UNSPSC 50305100: Papayas

Succulent yellow fruit of a large plant (carica papaya) of the family caricaceae that is considered a tree, though its palmlike trunk, up to 8 m (26 feet) tall, is not as woody as the designation generally implies. Also called papaw or pawpaw

UNSPSC 50305100 Papayas is a Class code that state and local governments procure as a component of broader fresh produce supply chains serving institutional food service operations—correctional facilities, mental health centers, school districts, senior services, and child care programs. Unlike the abstract commodity name, the actual buying under this code reflects demand for fresh fruit delivery as part of multi-item produce contracts, meal-service RFPs, and nutrition program solicitations rather than papaya-specific procurement. State and local issuing bodies spanning Texas corrections (Texas Department of Criminal Justice), Illinois corrections and mental health (Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois Department of Mental Health), school districts across Georgia, Wisconsin, Mississippi, and Connecticut, and special-purpose districts (Head Start entities, county health coalitions, senior services) are all active in the produce supply market, with school nutrition programs and correctional food service representing the largest concentration of recent activity. The mix skews heavily toward school districts and state institutional food service, with occasional participation from municipalities (City of San Antonio, City of Bridgeport, City of Edinburg) contracting produce delivery for meal programs serving children and seniors.

Recent opportunities show Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin, Illinois, Mississippi, and Connecticut as primary geographies for this activity. Representative solicitations include the Texas Department of Criminal Justice soliciting fresh fruit and vegetable supply to the Snyder Food Warehouse and Wynne Food Warehouse (Bonfire reference IW267420 and IW267411, due October 14, 2026); the Madison Metropolitan School District requesting bids for petite bananas under RFB 4162 (due July 29, 2026) and fresh fruit and vegetable snacks under RFB 4163 (due July 29, 2026, with award contingent on USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program grant approval); the Illinois Department of Corrections seeking fresh produce bi-weekly delivery to Joliet Treatment Center under small-business set-aside (IQB 27426DOCJOLIEB53849, due September 3, 2026); DeSoto County School District (Mississippi) requesting sealed bids on fresh produce distribution across 41 school sites on a cost-plus-fee basis (due June 22, 2026); and Hancock County Board of Education (Georgia) soliciting fresh produce covering over 200 line items including apples, berries, leafy greens, melons, and specialty items like papayas (IFB SN002-2027, due June 26, 2026). Contracts typically run nine to twelve months aligned with school or fiscal years, require Buy American compliance, HACCP plans, and commercial general liability insurance in the $500,000 to $1 million range. Geographic sourcing preferences appear in several solicitations—Madison Metropolitan School District's fresh fruit and vegetable snacks require sourcing within 400 miles of Madison and within Wisconsin; Bartow County School System requires local farms within 400 miles. No national cooperative purchasing vehicles or statewide frameworks dominate the code; procurement remains fragmented across individual issuing bodies using their own portals and procurement offices.