Dinova, Inc., a uniquely business dining-focused marketplace, has been awarded the preferred dining program contract for the Department of Defense (DoD). This contract is part of a larger effort by the Department to grow usage of the DoD travel card to increase rebates earned and improve visibility into travel spend.

Dinova’s program, which is focused on connecting diners with business grade restaurants, will launch this fall under the name DoD Dine Smart, and will apply to the DoD’s two million active duty military, reserve and civilian personnel on official travel. Of the DoD’s annual $9 billion official travel spend, TDY (Temporary Duty) travel comprises roughly 70 percent of all department travel vouchers. Whenever personnel on official travel use their government travel charge card to dine at any of the more than 16,000 restaurant locations participating in the Dinova marketplace, the DoD will earn a rebate. Those rebates will be reinvested to extend the DoD’s travel budgets. Additionally, starting in 2019, DoD travelers will be eligible to earn their own dining rewards on those same official travel meals through the myDinova Rewards program.

“When it comes to business travel stress, having a satisfying meal while you’re exploring a new city really goes a long way toward balancing the hassle – we believe this is true no matter who you work for,” says Alison Galik, president of Dinova. “Today, we’re thrilled that the Department of Defense has joined the growing number of employers who are recognizing the impact of dining on traveler satisfaction, and, ultimately, organizational health overall. DoD DineSmart offers this government agency a way to save money while supporting their travelers’ well-being, all of which falls right in line with Dinova’s ‘nourishing connections’ approach to business.”

The DoD manages the national security and military defense for the United States of America, both at home and abroad. With more than three million employees worldwide, the DoD operates in every time zone and in every climate and has a wide range of dining needs.

Dinova’s enterprise and government accounts consist of 320+ organizations across the nation that send business dining employees to its more than 16,000 restaurant partner locations. The award of the DoD preferred dining program bid is another substantial milestone in the company’s overall growth for the year.