UNSPSC 50301558: Northern spy apples

The variety of apples known as northern spy apples

UNSPSC 50301558 Northern spy apples, a Commodity code, represents a narrow product line within school nutrition and child care food procurement. State and local governments buying under this code are almost exclusively school districts and child nutrition programs (including Head Start and CACFP providers) that source fresh produce for meal service. Recent solicitations show districts purchasing apples as individual line items within broader fresh-produce contracts, though the data shows apple procurement embedded in larger produce RFPs and IBs rather than standalone apple-specific awards. The City of Edinburg, Texas (RFP 2026-017, due August 4, 2026) and multiple Georgia school districts—Bryan County Schools, Bulloch County Schools, Dougherty County Schools, Glynn County Schools, and Liberty County Schools—have all issued fresh-produce solicitations that itemize multiple apple varieties (Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Ambrosia, Jazz) alongside bananas, berries, and vegetables, with estimated annual volumes ranging from hundreds to thousands of cases depending on district size and student enrollment.

The geographic footprint spans the Southeast (Georgia dominates with twelve school districts active in the past four months) and Texas, with isolated activity in Connecticut, Oregon, and California. Recent opportunities emphasize cost control, local or domestic sourcing preferences, Buy American compliance, HACCP certification, and weekly or bi-weekly delivery to multiple school sites. School districts typically weight cost at 30–50 percent of evaluation, with quality, delivery reliability, and compliance representing the remainder. Most contracts run July through June (the school fiscal year) and allow renewal for one to four additional one-year terms. The GEC Buying Cooperative procurement (SN 26-004, due March 4, 2026, covering 30 Georgia school districts across two geographic areas) and the Hancock County Schools fresh-produce IFB (due June 26, 2026, itemizing multiple apple varieties) exemplify the scale and structure: large-volume institutional buys with firm pricing, weekly delivery commitments, 97–98 percent fill-rate requirements, and strict adherence to USDA produce standards and food-safety documentation. Apples appear consistently across elementary and secondary meal programs but rarely as standalone contracts; they are sourced as components of comprehensive fresh-produce agreements where multiple produce categories compete for limited shelf space and meal-planning dollars.