UNSPSC 50302209: Nelson blueberries

The variety of blueberries known as nelson blueberries

UNSPSC 50302209 Nelson blueberries is a Commodity code that names a single fresh-produce line item, but the recent state and local procurement activity under this code reflects a much broader pattern: school districts, correctional facilities, senior-services agencies, and food-service operators are soliciting fresh produce in volume, and vendors registered under this code are competing across a wide spectrum of fruit and vegetable categories—apples, bananas, berries, leafy greens, root vegetables, tomatoes, and seasonal items—rather than Nelson blueberries specifically. State and local buyers treat produce sourcing as a consolidated commodity procurement, often bundling multiple produce lines into single solicitations or awarding to primary, secondary, and tertiary suppliers on cooperative standing agreements. The issuing bodies span school nutrition programs (Madison Metropolitan School District, Hancock County Board of Education, Dougherty County Board of Education, Early County Board of Education, Bryan County Schools in Georgia, Bartow County School System), state departments (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois Department of Mental Health), county and city agencies (Collier County Board of County Commissioners, City of San Antonio Department of Human Services, City of Bridgeport, City of Edinburg), and specialized operators (Head Start of Greater Dallas, Marion Health Care Coalition). School districts dominate the activity, with superintendents and nutrition administrators driving recurring annual or multi-year cycles aligned to fiscal-year procurement calendars.

Recent solicitation activity concentrates heavily in Texas, Georgia, Illinois, and Wisconsin, with scattered opportunities in Florida, Connecticut, Mississippi, and other states. Representative recent opportunities include the Texas Department of Criminal Justice soliciting fresh fruit and vegetables for prison food warehouses in Palestine and Snyder (IFB responses due October 19 and October 14, 2026, respectively), Madison Metropolitan School District requesting bids for petite bananas and fresh fruit and vegetable snacks ready-to-eat (RFB 4162 and RFB 4163, bids due July 29, 2026, with estimated annual value of $78,000 for bananas), the Illinois Department of Corrections soliciting fresh produce for Joliet Treatment Center with bi-weekly delivery terms and a small-business set-aside (RFQ due September 3, 2026), and Dougherty County Board of Education requesting sealed bids for 40 line items of fresh produce across 24 school sites (sealed-bid procurement due June 16, 2026). School districts frequently apply Buy American provisions (minimum 51% domestic agricultural content), geographic preferences (sourcing within 400 miles for local-farms procurement), diverse-business evaluation weights (5 to 10 evaluation points), and delivery frequency mandates (daily to weekly, before-school-hours windows, often 5:00–7:00 a.m. or 6:30–2:30 p.m.). Pricing models range from fixed unit pricing to cost-plus-fee arrangements with firm escalation controls tied to USDA indices. Vendors must carry general liability coverage ($500,000 to $1,000,000 minimum) and comply with HACCP, food-safety, and cold-chain requirements; prevailing-wage and E-Verify certifications are common in Illinois and other jurisdictions. Contract terms typically run July 1 through June 30 aligned to school-year cycles, with optional one- to four-year renewal periods by mutual agreement or district discretion.