01-26 ADDENDUM NO. 1 SCHOOL FOOD PROGRAM.docx

This is Addendum No. 1 to an Invitation for Bid issued by the Town of Saugus Purchasing Office for a School Food Program. The addendum clarifies that Exhibit D will not be included in the bid documents because vendors will be responsible for hiring and employing all food service personnel, making that exhibit inapplicable. The exhibit sequence will continue directly from Exhibit C to Exhibit F. Sealed proposals must be submitted to the Department of Public Works at 515 Main Street, Saugus, Massachusetts 01906 on or before March 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM. A mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference and facility tour is scheduled for March 11, 2026 at 2:00 PM at 25 Dow Street, Saugus, MA 01906. Written questions must be submitted by March 13, 2026, with responses provided by March 17, 2026. Contract award is anticipated by April 9, 2026, with the initial contract term running from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with options for up to two additional one-year renewals. All bidders are required to acknowledge receipt of this addendum when submitting their proposals; failure to do so will result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive and subject to rejection.

The procurement seeks a Food Service Management Company capable of operating the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and a la carte food services across multiple schools. Qualified vendors must demonstrate a minimum of one year of experience managing K-12 school food service programs in comparable districts, employ a Food Service Director meeting USDA Professional Standards, maintain a clean contracting history with no defaults on school food service contracts in the prior five years, and guarantee minimum lunch participation rates of 35 percent. The contract operates on a cost-reimbursable structure whereby the FSMC will be reimbursed for direct costs including food, labor, and supplies, plus fixed Administrative and Management Fees, while guaranteeing a minimum financial return to the School Food Authority. A bid bond equal to 5 percent of total budgeted costs is required at submission, and performance bonds may be required if the FSMC operates the Summer Food Service Program for contracts exceeding $100,000.