26-502 RFP - Produce Nutrition Services.pdf

Eugene School District 4J Request for Proposal: Produce Products (26-502)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Solicitation # 26-502 Produce Products

Proposals due Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 4:00pm local time

Proposals and supporting documentation are to be submitted to:

purchasing@4j.lane.edu

Contact Information

Dustin Hayden, Purchasing Analyst Eugene School District 4J, Purchasing Office

200 North Monroe Street Eugene, OR 97402 purchasing@4j.lane.edu mailto:purchasing@4j.lane.edu

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1 INSTRUCTION TO PROPOSERS 4

SECTION 2 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION 10

SECTION 3 SCOPE OF WORK 11

SECTION 4 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCEDURES 18

SECTION 5 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL PROCEDURES 21

SECTION 6 GENERAL PROVISIONS 23

SECTION 7 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS 32

ATTACHMENT A ADDITIONAL REPRESENTATIONS 34

ATTACHMENT B REFERENCES 36

ATTACHMENT C SIGNATURE PAGE 37

ATTACHMENT D PRICE PROPOSAL WORKSHEET 39

ATTACHMENT E TAX CLASSIFICATION 40

ATTACHMENT F VENDOR DELIVERY AND HISTORY SHEET 41

ATTACHMENT G ADDITIONAL PROPOSAL CONSIDERATIONS 43

ATTACHMENT H CERTIFICATION REGARDING FEDERAL MATTERS 45

ATTACHMENT I CLEAR AIR AND WATER CERTIFICATE 47

ATTACHMENT J CERTIFICATION REGARDING LOBBYING DISCLOSURE 48

ATTACHMENT K CERTIFIED DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS OUTREACH PLAN 51

ATTACHMENT L DISTRICT GOODS AND SERVICES CONTRACT DRAFT 53

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

General Information Notice is hereby given that proposals will be accepted for the following items and/or services by Eugene School District 4J:

Materials/Service Date Due Time Delivery________________________ Produce Products July 22, 2026 4:00 p.m. purchasing@4j.lane.edu

Vendors who demonstrate an ability to meet the enclosed requirements, specifications, and timelines are invited to submit a proposal as specified herein.

Method of Award The District intends to enter into one or more one (1) year professional service agreement(s) to start after the completion of the 2025-26 academic year. Agreements may be extended for up to four (4) additional one (1) year periods, at the option of the District, after an annual evaluation of services.

Proposal Submission Each Proposer shall submit a proposal in specified file format by email to purchasing@4j.lane.edu. Electronic proposal must be received via email no later than July 22, 2026 AT 4:00 PM LOCAL TIME. Proposals delivered after the deadline will not be accepted. Proposals submitted will remain confidential in nature until Notice of Intent to Award has been issued by the District. Proposer shall submit offer using the attachments provided in accordance with the instructions provided herein. Proposer’s Signature Page form shall be completed and signed by a person authorized to bind the Proposer.

Questions and comments regarding this Request for Proposal, its terms and conditions should be directed to Dustin Hayden, Purchasing Analyst by email purchasing@4j.lane.edu. Please review the enclosed document carefully.

Timeline Deadline Event June 22, 2026 Issue Request for Proposal July 6, 2026 (4 p.m.) RFP questions due July 13, 2026 Release of Addendum to RFP, if appropriate July 22, 2026 (4 p.m.) Proposals Due (email) July 29, 2026 Notice of Intent to Award (email to each Proposer) August 5, 2026 (12:00 p.m.) End of Protest Period August 2026 Contracts signed upon 4J Board Approval

The District will make every effort to administer the proposal process in accordance with the Timeline. However, the District reserves the right to modify the proposal process and dates as deemed appropriate.

SECTION 1

INSTRUCTION TO PROPOSERS

These instructions outline the offer submission procedures, evaluation of offers, and the award of a contract.

The term “District” refers to the Eugene School District 4J. The term “Proposer” refers to any entity submitting an offer in response to this solicitation. The term “Vendor” refers to any Proposer(s) awarded a contract.

1.1 Solicitation review

Proposer must carefully review this document and is responsible for knowing and understanding the terms and conditions included in or applicable to this document. Unless defects, ambiguities, omissions or errors are brought to District’s attention in advance of the date the proposal is due, protests or appeals based on such defects, ambiguities, omissions, or errors will not be favorably considered.

1.2 Change, clarification or protest

Proposers may request changes or clarification to, or must protest the contract terms and conditions or the specifications of the RFP. Proposer’s comments must be e-mailed to and received by District by the date listed on the Timeline to allow enough time for issuance of an addendum, if required. Such comments shall include:

• A detailed statement of the legal and factual grounds for the change, clarification, or protest; and

• A description of the resulting prejudice to the proposer; and

• A statement of the form of relief requested or any proposed changes to the contract terms and conditions or specifications.

All proposals are to remain valid for sixty (60) days from the due date. District shall not consider a proposer’s request for change or protest after RFP due date and time. District shall provide notice to the applicable proposer if it entirely rejects the request or protest. If District agrees with the proposer’s request or protest, in whole or in part, District shall issue an addendum reflecting its determination.

