UNSPSC 50403413: Karela cucumbers

The variety of cucumbers known as karela cucumbers

UNSPSC 50403413 Karela cucumbers, a Commodity code, covers fresh produce sourcing for institutional foodservice, particularly schools, child care programs, and correctional facilities—with recent solicitations emphasizing locally sourced, USDA-compliant vegetables delivered fresh on weekly or monthly schedules. State and local governments buying under this code include school districts (elementary through high school nutrition programs), county boards of education, independent school districts, Head Start agencies, correctional departments, municipal senior services programs, and special-purpose cooperative buying groups. Solicitations reflect tight quality and food-safety standards (HACCP plans, traceability documentation, recall procedures), temperature-controlled delivery via dedicated refrigerated trucks, and compliance with Buy American and school nutrition reimbursement rules. Pricing is typically quoted per pound or per case, with firm pricing for 30–90 days and prospective adjustments tied to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service or Bureau of Labor Statistics indices. Vendors must carry general liability insurance ($500,000 to $2 million minimum), maintain current business licenses and food permits, and demonstrate multi-year experience serving institutional accounts. Geographic sourcing preferences are common—many solicitations require produce grown within 200–400 miles or within-state sourcing—and diverse-owned business status and HUB preferences appear in several school district RFPs.

Recent activity concentrates in Georgia and Texas school nutrition programs. Representative opportunities include Madison Metropolitan School District (Wisconsin) RFB 4163 for Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Snacks, due July 29, 2026, covering approximately 5,900 servings weekly with a 5% preference for Wisconsin Supplier Diversity Program vendors and a $0.20-per-pound organic discount; Bulloch County Schools (Georgia) IFP for locally grown produce (200-mile radius), due May 4, 2026, with evaluation weighted on price (30 points), seasonal variety (25), delivery and ordering proficiency (20), quality (15), and customer support (10); and Douglas County Schools (Georgia) RFP SN 26-004 through the GEC Buying Cooperative, covering 30 districts with approximately $5.5 million estimated annual spending across two geographic areas, due March 4, 2026. Texas Department of Criminal Justice has posted multiple commodity-specific bids (carrots IW241979 and IW241979-A, white potatoes IW253099, sweet potatoes IW253121) with June–March deadlines and service-disabled veteran Texas-vendor set-asides under 34 TAC Rule 20.306. School districts across Georgia and Texas represent the dominant buyer base, with contract terms typically running July 1 through June 30 with renewal options to three or four additional years. The code shows steady quarterly activity focused on seasonal school-year contracting cycles and institutional commissary supply.