UNSPSC 50301568: Prime gold apples

The variety of apples known as prime gold apples

UNSPSC 50301568 Prime gold apples (Commodity) appears in state and local school nutrition and child care food procurement primarily as a catch-all commodity code, though the recent solicitations show the actual buying spans multiple fresh produce categories and processed food items beyond apples alone. State and local governments procure fresh produce and related food items under this code through school districts, county boards of education, municipal food authorities, and child care networks to support the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and the federally funded Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). The scope includes not only whole fresh produce—apples, bananas, berries, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, and seasonal specialty items—but also pre-cut and pre-packaged produce, eggs, and in some cases broader grocery categories including proteins, dairy, grains, and condiments. Issuing bodies are predominantly school districts (elementary through high school and special-purpose nutrition programs) across multiple states, though recent opportunities also include municipal food services, county-level child care networks, and Head Start programs. School districts dominate the code's recent activity, with Georgia jurisdictions—including Dougherty County, Bulloch County, Liberty County, Glynn County, Bryan County, and Hancock County—appearing multiple times in the last four months, alongside meaningful solicitation volume from Texas (McAllen ISD, Austin ISD, Edinburg), Florida (Hillsborough County Public Schools), Wisconsin (Madison Metropolitan School District), Connecticut (Meriden Public Schools, Bridgeport), and Oregon (Central Point School District).

Representative recent opportunities include Madison Metropolitan School District's bid for petite bananas (RFB 4162, due July 29, 2026) requiring weekly deliveries of 70–90 cases at specified ripeness stages to support school meals, with an estimated annual contract value of $78,000; Hancock County Board of Education's fresh produce solicitation (IFB #SN002-2027, due June 26, 2026) covering over 200 line items of apples, berries, cruciferous and root vegetables across three delivery locations for the 2026-27 school year; the City of Bridgeport's competitive bid for over 1,100 grocery line items (BNB052266, due June 30, 2026) supporting the National School Lunch Program with Buy American requirements; and Head Start of Greater Dallas' IFB for approximately 32,409 cases of frozen foods, produce, and meat products (IFB No. 26-GP, due June 24, 2026) with estimated procurement value of $969,460.94 across multiple suppliers. Geographic concentration is heaviest in Georgia, Texas, and the Southeast, with secondary activity in the upper Midwest, Northeast, and Pacific Northwest. Most solicitations use sealed-bid or IFB formats with evaluation weighted toward cost (typically 30–50%), product quality and compliance, delivery reliability, and vendor qualifications. Local-vendor preferences appear in Texas jurisdictions (including 5% preference discounts), and Buy American provisions requiring minimum 51% domestic agricultural content are standard in federally funded school nutrition programs. Contract terms typically run July 1 through June 30 annually with optional renewals of one to four years. Response windows are compressed—often 30–60 days from posting to bid due date—and insurance requirements (generally $500,000–$2,000,000 general liability) and HACCP plan compliance are routine. Activity remains steady through mid-to-late summer as school districts finalize procurement for the new fiscal year.