programs; Management Consulting; Data Analysis and Research. Specific NAICS codes: 624210, 541611, 541613, 541820, 541910, 541990, 561920. Agencies: USDA, VA.
• Timeline: MOA established September 2023; collaborative efforts slowed since April 2025; most states with outreach plans in fiscal year 2026 (39 of 47) identified veterans as a target group.
• What contractors should do NOW: alert capture and BD teams, refresh outreach‑communications capabilities and veteran‑trusted‑messenger materials, prepare compliant proposal templates and capability statements for state and federal outreach work, and set up active monitoring for USDA/VA and state solicitations and outreach plan updates.

Who Is Affected

• Affected market segments: Social Services; Outreach and Communications; Public Relations; Veterans Services; Food Assistance Programs; Management Consulting; Data Analysis and Research.
• Specific NAICS codes: 624210; 541611; 541613; 541820; 541910; 541990; 561920.
• Agencies: USDA; VA.
• Contract vehicles: Specific contract vehicles pending source review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Has USDA produced outreach materials tailored to veterans recently?

A: No. GAO reports USDA has not developed outreach materials tailored to veterans in the past five years. GAO notes that developing and disseminating such materials could help ensure trusted messengers share accurate information with food‑insecure veterans.

Q: What is the status of the USDA–VA memorandum of agreement (MOA)?

A: The MOA was established in September 2023. GAO reports the agencies’ collaborative efforts slowed since April 2025 following the loss of key USDA staff; agency officials say the MOA remains in place but they have not reviewed it as specified, leaving the current status unclear.

Q: Are specific solicitations or funding amounts available for contractors now?

A: Pending source review. GAO’s report highlights state outreach plans (FY2026 reference) and agency coordination issues but does not list current solicitations or dollar figures. Contractors should monitor state outreach plans and USDA/VA activity for solicitations.

Definitions

• SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program): A federal program administered by USDA in partnership with states that provides benefits to low‑income households to buy food.
• MOA (memorandum of agreement): A formal agreement between agencies (here, VA and USDA) to coordinate efforts addressing veteran food insecurity.
• GAO (Government Accountability Office): The federal agency that conducted the review summarized in this briefing.

Intelligence Response

• Cabrillo Signals War Room detected this GAO finding and delivered this briefing. Use Signals War Room to maintain continuous alerts on USDA, VA, and state outreach plan updates and to capture any changes to the MOA status or outreach reimbursement rules.
• Configure Cabrillo Signals Match Engine to rescore your opportunity pipeline for increased relevance to SNAP outreach, veteran‑targeted communications, and state outreach plan support opportunities.
• Use Cabrillo Signals Intelligence Hub to create saved searches for USDA and VA activity and for state SNAP outreach plan postings; set alerts for FY2026 outreach plan updates and for solicitations related to veteran outreach.
• Mobilize Proposal Studio (Proposal OS) and Proposal Studio Workflow Tracker to produce compliant outreach proposals and manage capture with Cabrillo’s 9‑gate workflow and audit‑ready documentation.

Who to notify:

• Capture Manager — prioritize immediate pipeline rescoring and bid/no‑bid decisions.
• BD Director — adjust go‑to‑market and partner messaging for veteran outreach opportunities.
• Proposal Lead — prepare veteran‑focused outreach templates and compliance matrices.
• Outreach/Communications Practice Lead — update messaging frameworks for veteran audiences.
• Contracts/Compliance — review any reimbursement or approval requirements tied to USDA‑approved outreach plans.

First 48‑hour response playbook:

• Hour 0–4: Alert relevant staff via Signals War Room; circulate this brief to capture, BD, proposal, and outreach leads. Create a Watchlist in Intelligence Hub for USDA, VA, and state outreach plan activity.
• Hour 4–12: Run Match Engine rescoring to flag high‑priority opportunities; convene capture huddle to assign roles and begin bid/no‑bid analysis in Proposal Studio.
• Hour 12–24: Draft veteran‑targeted outreach capability statements and one‑page offerings using Proposal Studio templates; prepare tailored messaging for trusted‑messenger channels.
• Hour 24–48: Lock 9‑gate Workflow Tracker milestones, assign proposal timelines, and begin outreach to state contacts and veteran service organizations (as appropriate), while continuing live monitoring in Signals War Room and Intelligence Hub.

Relevant Cabrillo resources: Winning Federal Contracts Guide (/insights/winning-federal-contracts). For compliance and handling controlled information in proposals, see CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) Compliance Guide (/insights/cmmc-compliance-guide) and CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information)-Safe CRM Guide (/insights/cui-safe-crm-guide).