1.3 Addenda

Changes or additions to RFP documents shall be accomplished by written addenda. Addenda shall be issued prior to the RFP due date to allow proposers sufficient time to consider the changes or additions in preparing their offers. The Proposer shall acknowledge receipt of all addenda issued on the appropriate submittal tab enclosed. At its discretion, District may extend the RFP due date and time to allow proposers time to analyze and adjust to any changes. Proposers are responsible to make inquiry as to any addenda issued.

1.4 Modification or withdrawal

Proposers may modify or withdraw a submitted proposal only prior to the RFP due date and time. A modification or withdrawal shall be submitted by an authorized representative and shall state the action requested (e.g., the modified offer supersedes the prior offer; the submitted offer is withdrawn).

1.5 Submitting proposals

Proposers are solely responsible for delivering the offer in the designate manner to the designated delivery point prior to the RFP due day and time. Each Proposer shall submit the following: One original proposal in specified format by email to purchasing@4j.lane.edu. Proposal must be received no later than July 22, 2026 at 4:00 pm local time, at which time and place acceptance of proposals will be closed.

Proposals delivered after the deadline will not be accepted. Proposal submitted will remain confidential in nature until a notice of intent to award has been issued by the District.

• Email submission to purchasing@4j.lane.edu with a subject line of Produce Products RFP:

[Proposer’s Name].

• Attachments should be in specified format and be named as follows: Produce Products RFP

[Proposer’s Name] [Attachment Name]

• Submitted email submissions will not be opened until the RFP due date and time.

See Item 1.18 Confidentiality for submission of items requested to be exempt from Oregon Public Records Law and disclosure.

1.6 Submittal requirements

See SECTION 5: PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL PROCEDURES for proposal submittal procedures for complete submittal requirements.

1.7 Receiving offers

• Each offer will be electronically time-stamped by District’s server and email system with the date and time it was received. A reply email will confirm receipt of the email by District.

• Offers shall be held unopened and until the RFP due date and time. District shall not be responsible for the premature opening or failure to open an offer that is not properly addressed or identified.

• Failure to submit proposals in the specified format shall be considered just cause for rejection of the proposal at the sole discretion of District.

• When the proposal due date and time has passed, District will cause the proposals to be opened and recorded. The number of proposals received, the identity of proposers, or the contents of a proposal will not be disclosed to the public until all proposals are evaluated and recommendation for award has been determined.

1.8 Late proposals

Proposals received after the specified due date and time shall not be considered and shall be held unopened by District until after the award of the contract. District shall make no concessions regarding postal service or any other form of conveyance of the offer document even when timely delivery of the offer fails through no fault of the proposer. District reserves the right to, at its discretion, to consider offers delayed or mishandled by District.

1.9 Offer acceptance

• By signing and returning a proposal, the proposer acknowledges it has read and understands the terms and conditions contained in the request for proposal document and that it accepts and agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of the request for proposal document.

• A proposer’s offer shall be firm, irrevocable, valid, and binding on the proposer for not less than 60 days from the proposal due date and time unless otherwise specified. District may request either orally or in writing that a proposer extends the time for acceptance.

1.10 Cancellation/rejection of offers

• District may cancel the solicitation if such cancellation is in the best interest of District. District may reject for good cause any offer:

• That is not in compliance with the prescribed RFP procedures and requirements; or

• Upon District’s written determination, it is in the public interest to do so; or

• If the proposer is not responsible, e.g., the proposer has failed to perform under some other contract of a similar nature with District; or

• When the proposer fails to supply on offer security or performance bonds, specifications, samples, descriptive literature, references, etc., when such is required or requested; or

• When the proposer fails to include acknowledgement of all addenda issued.

1.11 Mistakes by proposer

District has the authority to waive any and all minor deviations, informalities, or inadvertent nonjudgmental mistakes on any offer. Such mistakes must by a matter of form, rather than substance, which is clearly evident regarding the offer or an insignificant mistake that can be waived or corrected promptly without prejudice to other proposers or District. Errors in judgment made in an offer by a proposer shall not be waived.

1.12 Responsive/Responsible proposer

A responsive proposal is one that conforms in all-material respects to the RFP. The District reserves the right to waive technicalities or minor informalities in determining a Proposer’s responsiveness. A responsible Proposer is a person or firm that has the capability in all respects to perform fully the contract requirements, as well as the tenacity, perseverance, expertise, integrity, reliability, capacity, facilities, equipment, staff, and credit that will assure good faith performance.

1.13 Clarification of responses

District reserves the right to request clarification of any item in a firm’s proposal or to request additional information necessary to properly evaluate a particular proposal. All requests for clarification and responses shall be in writing, which includes electronic format such as email. Except for requests and responses related to a clarification necessary to evaluate whether a proposal has met minimum requirements, all requests for clarification and responses shall be provided to each evaluation committee member.

1.14 References

References are required as part of the response to this solicitation. Please refer to ATTACHMENT B:

REFERENCES for required references to be provided with proposal submissions. Failure to provide references as specified shall be grounds for rejection of proposal. District reserves the right to investigate references including customers other than those listed in proposer’s submission.

