UNSPSC 50302014: Thornless hull blackberries

The variety of blackberries known as thornless hull blackberries

UNSPSC 50302014 Thornless hull blackberries, a Commodity code, covers fresh berries procured for institutional food service programs—primarily school nutrition departments, child and adult care facilities, and correctional institutions. State and local governments buy thornless hull blackberries as a component of broader fresh produce contracts serving National School Lunch Programs, School Breakfast Programs, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal services, and similar federally funded nutrition initiatives. The recent solicitation activity shows berries embedded in larger fresh produce and grocery item procurements rather than as standalone commodity awards; the code itself does not appear frequently as a line-item focus in current postings. School districts, county boards of education, and child care agencies are the primary issuing bodies, with procurement occurring through IFBs, RFPs, and ITBs that bundle berries alongside apples, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and other produce staples. Evaluation criteria across these procurements emphasize cost (typically 30–50% weighting), product quality and freshness standards, delivery reliability, compliance with USDA and Buy American requirements, and vendor experience with school nutrition operations. Insurance minimums, HACCP certification, and debarment compliance are standard contractual prerequisites.

Geographic activity clusters in the Southeast and Southwest, with recent solicitations posted from Georgia (Hancock County, Dougherty County, Glynn County, Liberty County, Bulloch County, Bryan County, Bartow County, Savannah-Chatham County, and a statewide cooperative), Texas (McAllen ISD, Austin ISD, City of Edinburg), and Florida (Hillsborough County Public Schools). Representative opportunities include Hancock County Board of Education's fresh produce IFB for the 2026–27 school year (IFB #SN002-2027, sealed bids due June 26, 2026), which specifies berries including blackberries and raspberries among 200+ line items; Hillsborough County Public Schools' USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program RFP (26039RFPDST, proposals due March 11, 2026) seeking specialty fruits and vegetables for 18 elementary schools; and the GEC Buying Cooperative's regional fresh produce and eggs RFP (SN 26-004, proposals due March 4, 2026) serving 30 Georgia school districts across two geographic areas with estimated annual produce spending of $5.5 million. Contract terms typically run July 1 through June 30 with optional renewal periods; pricing is usually firm fixed for the initial contract year with escalation provisions tied to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service or Consumer Price Index indices. Thornless hull blackberries compete within larger commodity baskets where berry varieties (strawberries, raspberries) are often specified by pack size and ripeness stage; standalone blackberry-only awards are uncommon in the current market.