NIGP 38518: Desserts (Except Cake and Pastry)

NIGP 38518 Desserts (Except Cake And Pastry), an Item code, encompasses frozen novelties, ice cream cups, ice cream bars, bulk ice cream in five-gallon tubs, and related frozen dessert products that state and local governments procure primarily for school nutrition programs and institutional food service. School districts dominate the issuing-body mix, with recent RFPs and IFBs from boards of education in Georgia, Texas, and Missouri seeking suppliers to serve student populations across cooperative purchasing vehicles and individual district procurement. The scope includes ice cream and frozen dessert lines solicited as part of broader food-service contracts; suppliers must often provide and maintain frozen dessert merchandisers at school locations, comply with Smart Snack approval certification and Buy American provisions, and deliver products meeting HACCP food safety protocols and federal labeling requirements.

School districts in Georgia, Texas, and Missouri account for recent activity under this code. Walker County Board of Education, on behalf of the Georgia Educational Cooperative, issued RFP #27 for ice cream and frozen desserts on June 17, 2026, with sealed proposals due July 17, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., requiring a mandatory taste-testing event on July 14, 2026 and serving 26 participating school districts across approximately 338 schools. The contract runs August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 with options for extension up to three additional months and renewal for up to four additional one-year terms, with pricing firm for six months from award and subsequent adjustments permitted on a six-month basis only upon documented market changes verified by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service reports or Consumer Price Index data. Evaluation allocates 40 points for product evaluation based on taste testing, 45 points for cost, and 15 points for vendor references and service satisfaction. Suppliers must supply and maintain frozen dessert merchandisers at all school locations at no additional cost, with equipment repair service required within two business days and credit issued for product loss due to equipment malfunction. Rockwood R-VI School District in Missouri solicited grocery items in March 2026 including frozen dessert and ice cream products for 900+ line items across child nutrition services, due April 29, 2026, with contract awards anticipated by June 4, 2026 for a July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 term.