Investigation may include past performance of any proposer with contractual obligations its completion or delivery of a project on schedule, and its lawful payment of employees and workers.

1.15 Negotiation with awarded Vendor

District reserves the right to negotiate final contract terms with the awarded Vendor to the fullest extent allowed by law and as in the best interest of the District.

1.16 Collusion

A Proposer submitting a Proposal hereby certifies that no officer, agent or employee of District has a pecuniary interest in this Proposal; that the Proposal is made in good faith without fraud, collusion or connection of any kind with any other Proposer and that the Proposer is competing solely in its own behalf without connection with, or obligation to, any undisclosed person or firm.

1.17 Recycled materials and sustainable products and processes

• Use of recycled materials. Vendor shall use recycled and recyclable products to the maximum extent economically feasible during the performance of the contract.

• Preference for recycled materials. As required by law, District shall prefer materials or supplies manufactured from recycled materials if the recycled product is available, and it meets the requirements set forth in the specifications.

• Sustainable practices and products. District supports and encourages the use of sustainable products by Vendor. To contribute to a clean environment for present and future generations, Vendor shall utilize sustainable products to the maximum extent feasible during the performance of this contract.

Products and practices utilized by Vendor shall be based upon long-term environmental impact, social costs, and operational cost.

1.18 Confidentiality

District is subject to the Oregon Public Records Law (Oregon Revised Statues (ORS) 192.311 to 192.431), which requires District to disclose all records generated or received in the transaction of District business, except as expressly exempted in ORS 192.345, 192.355 or other applicable law. Examples of exemptions that could be relevant include trade secrets (ORS 192.345 (2)) and computer programs (ORS

192.345 (15)). District will not disclose records submitted by a proposer that are exempt from disclosure under the public records law, subject to the following procedures and limitations.

If proposer submits information deemed confidential, a separate copy of the proposal package should be emailed to purchasing@4j.lane.edu and titled “Produce Products RFP [Proposer Name]

REDACTED”.

All pages containing the records exempt from disclosure shall be marked “confidential” and segregated in the following manner:

• It shall be clearly marked in bulk and on each page of the confidential document.

• Where this specification conflicts with other formatting and response instruction specifications, this specification shall prevail.

• Where such conflict (in c. above) occurs, the proposer is instructed to respond with the following:

“Refer to confidential information enclosed.”

• The statement above shall be inserted in the place where the requested information was to have been placed.

Proposers who desire that additional information be treated as confidential must mark those pages as “confidential”, cite a specific statutory basis for the exemption, and the reasons why the public interest would be served by the confidentiality. The entire RFP cannot be marked confidential, nor, shall any pricing. Should an RFP be submitted in this manner, no portion of it can be held as confidential unless that portion is segregated in the above manner and meets the above criteria.

Notwithstanding the above procedures, District reserves the right to disclose information that District determines, in its sole discretion, is not exempt from disclosure or that District is directed to disclose by District attorney or a court of competent jurisdiction. Prior to disclosing such information, District will notify the proposer. If the proposer disagrees with District’s decision, District may, but is not required to enter into an agreement not to disclose the information so long as the proposer bears the entire cost, including reasonable attorney’s fees, of any legal action, including any appeals, necessary to defend or support a no-disclosure decision.

1.19 Method of award

Award, if made, will be to the responsible Proposer whose proposal is determined to be most advantageous to the District in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth in this RFP. The apparent successful Proposer shall, as a condition of award, enter into a written Goods and Services Contract (draft incorporated into this RFP as ATTACHMENT M: DISTRICT GOODS AND SERVICES CONTRACT DRAFT) with the District in a form substantially similar to the sample contract included in this RFP.

Submission of a proposal shall constitute the Proposer’s agreement to be bound by the terms and conditions of the District’s Goods and Services Contract, except to the extent expressly noted in the Proposer’s exceptions. The District reserves the right to negotiate final contract terms, provided that such negotiations do not materially alter the scope of the solicitation.

If the selected Proposer fails to timely execute the contract or satisfy required conditions of award, the District may, at its sole discretion, cancel the award and proceed to the next highest-ranked Proposer or take any other action permitted by law.

1.20 Proposer preference

In determining the lowest responsible proposer, District shall, for the purpose of awarding the contract, add a percent increase on the offer of a non-resident proposer equal to the percent, if any, of the preference given to that proposer in the state in which the proposer resides. Each proposer must identify whether the proposer is a “resident proposer” as defined in ORS 279a.120(1).

1.21 Evaluation and award

Evaluation:

• District shall review offers to determine whether an offer is responsive and/or a proposer is responsible. District will award a contract only to a responsible proposer with a responsive offer.

• District may set forth special evaluation criteria (other than price) in SECTION 2: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION and SECTION 3: SCOPE OF WORK that will be used to determine the successful proposer. No offer shall be evaluated for any criteria not disclosed herein.

• Unless expressly authorized, proposers shall not make their offer contingent upon District’s acceptance of any specifications of contract terms that conflict with or are in addition to those in this proposal.

