NIGP 97218: Food Services for Classes

NIGP 97218 Food Services For Classes, an Item code, encompasses meal preparation and delivery operations for K-12 schools, charter schools, Head Start programs, and other educational and institutional settings. State and local governments currently buy comprehensive food service management through this code—contracts where vendors provide breakfast, lunch, snacks, and a la carte meal operations; comply with USDA Child Nutrition Program requirements (National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program); manage staffing and inventory; and ensure compliance with federal nutrition standards, food safety, and health regulations. Issuing bodies include independent school districts (Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in Texas, DuBois Integrity Academy and BIA Charter School in Georgia, Movement School South Fulton in Georgia), county school systems (Cobb County, Georgia), municipal colleges (Houston City College), county Head Start programs (Boulder County, Colorado), and state agencies (New Mexico Department of Public Safety and Law Enforcement Academy). Recent RFPs show districts and authorities soliciting either cost-reimbursable or fixed meal-price contracts, with evaluation criteria typically weighting cost at 25–35 points, service capability and experience at 25–40 points combined, and compliance, financial stability, and innovation at the remainder across a 100-point scale.

Recent activity concentrates in Texas, Georgia, and Colorado. Representative solicitations include Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (RFP 26072030, restaurant/catering and delivery services, proposals due June 30, 2027), Movement School South Fulton (RFP PE22684, comprehensive food service for 390 elementary students, $291,107.08 annual revenue, proposals due July 17, 2026), Boulder County Head Start (RFP-292-26, nutritional services for 110 preschool children with emphasis on culturally responsive menus, proposals due June 26, 2026), DuBois Integrity Academy (RFP PE33258, food service for 1,200+ K-8 students across three Georgia locations, proposals due June 15, 2026), BIA Charter School in Norcross, Georgia (RFP PE55077, school lunch services for 530 students, $444,334.03 anticipated revenue, proposals due June 15, 2026), Academy for Innovation in Medicine in Atlanta (RFP PE55747, FSMC for 260 middle and high school students, proposals due May 4, 2026), and New Mexico DPS (RFP 26-790-1000-00003, full meal service at the Department of Public Safety and Law Enforcement Academy with mandatory pre-proposal conference February 10, 2026, proposals due March 6, 2026). One procurement—Seminole County Schools in Florida—solicited commercial kitchen equipment through an ITB for percentage-discount catalog pricing, indicating ancillary equipment procurement activity within the food services space. Houston City College (RFI 2602) issued a system-wide RFI for food services across 19 campuses with SBE subcontracting participation required. Evaluation timelines range from thirty to sixty days, with most Georgia school authorities requiring Georgia licensing or incorporation of FSMCs and appearance on the state Department of Education vendor list.