UNSPSC 50301520: Earligold apples

The variety of apples known as earligold apples

UNSPSC 50301520 Earligold apples, a Commodity code, covers fresh apple supply to state and local institutions — primarily correctional facilities, schools, mental health centers, and senior services. Recent solicitations show state and local governments purchasing apples as line items within broader fresh produce contracts for food service operations, though direct single-commodity apple buys are less common than multi-item fruit and vegetable procurements. The issuing bodies span state departments of corrections and mental health, county and municipal school districts, regional health coalitions, and city senior services divisions. Scope ranges from bulk produce delivery to correctional facilities and institutional kitchens to ready-to-eat processed apple snacks for school breakfast and lunch programs; specifications typically require USDA-grade produce, compliance with food safety standards, and delivery in case quantities with firm pricing and no fuel surcharges. Representative work includes the Texas Department of Criminal Justice soliciting fresh fruit and vegetables (including apples as standard line items) for distribution centers in Palestine and Snyder, the Illinois Department of Corrections seeking fresh produce including apples for Joliet Treatment Center with bi-weekly delivery on a small-business set-aside basis, and the Madison Metropolitan School District's procurement of petite bananas and fresh fruit snacks processed and delivered ready-to-eat to elementary schools.

Geographic activity concentrates in Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida, with school districts and state correctional agencies as the largest buyer cohort. Recent opportunities include the Bartow County School System and Hancock County Board of Education in Georgia seeking local fresh produce (including apples) sourced within 400 miles with RFP deadlines in late June 2026; the DeSoto County School District in Mississippi requesting fresh produce on a bi-annual cost-plus-fee model with bids due June 22, 2026; and the Dougherty County Board of Education in Georgia bidding fresh produce including apples with a June 16, 2026 deadline. Most solicitations weight cost at 30–40 percent of evaluation and emphasize domestic sourcing under Buy American requirements, with contract terms typically running July 1 through June 30 for school years or fiscal years. Procurement notices emphasize quality standards, timely delivery to multiple sites, HACCP compliance, liability insurance ($500,000 to $1 million), and increasingly local or regional sourcing preferences — signals that favoring Georgia, Texas, and Midwest suppliers. Activity is consistent and ongoing; school nutrition programs and institutional food service represent steady, recurring demand through annual RFP and IFB cycles.