UNSPSC 50301519: Duchess apples

The variety of apples known as duchess apples

UNSPSC 50301519 Duchess apples, a Commodity code, identifies fresh apple varieties procured by state and local governments primarily through school nutrition programs, child care food programs, and senior services. Recent solicitations show state and local buyers purchasing apples as part of broader fresh produce contracts spanning dozens of line items, with apples consistently representing high-volume annual commitments. The City of Edinburg, Texas, the Madison Metropolitan School District, Hancock County Board of Education, Bartow County School System, Dougherty County Board of Education, Bryan County Schools, and multiple other Georgia school districts have all posted sealed bids and RFPs for fresh produce that explicitly list apple varieties by cultivar and case quantity. Work currently being solicited emphasizes CACFP and USDA National School Lunch Program compliance, with apples typically specified alongside bananas, berries, citrus, stone fruits, and processed produce items in mixed fresh-produce contracts. Issuing bodies span school districts of varying size, county boards of education, municipal child care programs, and regional buying cooperatives. School nutrition programs represent the dominant buyer type, with occasional activity from Head Start organizations and senior services divisions.

Geographic activity concentrates heavily in Georgia, Texas, Florida, Connecticut, and California, with secondary activity across the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest. The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System in Georgia, for example, solicited 21,125 cases of Fuji apples annually under bid 26-34 posted in March 2026, while Hancock County Board of Education in Georgia specified six apple varieties (Ambrosia, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Jazz) in an IFB posted in June 2026 with a June 26 response date. McAllen Independent School District in Texas requested proposals under RFP 2026-1029 (deadline extended March 6, 2026) for apple varieties including Gala, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith to serve 20,000 students across 31 campuses. Meriden Public Schools in Connecticut posted RFP 02641 on March 3, 2026, for fresh produce including apples to serve 8,200 students, with an anticipated contract value of $3.1 million. The GEC Buying Cooperative, a 40-district Georgia consortium, posted SN 26-004 on February 4, 2026, covering approximately 70 produce line items including multiple apple varieties across two geographic areas with estimated annual spending of $5.5 million. Most recent solicitations use sealed-bid or RFP processes, require firm pricing for initial contract periods (often 60–90 days), mandate weekly or twice-weekly deliveries Monday through Friday with early morning cutoff times (typically 6:00–7:30 a.m.), and impose Buy American compliance, HACCP certification, and liability insurance minimums of $500,000 to $2 million.