NIGP 38045: Ice Cream

NIGP 38045 Ice Cream, an Item code, encompasses individually wrapped frozen dessert products (ice cream cups, cones, sandwiches, bars, sherbet, and Italian ice) that school districts and other state and local nutrition programs procure for student meal service, all compliant with USDA Smart Snacks in School nutritional standards. State and local governments buying under this code are predominantly independent school districts and charter schools, with occasional participation from state nutrition programs, Head Start agencies, and state education departments; Pinellas County School District, Cobb County School District, and Jones County School District each appeared multiple times in recent solicitation activity. Issued work spans specification-driven IFBs and ITBs where vendors bid against detailed product line items (typically 12 to 29 line items per solicitation), with mandatory compliance to USDA and FDA nutrition and food safety standards, Buy American requirements where applicable, and HACCP certification. Vendors must supply products on a weekly delivery schedule to multiple school buildings, maintain freezer equipment at no cost to the district, provide product samples for taste testing, and hold general liability and workers' compensation insurance; contracts typically run one to two years with optional renewal periods extending to three or four additional years.

Ice cream procurement activity concentrates in the Southeast, particularly Georgia and Florida, with Texas and Illinois also active in the past three months. Pinellas County School District issued ITB 26-JG-019 for ice cream products due May 27, 2026, covering 12 product lines with delivery to 117 county facilities and an estimated contract value of approximately $500,000 over two years. Cobb County School District in Georgia issued RFP P26132 for frozen treats due June 15, 2026, with estimated annual expenditure of approximately $525,000 and nine product categories across roughly 100 schools. Jones County School District in Georgia issued IFB for ice cream products due May 28, 2026, covering 29 line items of Deconna-brand products across seven schools for the July 2026–June 2027 school year. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts issued IFB 304T-27-380M1.2 for dairy and juice products (including ice cream and sherbet among 182 line items) due August 25, 2026, for delivery to eight state juvenile justice facilities and state education institutions across Texas. Cirrus Academy Charter School in Macon, Georgia issued IFB for 19 ice cream line items due August 24, 2026, with Smart Snack compliance and Buy American domestic-content requirements. State of Illinois issued two separate solicitations for ice cream cups (FY27 IVHQ) with minimal specification detail available in posted materials.