NIGP 38506: Bread

NIGP 38506 Bread, an Item code, covers sliced and unsliced bread products, rolls, and related bakery items that state and local governments procure for institutional food service — school districts, correctional facilities, state-supported living centers, veterans homes, and hospital systems. Recent solicitations show bread supplied as a standalone line-item category within larger food procurement efforts, with specifications tied to nutritional standards (whole-grain and enriched-tier compliance under USDA 2024 Final Rule), Buy American provisions requiring domestically sourced agricultural content, and National School Lunch Program compliance. Issuing bodies include state departments (Illinois, Texas, Georgia), school districts (Bridgeport Board of Education, Early County Schools, Coffee County Schools, Northside Independent School District), state-operated facilities (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy, Texas HHSC State Supported Living Centers), and municipal procurement offices acting on behalf of school nutrition departments. Repeat buyers appear across Texas (HHSC, TDCJ, school districts) and Illinois (state institutional facilities). Delivery terms are uniform across food service contracts: Monday-through-Friday time windows, FOB destination with freight prepaid and no fuel surcharges, standard pallet configurations, and ability to maintain backup stock for emergency 24-hour fulfillment.

Geographic concentration is heaviest in Texas and Illinois, with secondary activity in Connecticut (Bridgeport), Georgia, and smaller school districts across the Southeast. Recent representative opportunities include the Texas HHSC IFB for frozen food products (HHS0017338, 106 line items including baked goods, bids due August 18, 2026, estimated annual volume $9 million over a potential three-year contract), the Bridgeport Board of Education IFB for bread and bakery items (BNB058266, 19 line items, bids due June 26, 2026, Buy American and USDA compliance required), Early County Board of Education line-by-line food bids including bread products meeting whole-grain specifications (bids due June 8, 2026), and the Texas TDCJ cafeteria food products IFB (304T-26-300CF, 382 line items spanning proteins, grains, and specialty entrees, extended response due May 4, 2026). Coffee County Schools (Georgia) and Northside Independent School District (Texas) have active school-year bread and catering RFQs. Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy has posted multiple quarterly bread/food orders with brand-specific and brand-or-equal options throughout 2026, most recently due August 24, 2026.