Award:

• After the evaluation process is complete, District shall provide written notice to all proposers of District’s intent to award the contract (Notice of Intent to Award - NIA).

• The District’s award shall not be final until the latter of the following:

o Seven (7) days after the date of the NIA, unless otherwise provided; or until District provides a written response to all timely-filed protests (if any) denying the protest and affirming the award. See the Aggrieved Proposer clause for more on protest.

1.22 Aggrieved proposers

Any adversely affected proposer may submit a written protest of District’s Notice of Intent to Award (NIA). Protest(s) must be received no later than 12:00 noon on the seventh (7th) calendar day after the NIA is published.

• A proposer is only adversely affected if the proposer is eligible for award of the contract. The protesting proposer must claim that the selected proposer is ineligible for award:

• Because their offer was non-responsive; or

• District committed a substantial violation of a provision in the RFP document or of an applicable administrative rule and the protesting proposer was unfairly evaluated and would have, but for such substantial violation, been the selected proposer.

• The written protest must include the name of the person submitting the protest, the name of the proposer represented by that person, the specific RFP including the solicitation number that is being appealed, and a detailed explanation of the reasons (facts of evidence) for the appeal.

• District shall not consider a protest that is submitted after the established time period.

• The aggrieved proposer must serve all other proposer with notice of its appeal to allow for rebuttal.

• Failure to give written notice of appeal to District as provided herein constitutes a waiver by the aggrieved proposer of any objections to the NIA.

• Disagreement with the bidding process is not justification for appeal.

• Protest decision. Upon receipt of any appeal, the Support Services Director or Designee shall review the protest and submit a written decision to the protester within fourteen (14) calendar days of the date of receipt of the protest. The affected proposer must take further protest to the School Board. The aggrieved proposer must notify the Support Services Director in writing before such action is taken.

1.23 Prices

Prices quoted must be exclusive of federal, state, and local taxes. If the proposer believes that certain taxes are payable by District, the proposer may list such taxes separately, directly below the unit prices for the affected item.

1.24 Acceptance period

All offers submitted shall remain in force for a period of sixty (60) days in order to provide time for evaluation of offers received and approval of proposed awards. District shall request in writing any extension of this sixty (60) day acceptance period.

1.25 Proposal preparation costs

District is not liable for any costs incurred by the proposer in preparation of the proposal.

1.26 Contract funding

Award in part or in whole is contingent upon available funding. In the event adequate funds are not appropriated and allocated by the District’s Board of Directors, District reserves the right to cancel fixed quantity, multi-year term, or requirements contracts at no penalty.

1.27 Conflicting terms

In the event that the Introduction and Background Information (SECTION 2) and Scope of Work (SECTION

3) conflict with the General Provisions (SECTION 6) or the Instructions to Proposers (SECTION 1), the Introduction and Background Information and Scope of Work and shall take precedence.

1.28 Safety

Vendor shall comply with all application provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act throughout the duration of the specified work.

SECTION 2

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION

2.1 Scope

Eugene School District 4J (“District”) is publishing this request for proposals (“RFP”) to solicit proposals from qualified providers for a primary distributor of produce products beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. It is the intent of the District to enter into master service contract with one primary distributor to minimize costs while providing flexibility and productivity, but the District reserves the right to award to multiple vendors. District is an active participant in Oregon’s Farm to School program.

Oregon grown produce should be sold to schools when available. Providers should be making an effort to produce and offer Oregon-grown produce to schools.

2.2 Background

The District is primarily located in Lane County, with small portions extending north into Linn County.

The District’s boundaries include portions of the City of Eugene, City of Springfield, and City of Coburg.

The largest city in the District is the City of Eugene. Formed in 1854, the District encompasses approximately 155 square miles of western Oregon at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, 110 miles south of Portland.

The District has an enrollment of over 15,000 students at thirty-five (35) school sites, including nineteen (19) elementary schools, eight (8) middle schools, and four (4) comprehensive high schools, an International Baccalaureate high school program on multiple campuses (Program options include three K-12 language immersion programs in French, Spanish, and Japanese), and one (1) alternative high school. There are five public charter schools located within the District. Additionally, school and business partnerships exchange facilities and services for career training or other educational benefits and support. Please note the number of schools being served may vary through the term of the contract.

2.3 Contract Period

The Contract shall commence on September 1, 2026 for a period of 1 year with options for renewal not to exceed 4 additional 1 year terms.

SECTION 3

SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 Scope

Eugene School District 4J Nutrition Services Department is seeking proposals for a primary distributor of Produce products for the 2026-27 school year. The objective is to select one primary distributor to minimize costs while providing flexibility and productivity. Features that District would like in this agreement include, but are not limited to: a multi-year agreement for Pakery products, offered at the lowest competitive price, with prompt customer service, reliability in product availability, and timely delivery.

3.2 Background

District is a publicly supported school system serving the Eugene area and operates thirty-five school sites.

3.3 Contract Period

The initial term of this contract shall be September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, with the mutual option to extend for four (4) one (1) year periods.

3.4 Renewal Option

The contract may be extended if agreed by both parties via written amendment, extending the agreement to September 1–August 31 annually if mutually agreed.

