UNSPSC 50302000: Blackberries

The usually black or dark purple juicy but seedy edible aggregate fruit of various brambles of the rose family

UNSPSC 50302000 Blackberries is a Class code that spans fresh berry procurement by state and local school districts, county departments, municipalities, and child care programs, as reflected in recent solicitations for produce supply contracts serving meal programs. State and local buyers procure blackberries and other fresh berries as line items within broader produce and food-service agreements rather than through standalone commodity solicitations; the code sits within a wider produce-distribution market where schools and child nutrition programs source fresh fruits alongside vegetables, dairy, and prepared items on fixed-price, cost-plus, or index-based contracts. Issuing bodies are predominantly school districts and school nutrition programs across Georgia, Texas, Florida, Connecticut, Utah, and Oregon, along with municipal departments (City of Edinburg, City of San Antonio, City of Meriden), county boards of education, child care organizations (Head Start, Boys & Girls Club), and purchasing cooperatives (GEC Buying Cooperative). Representative recent solicitations include the Hillsborough County Public Schools RFP for Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program delivery to 18 elementary schools in Tampa, Florida (RFP 26039RFQDST, due March 11, 2026), specifying pre-cut produce in 50-unit cases delivered twice weekly; the Madison Metropolitan School District RFB 4163 for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks sourced within 400 miles of Wisconsin (due July 29, 2026), with a $0.20 per pound preference discount on organic produce; and the Bulloch County School District Invitation for Proposal for local fresh produce within 200 miles of the district (due May 4, 2026), listing 24 produce items including berries as part of its Farm to School program.

Geographic activity clusters in Georgia (Bulloch County, Bryan County, Dougherty County, Glynn County, Hancock County, Henry County, Liberty County, Muscogee County, Savannah-Chatham County), with secondary concentrations in Texas (Austin ISD, McAllen ISD, City of Edinburg), Florida (Hillsborough County Public Schools), and scattered solicitations across Wisconsin, Connecticut, Utah, Oregon, and California. Evaluation criteria weight cost heavily (30–50 points) while emphasizing product quality, delivery reliability, and compliance with Buy American provisions requiring domestic sourcing where practicable. Contract terms typically run one year with optional renewals up to four additional years; delivery is required weekly or bi-weekly to multiple school sites between early morning (5:00–7:30 a.m.) and early afternoon (12:00–2:30 p.m.), with F.O.B. destination pricing and no separate fuel surcharges. Vendors must maintain HACCP plans, liability insurance ranging from $500,000 to $2 million aggregate, and E-Verify authorization; procurement notices carry no specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises in recent postings, though some jurisdictions (Austin ISD, GEC Buying Cooperative) encourage small, local, and minority-owned business participation as federal or program policy. The volume and frequency of school-district activity across multiple states signal steady demand, but blackberries as a standalone item appear only within broader produce-line RFPs rather than as the sole focus of a solicitation, reflecting their position as one commodity among dozens in institutional food-service buys.