2-RFB Bottled and Canned Beverages.pdf

Fargo Public Schools (FPS) Request for Bids Nutrition Services – Bottled & Canned Beverages

Due: April 16, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

Introduction:

The Fargo Public School District (District) is seeking line-item bids with fixed pricing for the Nutrition Services Department for the 2026-27 school year for assorted Smart Snack compliant beverages to be served in the six secondary school cafeterias.

Vendors responding to this request must submit their bid in accordance with the enclosed specifications and should reference the Euna Procurement (Bonfire) Submission Instructions attached separately for instructions on the District’s electronic submission process.

All submissions must be submitted through the online Euna Procurement (Bonfire) Portal at:

https://fargok12.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

Vendors should contact the Euna Support team at Support.Bonfire@eunasolutions.com for technical questions.

Vendors can also visit Bonfire’s help forum at https://vendorsupport.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us.

Any communication related to submissions, including the posting of Addenda, will be available on https://fargok12.bonfirehub.com Any questions can also be asked through the available communication tools.

Vendors must be registered and logged in to ask questions.

Request for Bid (RFB) Timeline:

Legal Ad Publication April 1 & 8, 2026 Bids Due and Public Bid Opening April 16, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

Board Approval May 12, 2026

Required Products and Services:

Item Specifications: Specifications for requested items are provided along with an estimated quantity to be purchased throughout the school year. Reference to a brand name and manufacturer number for each item are included as a means of fully describing the item and quality standards.

Service Expectations: All products must be properly packaged and transported to prevent damage and maintain quality. Fargo Public Schools reserves the right to reject any damaged or expired product even when not apparent or discovered until after the receipt of the items. Rejected product shall be picked up for credit and/or replacement at the site. Orders are preferred to be submitted weekly using an electronic system. All delivered produce must include a detailed invoice or packing slip.

No substitutions or new items shall be delivered without prior approval from the Director of Nutrition Services.

In the event of a manufacturer product recall, vendor will immediately provide verbal and written notification.

Vendor will be responsible for all costs associated with replacement product or provide credit.

https://fargok12.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities mailto:Support.Bonfire@eunasolutions.com https://vendorsupport.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us https://fargok12.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

If an awarded product is discontinued or not available for longer than a four (4) week period prior to the end of the contract (June 30), the school reserves the right to cancel the line item award and offer the contract to the responsive vendor with the next lowest price for the individual line item.

Vendors may choose to provide display coolers with the understanding that any marketing on the cooler may promote only food and beverage items that comply with Smart Snack guidelines. Furthermore, vendors agree that coolers need to be utilized for all district beverages including competitor’s products. Vendors must provide Fargo Public Schools with a minimum 60-day notice to remove any vendor-owned display coolers.

The District may decline the use of a vendor-owned cooler.

Delivery: All delivery charges, if applicable, must be included in the bid price. Regardless of the quantity of product ordered, the vendor will provide a minimum of weekly deliveries to the six secondary school sites on negotiated days and times. Delivery days will be limited to Monday through Friday and delivery times limited between 6:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Vendor will provide delivery of product to designated storage areas at the delivery site.

• Carl Ben Eielson Middle School - 1601 South 13th Avenue

• Ben Franklin Middle School - 1420 North 8th Street

• Discovery Middle School -1717 South 40th Avenue

• North High School - 801 North 17th Avenue

• South High School - 1840 South 15th Avenue

• Davies High School - 7150 South 25th Street

Selection Process:

The Business Office will be responsible for leading the evaluation process and maintaining evaluation records.

The Board of Education of the City of Fargo will give ultimate approval. The contract will be awarded to one responsible vendor who can meet the terms and conditions, who can supply the specified services resulting in the lowest financial cost to the District. The Total Price listed on the proposal shall be the final delivered price.

By submitting a proposal, a vendor is signifying agreement to the outlined terms and conditions.

Bidders are not required to submit bids for all the listed items and doing so will not influence the outcome for awarding individual items. Vendors shall indicate their intentions not to bid on an item by writing “No Bid” or equivalent on the worksheet.

Terms of Contract:

Contract period begins July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. The District may renew this contract two (2) times for additional one-year periods by negotiation directly with the successful bidder. The District purchases additional beverages not included in this line item solicitation from its broadline food service distributor.

Bid Submission Specifications:

A. An attached excel Bid Worksheet provides responders with the product specifications and estimated quantities to be purchased in the 2025.26 school year.

a. Bid is a line item bid; each line is awarded to the lowest bidder. For item descriptions that list a range of acceptable number of ounces per bottle size, award will be given based on lowest unit (per bottle) price.

b. In the worksheet, bidders are to enter the product, case count and delivered case price for each item proposed. The district is tax exempt and sales tax should not be included in pricing.

B. All submissions must be submitted through the online Bonfire Portal at:

https://fargok12.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

C. Submissions by other methods will not be accepted. Minimum system requirements: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Safari, or Mozilla Firefox. Javascript and browser cookies must be enabled.

D. Vendors should contact the Euna Support team at Support.Bonfire@eunasolutions.com for technical questions. Vendors can also visit Bonfire’s help forum at https://vendorsupport.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us.

E. Submission materials should be prepared in the file formats listed under Requested Information for this opportunity in the Bonfire Portal. The maximum upload file size is 1000 MB. Documents should not be embedded within uploaded files, as the embedded files will not be accessible to be evaluated.

F. Submissions may be amended, but only before the Submission Deadline. Vendors wishing to amend their Submissions may amend before the Submission Deadline directly on the Bonfire portal.

G. Late proposals will not be considered.

H. Any communication related to submissions, including the posting of Addenda, will be available on https://fargok12.bonfirehub.com Any questions can also be asked through the available communication tools. Vendors must be registered and logged in to ask questions.

Content of Proposal:

Proposals must include:

1. A thoroughly completed Bid Worksheet.

Geographic Preference:

No Geographic Preference (advantage based on location) is allowed with federal funds except for documented Farm to School (Farm to Plate) efforts. Therefore, as part of Farm to School, Fargo Public Schools may choose to apply a geographic preference when procuring unprocessed locally gown or locally raised agricultural products only.

Buy American:

Fargo Public Schools will adhere to “Buy American” for the food service program. Therefore, Nutrition Services is required to purchase, to the maximum extent possible, domestic products for use in meals served in our Child Nutrition Program. Exceptions are allowed when:

• Food preferences can only be met with foreign goods, such as bananas.

• Insufficient quantity and/or quality is available in the USA.

• Domestic cost is significantly higher.

Fargo Public Schools requires successful bidder(s) to be certified as Equal Employment Opportunity Affirmative Action Employers and comply with Civil Rights regulations and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Sales Tax:

Prices should NOT include Sales Tax. Do NOT include Federal Excise Tax as the District is exempt.

Delivery Charges:

All delivery charges, if applicable, must be included in the bid price.

Award of Bid:

Upon Board approval, the successful vendor will execute a contract for services and corresponding Purchase Order.

Nondiscrimination Statement:

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency mailto:Support.Bonfire@eunasolutions.com https://vendorsupport.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

2. Fax: (202) 690-7442; or

3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint mailto:program.intake@usda.gov