3.5 Services Requested

• The Vendor must have and maintain:

o An assigned sales representative for the Eugene area o Fully trained delivery staff and sales representative(s) in sufficient number to guarantee acceptable service response.

o A representative available during regular office hours compatible with District’s Monday through Friday workweek.

o Access to sufficient trucks, delivery hardware, and product to service District accounts.

• The Vendor must:

o Be a produce distributor with five years’ experience;

o Offer prompt, courteous, and responsive delivery service;

o Act as a resource for coordinating timely delivery schedules;

o Provide new marketing and product information, as it becomes available on the market;

o Be able to make deliveries before the school day starts, where and when District requires;

o Be able to deliver to all school and support locations throughout District, should it be required.

• The Vendor must provide a list of user references that have similar delivery service contracts.

3.6 Special Terms

• All proposals shall be for merchandise delivered F.O.B. destination (Eugene).

• All shipping/handling charges are to be included in proposal amount.

• Payment will be processed within 30 days after receipt of both product and invoice, from whichever date is later. Receiving records and invoices must match exactly before payment approval.

• All costs and charges must be clearly identified in the proposal document submittals.

• Any rebate or savings received by Vendor must be passed to District.

3.7 Proposal Requirements

It is the intent of District to review and accept proposals from qualified Vendors that can provide the products, specified service and meets all other conditions addressed throughout this document. District intends to enter into a contract with the successful proposer based on the terms and conditions contained herein. Proposer shall submit one original proposal with all required documents electronically via email to purchasing@4j.lane.edu on or before the due date July 22, 2026 at 4:00 pm local time.

3.8 Objective

To execute a Produce Product contract for the District that:

• Minimizes product costs.

• Includes delivery requirements.

• Maintains product quality throughout the agreement period.

• Includes service requirements of all products available.

• Allows flexibility in order placement.

• Defines the time frame.

• Gives price stability for budget planning.

• Considers total cost for District.

3.9 Product Quality

Produce products are to be furnished and delivered in accordance with the following:

Processed Produce Specifications

• All processed product must have been processed within 24 hours of delivery to the District. If the time from processing to the time of delivery exceeds 24 hours this must be noted on Vendor’s packing slip at time of delivery.

• All products must be manufactured in a clean, sanitary environment in accordance with Title 21 CFR Part 100 – Current Good Manufacturing in Manufacturing, Packaging, or Holding Human Food.

• Products must be processed from sound, first quality fruits and vegetables in accordance with standards of best commercial practice. Trimmed product shall be free of decay spots, sunburn, freezer burn, insects, injury, or any other physical damage. All processed produce must be labeled with:

o Product Name o Product Number (if applicable) o Finished product net weight o Date and time within 8 hours product was processed o Expiration Date

3.10 Product Quality

• All products sold to District shall be warranted and guaranteed to be merchantable by Vendor and fit for the purpose for which it is intended. Products shall have a minimum of 95% left on the “sell by”, “freshness date”, or “pull date at time of delivery.” “Pull date” is the end of the shelf life for purposes of this proposal.

• Products shall arrive form suppliers that have passed a third party audit verification of GAP (USDA Good Agricultural Practices) and/or GHP (USDA Good Handling Practices).

• Fresh fruits and vegetables shall be:

o Cool to the touch o Of reasonably uniform color;

o Free from foreign flavor and odor;

o Normally developed;

o Free from objectionable matter;

o Clean and free from foreign material.

• Fresh fruits and vegetables shall be reasonably free from:

o Extraneous vegetable material o Stem ends o Rot o Damage by insects or disease o Excessively smaller than specified, or larger then specified pieces o Insect infestation o Mechanically damaged units o Moderate amounts or bruising o Fibrous units and stems

3.11 Grading/Grading Standards

Grades are based on standards established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service. Food products supplied to the District must be of the grade indicated on the item. All products must meet the grade specified at the time of delivery to our receiving areas.

If at any time the District deems any product to fall below the grade, the Vendor must replace the product at no cost to the District. Quality standards and USDA grading endorsement parameters for fresh vegetables may be found at https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/vegetables.

3.12 Refrigeration/Climate Control

• Products temperature for each line item must be maintained at a suitable temperature to maintain freshness, quality, shelf life and nutritional value. Product shall be transported in a climate-controlled container regulated to keep the item(s) in good condition and in accordance with the current US Department of Agriculture guidelines and food handling practices during all stages of processing, distribution, and storage. Produce may pass through mechanically chilled “holding rooms” and ripening rooms where applicable.

• Transportation of fresh perishable produce shall be made in clean, mechanically refrigerated trucks with the refrigeration equipment operating and the interior of the refrigeration unit not to exceed the temperature specified below. Vendor will assure that all products are processed, packaged and stored in humidity elevated (90%-95%), ventilated (air circulating), refrigerated areas that are sufficient to maintain product quality. Refrigeration system condensation shall not come in contact with the produce.

