UNSPSC 50406701: Acorn squash

The variety of winter squashes and winter pumpkins known as acorn squash

UNSPSC 50406701 Acorn squash is a Commodity code that captures fresh produce procurement by state and local institutions operating food service operations — principally state departments of corrections and health/human services, school districts, and county parks departments. State and local buyers under this code source fresh vegetables and root crops for institutional kitchens, cafeterias, and correctional facilities, where acorn squash and related produce appear as line items within broader fresh-produce or fresh-vegetable contracts. The scope of work centers on bulk delivery of fresh, grade-compliant produce meeting USDA standards, with bidders responsible for farm-to-facility transportation, temperature control, and replacement of substandard items at no cost to the buying entity. Recent solicitations reflect two operational contexts: fixed-menu institutional food service (state hospitals, correctional facilities, state-supported living centers) where produce appears alongside dozens of prepared foods and kitchen supplies on managed grocery lists, and school nutrition programs where seasonal produce procurement ties to federal subsidy cycles and local-sourcing preferences. Issuing bodies include the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (state-supported living centers), the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (multiple warehouse distribution points), Illinois state agencies (Department of Corrections, Department of Mental Health), Georgia school districts (Bartow County, Dougherty County, Bryan County, Early County), and municipal entities (City of San Antonio Senior Services, Collier County Parks). The mix skews heavily toward state departments managing institutional food service, with school districts representing a secondary but active segment.

Geographic concentration appears in Texas (HHS and TDCJ operations), Georgia (school nutrition programs across multiple counties), and Illinois (IDOC and DMH), with sparse activity in Wisconsin (Madison Metropolitan School District) and Florida (Collier County). Recent representative opportunities include the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's IFB HHS0018082 for consumable foods at Lufkin State Supported Living Center (bids due October 23, 2026), covering 22 line items of prepared foods and food service supplies with F.O.B. Destination delivery; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's solicitation IW267376 for fresh fruit and vegetable supply to a distribution warehouse (proposals due October 19, 2026); the Illinois Department of Corrections' quote request 27426DOCJOLIEB53849 for bi-weekly fresh produce delivery to Joliet Treatment Center (quotes due September 3, 2026) with small-business set-aside and prevailing-wage compliance required; and the Bartow County School System's RFP 10-2026-019 seeking local fresh fruits and vegetables within 400 miles for the 2026-2027 school year (proposals due June 22, 2026). Evaluation criteria across these solicitations weight cost, delivery compliance, product freshness and quality standards, and in school procurements, local or diverse-vendor preferences. Vendors must carry commercial general liability insurance (typically $500,000 to $1 million per occurrence), maintain HACCP or food-safety compliance, and respond to damage claims and product replacements within contracted timeframes. Contract terms typically run one to three years with optional renewal periods, and pricing is generally quoted on firm, fixed unit or per-pound bases with transportation included on an F.O.B. Destination, freight-prepaid model.