NIGP 37550: Pastry Shells

NIGP 37550 Pastry Shells, an Item code, covers fresh bakery products — primarily bread and rolls — that state and local governments procure for institutional food service operations including hospitals, supported living centers, schools, and cafeterias. Recent solicitations show purchasing focused on sandwich breads in whole grain and specialty varieties, hamburger and frankfurter buns, rolls, bagels, tortillas, and snack items, with contracts requiring products to be fresh, date-stamped with adequate shelf life, and delivered in clean sanitary conditions. State health and human services commissions and independent school districts are the primary issuing bodies under this code, with delivery and ordering infrastructure typically managed by the vendor including online or phone ordering systems, fixed delivery windows Monday through Friday, and vendor-managed transportation costs. The scope extends beyond traditional bakery items to integrated food service solutions where pastry shells and related baked goods support broader meal preparation and catering operations.

Texas dominates recent activity under this code, with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Katy Independent School District posting multiple opportunities in the first half of 2026. HHSC's IFB HHS0017445 (and its successor HHS0017445V2) solicited bread and bakery products to supply state hospitals and supported living centers across Texas with a historical spend of $2 million annually and an anticipated contract value of $1 million annually or $2 million over two years, responses due August 19, 2026 under the amended version; Katy ISD's RFP 2402AK-B sought restaurant catering and mobile food services with a June 15, 2026 deadline, evaluating vendors on price (30%), reputation and quality (25%), extent of goods meeting district needs (15%), past relationship (10%), long-term cost (10%), and compliance (10%), with contract term through March 28, 2027 and options to renew annually for up to three additional years. Georgia also posted a food and supplies solicitation (PE55645NONST2026000000009) due June 22, 2026, though detailed specifications were not disclosed in posted materials. Contracts under this code typically run twelve to thirty-six months with renewal options, require firm fixed pricing, and impose strict compliance and complaint-resolution obligations on vendors including 72-hour response times to service problems and investigation cost absorption.