• Refrigerated produce items are not to exceed an internal temperature of 35 degrees F or reach an internal temperature lower than 32 degrees F (temperature of refrigerated items is not to exceed 32-35 degrees F in the cargo hold of mechanically refrigerated truck transporting/delivering these items). Produce whose quality will be adversely impacted by the temperatures 35 degrees F or below (e.g. bananas, avocados) should not be transported in cold temperatures that shall affect the items quality.

• All produce must have been held in refrigeration at temperatures not to exceed 40 degrees F (except for tomatoes, potatoes, and bananas at 55 degrees F) continuously at shipping point, in route, while in processor’s plant and during delivery to the District.

• All produce that requires ripening (e.g. tomatoes, bananas) should be ripened at the Vendor’s plant in properly designated rooms under the Produce Marketing Associations’ (PMA) guidelines.

Product shall only be accepted at the District in the degrees of ripeness as designated in the specifications.

3.13 Unusable Product

https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/vegetables

Unusable products must be replaced or credited. Credit for all unusable items not replaced is to be noted on the delivery receipt.

3.14 Packaging and Labeling

• All products shall be packed and prepared under sanitary conditions and in accordance with good commercial practice.

• All packaging shall be wholesome, safe and in sanitary condition.

• Cartons and carriers used to transport products from the Vendor’s plant shall be clean and sanitary at all times.

• Labeling of all containers shall comply with Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Acts and related legislation including latest revisions.

• Packaging must be in accordance with good commercial practice. Package size to be manufacturer’s standard unless otherwise specified.

• Proposers are advised to make notations for items found on Pricing Attachment which have had packaging changes by the producer and price accordingly. Failure to make notation will be construed as merchandise being furnished as specified.

• Each shipping container shall be labeled legibly to show:

Name of product contained Item number Product number Net Weight Plant number Name, address and date packed (month, day, year) Best Used By/Expiration Date Chilled products shall be marked “Keep Under Refrigeration” “ROOM TEMPERATURE” held products shall be labeled as such Labels shall display clearly the Port of Origin and Country of Origin.

• Vendor will provide split cases as requested by the District. No case split fees shall apply as a result of this request.

3.15 Deviations From Specifications

If pack, source, quality, etc. of an item requested deviates from that prescribed from specifications, the difference must be clearly indicated and approved by District. During the term of the contract, Vendor must adhere to the pack and size specifications.

3.16 Vendor Deliverables and Responsibilities

• Delivery and performance schedule o The Vendor must meet the highest standards prevalent in the industry or business most closely involved in providing the goods or services that District is purchasing.

o The Vendor shall make delivery to District as requested throughout the school year. Deliveries shall be made as needed and within the timeframe requested for each school. Delivery charges are FOB and must be included in the proposers pricing.

• General delivery requirements. The Vendor shall meet the following conditions:

o Provide packing slips with each shipment identifying items ordered by the District’s item number(s), quantity ordered, purchase order, and associated invoice numbers.

o All deliveries shall be organized for easy off loading and receipting.

o Vendor shall provide delivery, unload, and place the product in the school or building as directed. Vendor will remove all debris, and rubbish resulting from delivery off site in a responsible manner. The premises shall be left in a neat, unobstructed condition upon completion of the delivery.

o Products that do not meet District or HACCP Specifications may be rejected and replacement of the rejected products shall occur within 24 hours of the delivery date at no cost to the District.

o Delivery schedule and frequency will be determined by the District to assure proper receipt of goods.

o Delivery schedule can be amended to allow additional delivery sites and times as required by the District.

o Expected delivery sites:

Building Delivery Address Adams Elementary School 950 W. 22nd Ave., Eugene, OR 97405 Arts and Technology Academy 1650 W. 22nd Ave., Eugene, OR 97405 Awbrey Park Elementary School 158 Spring Creek Dr., Eugene, OR 97404 Buena Vista Elementary School 1500 Queens Way, Eugene, OR 97401 Cal Young Middle School 2555 Gilham Road, Eugene, OR 97408 Camas Ridge Community School 1150 E. 29th Ave., Eugene, OR 97403 Charlemagne French Immersion School 3827 Kincaid St., Eugene, OR 97405 Chavez Elementary School 1510 W. 2nd Ave., Eugene, OR 97405 Churchill High School 1850 Bailey Hill Rd., Eugene, OR 97405 Yujin Gakuen Elementary Schools 2855 Lincoln St, Eugene, OR 97405 Ed Center Warehouse 200 N. Monroe St., Eugene, OR 97402 Edgewood Community Elementary School 577 E. 46th Ave., Eugene, OR 97405 Edison Elementary School 1328 E. 22nd Ave., Eugene, OR 97403 Gilham Elementary School 3307 Honeywood Street, Eugene, OR 97408 Holt Elementary School 770 Calvin Street, Eugene, OR 97401 Howard Elementary School 700 Howard Ave., Eugene, OR 97404 Kelly Middle School 850 Howard Ave., Eugene, OR 97404 Kennedy Middle School and He Lin CI School 2200 Bailey Hill Rd., Eugene, OR 97405 Madison Middle School 875 Wilkes Dr., Eugene, OR 97404 McCornack Elementary School 1968 Brittany St., Eugene, OR 97405 Monroe Middle School 2800 Bailey Lane, Eugene, OR 97401 North Eugene High School 200 Silver Lane, Eugene, OR 97404 River Road Elementary School 120 W. Hilliard Lane Eugene, OR 97404 Roosevelt Middle School 500 E. 24th Ave., Eugene, OR 97405 Sheldon High School 2455 Willakenzie Road, Eugene, OR 97401 South Eugene High School 400 E 19th Ave., Eugene, OR 97401 Spencer Butte Middle School 500 E. 43rd Ave., Eugene, OR 97405 Spring Creek Elementary School 560 Irvington Dr., Eugene, OR 97404 Willagillespie Elementary School 1125 Willagillespie Road, Eugene, OR 97401

