NIGP 16526: Dish Trucks and Tote Boxes

NIGP 16526 Dish Trucks and Tote Boxes, an Item code, encompasses refrigerated transport equipment and storage containers that state and local governments procure for food service operations, school nutrition programs, and library media distribution. Recent solicitations show state and local buyers purchasing refrigerated box trucks equipped with specialized insulation, refrigeration units, and cargo management systems to support food distribution across school district cafeteria networks; commercial-grade totes for media library operations; and associated food service equipment delivered to multiple nutrition facilities. The work involves sealed competitive bidding (IFB and ITB formats) for vehicle procurement with firm fixed pricing, multi-year warranties, and service-level commitments, as well as micro-purchase quoting for smaller storage and transport items. Issuing bodies include school districts (primary repeat buyers for nutrition equipment and refrigerated vehicles), municipal procurement offices, and specialized public agencies. Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida and Griffin-Spalding County School System in Georgia are active recent purchasers, with compliance requirements including USDA debarment and Buy American certifications for federally funded nutrition programs, prevailing wage standards for contracts exceeding $100,000, background checks under state child-safety laws, and insurance requirements at the city or county level.

Geographic activity clusters in Florida, Georgia, and Pennsylvania based on recent postings. The City of Philadelphia issued a micro-purchase RFQ for library totes due July 7, 2026 under $45,000, awarded to the lowest responsive bidder with 60-day price firmness and FOB Destination delivery terms. Griffin-Spalding County School System in Georgia solicited bids on a single 2026 refrigerated box truck (IFB #27-102) due July 23, 2026, requiring detailed line-item pricing for chassis, body, refrigeration unit, liftgate, installation, three-year warranty, five-year maintenance cost schedules, local service response times, and 180-day delivery. Hillsborough County Public Schools issued an ITB for large food service equipment delivery to multiple school sites, federally funded through USDA with four amendments issued between May and June 2026, pre-screening vendor qualifications, and requiring USDA certifications, prevailing wage compliance, and Florida background checks for on-site contractor personnel.