The Cuban government is launching a process to outsource the management of dining facilities within the Family Attention System (SAF) to various economic players, including the non-state sector. This move comes as the state struggles to maintain this essential program for vulnerable citizens on its own.
On Friday, the Ministry of Domestic Trade (Mincin) outlined the steps municipal trade companies must take if they choose to alter the administrative management of SAF service establishments.
Opening Opportunities for New Economic Actors
The initial step involves publicly announcing the "possibility of management by other economic actors," along with the list and locations of available establishments in each municipality. Interested parties have seven business days to submit their proposals.
Evaluating Proposals and Organizing Tenders
Once proposals are received, the local company will assess them and decide whether to hold a public or restricted tender. Subsequently, a dossier outlining the conditions and requirements for managing the establishment will be prepared, formally initiating the process.
According to Mincin’s guidelines, offers must be received and the best proposals selected within ten business days from the start of the tender, involving the Municipal Trade Directorate in the process.
Approval and Transition to New Management
The selection isn't automatic. The chosen proposal must be presented to the Social Policies Attention Group of the Popular Council's district and then to the Municipal Administrative Council for approval.
Once a new manager is chosen, authorities need to determine the fate of existing supplies and fixed assets, the status of workers, and supply and service contracts, which might be canceled to accommodate the new economic actor.
Contractual Obligations for New Managers
The final step is signing a contract that requires the new manager to continue SAF services. The contract also includes terms for property use, equipment maintenance, handling of existing assets, and collaboration with community organizations linked to the program.
Moreover, the contract specifies the use of the SAF Identity Manual and renewable energy sources in service management, according to the information shared by Domestic Trade.
In rural or hard-to-reach areas without dining facilities, the service could be offered through community meal homes or by individuals in their residences.
Expanding Non-State Participation
This initiative marks a further step in transferring the management of social dining services to small and medium-sized enterprises, self-employed workers, and other actors, while the state retains control over beneficiary eligibility and subsidy funding.
The procedure elaborates on the legal framework established in early August. Resolution 14/2026 from the Ministry of Domestic Trade, issued on July 24 and published on August 4 in the Extraordinary Official Gazette No. 85, allows the service to be provided not only by state Commerce establishments but also by state entities with worker dining facilities, non-state management forms, and non-profit institutions or associations.
This regulation is also supported by Agreement 10418 of the Council of Ministers, approved on July 23, which explicitly expanded the participation of SAF providers.
Financial Support and Supply Sources
Agreement 10418 stipulates that provincial and municipal Finance and Pricing directorates must provide funding for beneficiary subsidies.
It also states that the system's primary supply sources will be local production and self-management, with centrally balanced products and donations distributed only when available.
New managers cannot operate as traditional private restaurants without social obligations. Resolution 14/2026 mandates that providers ensure two daily meals, food safety and hygiene, sanitary and commercial licenses, water availability, cooking capacity, adequate property conditions, and home delivery service for beneficiaries unable to travel due to health reasons.
Target Beneficiaries of SAF
Under the new legal framework, SAF targets elderly individuals living alone or with other seniors without family support; people with disabilities living alone without such support; adults in socially vulnerable families unable to prepare meals at home; and, exceptionally, pregnant women from vulnerable households needing nutritional support.
The decision to seek external managers comes after years of service deterioration and increasing reliance on external contributions and the private sector.
Private businesses and international donations have previously been used to maintain SAF dining facilities amid challenges in securing food and other resources.
Understanding the New Management Process for Cuban Social Dining Services
What is the purpose of the Cuban government outsourcing SAF management?
The Cuban government is outsourcing the management of SAF dining services to alleviate the state's burden and involve various economic actors, including non-state sectors, in providing essential services to vulnerable populations.
Who can participate in managing these dining services?
Management can be undertaken by small and medium-sized enterprises, self-employed workers, non-profit institutions, and other non-state entities, as per the guidelines set out by the Ministry of Domestic Trade.
What obligations do new managers have under the SAF program?
New managers must uphold SAF services, ensure food safety, maintain sanitary and commercial licenses, provide adequate cooking conditions, and deliver meals to beneficiaries unable to travel due to health reasons.