UNSPSC 50301512: Cortland apples

The variety of apples known as cortland apples

UNSPSC 50301512 Cortland apples is a Commodity code that frames what state and local governments buy under it—fresh apples for institutional meal programs serving children and students. Recent solicitations show school districts, child care agencies, and senior services departments procuring Cortland and other apple varieties alongside mixed fresh produce for CACFP, NSLP, and FFVP programs, with delivery to school sites, child care centers, and senior facilities. The code appears as a line item within broader produce and grocery solicitations rather than as a standalone purchase; districts typically bid fresh produce in bulk, specifying apple varieties (Cortland, Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, Honeycrisp, and others) by case quantity, pack size, ripeness stage, and delivery frequency. Issuing bodies span school districts (Madison Metropolitan, Savannah-Chatham County, Henry County, Liberty County, Muscogee County, Glynn County, Dougherty County, Bryan County, Bartow County, Bulloch County, McAllen ISD, Austin ISD, Hillsborough County), child care and Head Start programs (City of Edinburg CACFP, Head Start of Greater Dallas), and cooperative purchasing consortia (GEC Buying Cooperative spanning 30 Georgia districts). The code sees active procurement across the South and Midwest, with heaviest concentration in Georgia (Bryan County, Bartow County, Bulloch County, Liberty County, Glynn County, Dougherty County, Savannah-Chatham County), Texas (City of Edinburg, McAllen ISD, Austin ISD, Head Start of Greater Dallas), and Wisconsin (Madison Metropolitan School District), alongside scattered activity in Connecticut, Florida, Oregon, and Mississippi.

Recent representative opportunities include Madison Metropolitan School District's RFB 4162 requesting petite bananas (due July 29, 2026) and RFB 4163 for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks with localized sourcing within 400 miles of Madison and Wisconsin, both due July 29, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Central Time; Hancock County Board of Education's IFB for fresh produce including multiple apple varieties (Ambrosia, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jazz) with bids due June 26, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.; Bartow County School System's RFP 10-2026-019 for local fresh fruits and vegetables sourced within 400 miles, proposals due June 22, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.; GEC Buying Cooperative's RFP SN 26-004 serving 30 Georgia school districts across two geographic areas with approximately 72 produce line items including apples, proposals due March 4, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EST; and Austin Independent School District's RFP 26RFP034 for fresh produce and beverages to multiple school sites with proposals due March 11, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Evaluation typically weights cost at 30–50 percent, product quality and freshness at 15–30 percent, delivery and service reliability at 15–25 percent, vendor experience and references at 10–20 percent, and local or domestic sourcing preferences at 5–15 percent. Buy American provisions are standard, requiring minimum 51 percent domestic agricultural content in processed items, with some districts imposing additional geographic preferences for produce grown within 50–400 miles of the district. Pricing is predominantly fixed-price or cost-plus-fixed-fee, with firms required for contract duration (typically 12 months) unless market escalation is documented through USDA Agricultural Marketing Service or Consumer Price Index reporting; weekly or bi-weekly deliveries are standard, with early-morning time windows (5:00–7:00 a.m. or 6:00–8:00 a.m.) and delivery to multiple school sites required, often with no separate fuel charges permitted.