Institutional food purchasing is an area of significant interest for those advocating for stronger local food systems, because their large volume purchasing and annual spending has the potential to transform regional, even global, agricultural economies. This toolkit was designed to help individuals understand the process to request proposals from and negotiate contracts with food service management companies in order to maximize opportunities to incorporate regional food. These tools are also applicable to self-operated facilities for use in setting internal goals and contracting with group purchasing organizations or directly with suppliers.