• Delivery delays o If delivery delays are foreseen District must be notified within 24 hours of Vendor’s knowledge of such delay. Vendor shall keep District advised of the status of deliveries.

o Failure to meet delivery dates may constitute a breach of contract by Vendor which may subject Vendor to termination under terms and conditions of the resultant contract.

o In the event of default by Vendor of their obligations, District reserves the right to obtain the required products elsewhere. Vendor would be responsible for any differences in price for the replacement products.

o The Vendor shall not be liable for any delays in delivery caused by circumstances beyond its control including acts of God or of the Public Enemy, acts of the United States Government, fire, floods, epidemics, quarantine restrictions, strikes, or embargoes. When any delays in delivery will occur or are anticipated, Vendor should immediately give notice thereof to District.

o In the event of a school holiday, scheduled school closure, or unplanned closure for inclement weather or other incidents, deliveries will be made the next day that the schools are open, or deliveries will be coordinated between District and Vendor.

o If a product recall is instituted on an item that has been delivered, the Vendor will immediately notify the District within 24 hours. The Vendor will be responsible for all costs associated with replacement product, shipping charges, and/or product credit.

o If at any time it is determined that the health and/or safety of the customers at the District are affected by the usage of this product, the Vendor and/or Vendor’s processor must and will assume full liability.

• Food safety testing o District reserves the right to submit a sample of any product to an independent laboratory for analysis as listed for each product. Testing of perishable products may include monitoring acceptable chemical levels and maximum bacteria levels on designated products. Random sample testing may be performed during the resultant contract as required by District. Such analysis is to be paid for by District if the product meets the specifications. If the product fails to meet specification analysis, Vendor will be billed for the analysis by the laboratory and shall pay all such billings within thirty (30) days. Additionally, Vendor shall immediately replace or refund District for all remaining affected product within five (5) working days of notification. Vendor will be responsible for all shipping, disposal, return, and restocking fees. District reserves the right to have non-compliant products shipped to and stored in commercial storage facilities at Vendor’s expense if the five (5) working day deadline is not met.

o Failure of the product to meet specifications and acceptable chemical and bacterial levels may be considered a breach of contract and addressed as stated in the contract terms and conditions.

All noncompliant products at the time of analysis must be picked up and refund issued to District within 48 hours.

• Food security preventive measures o Food security preventive measures shall be employed by the selected Vendor to minimize the risk that food under their control is subject to tampering or criminal or terrorist actions.

o Unless specifically approved by District, it is understood that all products furnished by Vendor shall be maintained in facilities owned and operated by Vendor during the term of any resultant contract.

• Food safety o The Vendor’s premises, equipment, supplies and warehouse facilities shall be maintained, throughout the life of the contract, in conditions satisfactory to District and in compliance with the State of Oregon Health and Sanitation code. The Vendor shall adhere to the highest standards of cleanliness and sanitary practices, including the food distributor’s employee’s appearance and performance in the preparation, service, transportation, and storage of food and related items.

o The Vendor’s facility shall be subject to inspection at all times. If in the opinion of District sanitary conditions are unsatisfactory, this may be considered a breach of contract and shall be addressed as stated in the contract terms and conditions. Any losses incurred by District as a result of such a termination shall be charged against Vendor.

• Inspection o Delivery of items that do not meet all requirements will be rejected. Rejected items shall be removed and replaced promptly by Vendor at no cost to District.

3.17 Pricing

• All pricing submittals shall be entered into Attachment D: Price Proposal Worksheet. This document must be included in the submitted documents, labeled “PRODUCE RFP [Proposer’s Name] Attachment D”. Should proposer’s additional products not be listed, please include those at the bottom of the Price Proposal Worksheet labeled “additional items offered”.

• Price adjustments may be considered at contract renewal. An increase will only be allowed in proportion to a documented increase in vendor costs. The District will either accept the increase or re-bid the contract.

3.18 Sourcing

As required by the Buy American provision, all products must be of domestic origin as required by 7 CFR Part 210.21(d). A “domestic commodity or product” is defined as on that is either produced in the U.S. or is processed in the U.S. substantially using agricultural commodities that are produced in the U.S. If a product is grown outside of the U.S., proposer must give notice to Nutritional Services Regional Manager within 48 hours of delivery noting country of origin and reason for Buy American Provision Exception. Proposer shall submit a list of Oregon farms used by its company with this proposal.

3.19 Discounts

Proposer may indicate any discounts proposed for early payment or for volume purchases.

