UNSPSC 50401773: Tower avocados

The variety of avocados known as tower avocados

UNSPSC 50401773 Tower avocados (Commodity) names a single produce item that state and local governments procure primarily through school nutrition and institutional food service contracts. Recent solicitations show this code capturing fresh fruit and vegetable procurements for child nutrition programs, school lunch and breakfast operations, Head Start facilities, and corrections institutions—not avocados specifically, but produce categories in which avocados would typically be included. The issuing bodies are predominately school districts (Madison Metropolitan, Northside Independent, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Dougherty County, Bryan County, Savannah-Chatham County, McAllen Independent, Austin Independent, and others across multiple states), state departments of criminal justice (Texas TDCJ), county school boards (Bulloch, Glynn, Liberty, Muscogee, Henry, Douglas), a city school system (Meriden Public Schools in Connecticut), and specialized nutrition programs (Head Start of Greater Dallas). Recent work spans RFPs, RFQs, and IFBs with response dates typically 30–60 days from posting. Most contracts run one fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) with optional renewal periods of up to three or four one-year terms. Vendors are required to meet USDA Buy American standards, maintain HACCP plans, carry general liability insurance (typically $500,000 to $2,000,000), provide weekly or twice-weekly delivery to multiple school or institutional sites, and often comply with federal food safety certifications and state-specific E-Verify requirements.

Geographic activity concentrates heavily in Georgia (Dougherty County, Bartow County, Bulloch County, Glynn County, Liberty County, Muscogee County, Henry County, Douglas County, Savannah-Chatham County), Texas (McAllen, Austin, Northside in San Antonio, TDCJ facilities statewide), and Florida (Hillsborough County), with additional recent activity in Missouri (Rockwood R-VI), Connecticut (Meriden), and Wisconsin (Madison Metropolitan). Representative recent opportunities include Madison Metropolitan School District's RFB 4163 for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks due July 29, 2026, seeking approximately 5,900 servings weekly with 5% preference for Wisconsin-certified diverse-owned vendors and 400-mile sourcing requirement; Head Start of Greater Dallas IFB 26-GP for approximately 32,409 cases of frozen foods, produce, and meats due June 24, 2026, estimated at $969,460.94 with federal Head Start funding; Northside Independent School District RFP 2026-048 for fresh produce delivery to 127 schools across San Antonio due May 7, 2026; Bulloch County Schools RFP 10-2026-019 for local fresh fruits and vegetables sourced within 200 miles due June 22, 2026; and Dougherty County Board of Education sealed bid for 40 fresh produce line items due June 16, 2026. Most Georgia and Texas school districts weight cost at 30–50% of evaluation, require pricing firm for 60–90 days from award, and reserve the right to award to single or multiple vendors on a line-item basis.