NIGP 24545: Milk Cartons, Paper and Plastic (Including Liners)

NIGP 24545 Milk Cartons, Paper and Plastic (Including Liners), an Item code, encompasses packaging materials and the milk and dairy products supplied in those containers to school districts and municipal education departments meeting USDA nutrition standards and Buy American requirements. State and local governments procure milk cartons as a component of broader school meal programs, bundled with dairy and beverage products in competitive sealed-bid contracts that specify packaging format, material composition, nutritional compliance, and delivery logistics to multiple school sites. Issuing bodies include school districts across multiple states and municipal education departments operating large meal-service operations; Pinellas County School District in Florida, Seminole County School Board in Florida, and the Bridgeport Board of Education in Connecticut have each posted solicitations within the past three months. These jurisdictions typically award multi-year contracts with renewal options and establish pricing that accommodates market fluctuations in raw milk costs, requiring bidders to comply with Federal Buy American provisions, maintain insurance coverage naming the school board as additional insured, and submit product samples for student acceptance testing before award.

Geographic activity concentrates in Florida and Connecticut based on recent postings. Pinellas County School District solicited milk, dairy, and juice products through an ITB (26JG021) closing June 11, 2026, for approximately 117 district facilities under a two-year contract valued at approximately $22.5 million with potential renewal options; Seminole County School Board issued an ITB (25260070BVG) for milk and dairy products serving 56 school locations with a bid deadline of April 2, 2026; and the City of Bridgeport Department of Public Purchases solicited grocery items including dairy through an IFB (BNB052266) with a June 30, 2026 response date supporting the Bridgeport Board of Education's Food & Nutrition Services. All three solicitations require twice-weekly or daily delivery to central warehouses and multiple school sites, electronic ordering through district systems, and compliance with nutritional standards including whole-grain requirements, nut-free formulations, and healthy-eating guidelines under Title VII regulations and the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act.