UNSPSC 50303433: Empress grapes

The variety of table grapes known as empress grapes

UNSPSC 50303433 Empress grapes, a Commodity code, describes fresh produce supply contracts that state and local governments procure for institutional food service operations—principally correctional facilities, mental health centers, school districts, senior services, and child nutrition programs. The code captures volume produce purchases delivered on recurring schedules to support meal preparation across multiple sites, with emphasis on freshness, food safety compliance, and meeting USDA nutrition standards where applicable. Recent solicitations show state departments of corrections, county school districts, city health departments, and independent nutrition programs all buying fresh fruits and vegetables under this taxonomy, though the code is tagged across a broad spectrum of produce procurement rather than empress grapes specifically. Issuing bodies include the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (multiple food warehouse supply contracts), Illinois Department of Corrections and Department of Mental Health, school nutrition programs (Madison Metropolitan, Hancock County, Dougherty County, Bryan County, Early County in Georgia; DeSoto County in Mississippi; Bridgeport and Edinburg in Texas), the City of San Antonio Senior Services Division, Head Start agencies, and regional health coalitions. These jurisdictions range from state-level procurement offices to county school boards and municipal food service departments, with school districts representing the largest and most frequent buyers under the code.

Geographic activity centers on Texas (TDCJ procurement at Huntsville, Palestine, and Snyder facilities; Edinburg CACFP and Head Start of Greater Dallas; San Antonio senior services), Georgia (Bartow County, Hancock County, Bryan County, Dougherty County, Early County school nutrition), Illinois (Department of Mental Health, Department of Corrections), Wisconsin (Madison Metropolitan School District), Mississippi (DeSoto County), Connecticut (Bridgeport Board of Education), and Florida (Collier County parks concessions). Representative recent opportunities include the Texas Department of Criminal Justice solicitation IW267376 (fresh fruit and vegetables for Palestine facility, proposals due October 19, 2026); Collier County Board of County Commissioners ITN for North Collier Regional Park food services (Invitation to Negotiate with local-vendor preference, proposals due March 6, 2025); Madison Metropolitan School District RFB 4163 for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks sourced within 400 miles and Wisconsin (proposals due July 29, 2026, approximately 5,900 servings weekly); and Illinois Department of Mental Health's Madden Mental Health Center fresh fruits and vegetables contract for fiscal year 2027 (proposals due August 14, 2026, small purchase procurement with small business set-aside). Contracts typically run one school or fiscal year with optional renewals, specify F.O.B. Destination pricing with no fuel surcharges, require HACCP plans and food safety certifications, mandate compliance with Buy American provisions where applicable, and weight evaluation on cost (30–40%), product quality and compliance, and service capability.