3.20 Estimated Purchase Quantities

The District’s estimated annual quantities are submitted on the Attachment D: Price Proposal Spreadsheet. The estimates are offered solely for the purpose of proposer submission and evaluation. Larger or smaller volume may be purchased, and there is no guarantee of purchases as a result of this solicitation.

3.21 Vendor Managed Inventory

Vendors shall provide inventory management; describe services in proposal.

3.22 Returns

Vendors shall allow returns within 5 working days of delivery at no charge.

SECTION 4

PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCEDURES

4.1 Introduction

This section prescribes the mandatory format for the presentation of a proposal in response to this request. The purpose of this format is to ensure uniformity of the information from each Proposer and to aid in clear understanding and evaluation of each proposal. Failure to submit a proposal in accordance with the provisions of this Section may be grounds to declare the proposal non-responsive.

Failure to provide any information requested may result in rejection of your proposal.

4.2 (Intentionally Deleted)

4.3 Proposal Rejection

The District reserves the right:

• to reject any or all proposals not in compliance with all public procedures and requirements.

• to reject any proposal(s) not meeting the specifications set forth herein.

• to waive any or all irregularities in proposals submitted.

• to consider the competency of Proposers in making any award.

• to follow the provisions of the Attorney General Model Procurement Rules, in the event two or more proposals are for the same amount for the same work.

• to reject all proposals.

• to award any or all parts of any proposal.

• to request references and other data to determine responsiveness.

4.4 Selection and Evaluation Process

Proposal will be reviewed by a committee to determine which one best meets the needs of the District.

After meeting the mandatory requirements, the proposals will be evaluated for their technical and cost responses. The review committee will make a recommendation to the District for their consideration.

The firm(s) and Eugene School District 4J will enter into a contract incorporating the terms and conditions of this RFP document and the Proposer’s response.

Proposers taking exception to any contract terms must indicate the same in their proposal or exceptions will be deemed waived.

At Eugene School District 4Js’ option, during proposal review, Proposer may be contacted to clarify or elaborate on the proposal, but will in no way be provided an opportunity to change any fee amount originally proposed. Eugene School District 4J staff may also contact any references listed on proposals.

4.5 Evaluation Criteria

The District has chosen to implement a point system to make awards. Proposals will be initially reviewed for completeness and compliance with the requirements of this RFP. Those proposals which are incomplete, which do not meet all requirements of the RFP, or otherwise deemed by the District to be “non-responsive” will be rejected. Proposals considered complete, or “responsive”, will be reviewed further to determine if they comply with the administrative, contractual, and technical requirements of the RFP. If the proposal is unclear, Proposer may be asked to provide written clarification. The following scoring system will be used in determining which of the proposers will most closely meet the best interests of the District. There is a possible score of 100 points. Scoring will be based on criteria outlined below.

Proposers are cautioned to provide in their proposals as much detail as possible pertaining to their capabilities and experience providing the services requested in this solicitation. Do not assume the District or evaluation team is familiar with the Proposer. Concise and direct answers are encouraged.

The specifications, characteristics, and requirements listed in this solicitations are in no way to be considered exhaustive. Proposals must contain the specific information and attachments requested and in the order listed below.

4.6 Evaluation Factors Matrix

Criteria Points Cost. Lowest cost will be determined by total cost of most frequently used items bid multiple by total anticipated usage for each item.

Attachment G: Additional Proposal Considerations. Narrative responses to listed questions (product quality, product availability, and food testing).

Attachment F: Vendor Delivery and History Sheet. Narrative response to delivery experience (timeliness, driver service, and professionalism).

Ability of Vendor to provide a list of Oregon farms used by its company with proposal. 5 Total 100

4.7 Proposal Validity Period

Each proposal shall be irrevocable for a period of sixty (60) days from the Proposal Opening Date.

4.8 Competency of Vendor

To enable District to evaluate the competency and financial stability of a Vendor, the qualifying and accepted Vendor(s) shall, upon request, furnish such information as reasonably necessary.

4.9 Protest of Award

In accordance with the Attorney Generals Model Procurement Rules, any adversely affected Proposer has seven (7) calendar days from the date of the written notice of award to file a written protest.

4.10 Reservation in Evaluation

District selection committee reserves the right to either: a) request “Best and Final Offers” from the two highest scoring Vendors and award to the lowest priced or b) to reassess the proposal and award to Vendor determined to best meet the overall needs of the District, or c) award to multiple vendors.

4.11 Proposal Evaluation

• The Proposal segments shall be evaluated by the Evaluation Committee consisting of not less than three (3) knowledgeable individuals (Evaluators). The District may assign certain Evaluators to evaluate specific Proposal categories in keeping with the Evaluators’ area of expertise.

Evaluators will utilize the criterion (as objectively as possible) to measure the merit of each Proposal received in accordance with the subjective evaluation criteria to determine which Proposal(s) will provide the District with the most advantageous and best overall value. The recommendations of this committee will be a consensus and will be final.

• Working as a Committee or independently (at the discretion of the District) with copies of the written proposals, the Evaluators will independently assign scores to each Proposal received in accordance with the evaluation…