27NUTRL5 - Q and A - Final.docx

This is a Questions and Answers document issued by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Office for Nutrition regarding Request for Proposal 27NUTRL5 for USDA Foods Diced Tomato Processed Sauces. The procurement seeks proposals from National or Massachusetts-state approved processors to supply Tikka Masala and Marinara sauces made with USDA Foods Diced Tomatoes that meet USDA Child Nutrition meal pattern requirements, are peanut-free, comply with Buy American provisions, and contain no artificial colors. The total quantities requested are 5,133 cases of Tikka Masala sauce and 1,658 cases of Marinara sauce, with delivery scheduled from August 2026 through May 2027. The Q&A period closed on June 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time, with proposals due June 29, 2026. All products will be delivered to a single location at the state-contracted warehouse/distributor identified in bid 27NUTRL4, which is historically located in either Massachusetts or Connecticut, with preference for Massachusetts.

Pricing must be submitted on a per-case delivered basis as an all-inclusive price with no additional charges permitted, with offers firm for year one of the contract. The awarded vendor (manufacturer/processor) will sell the product to the state-contracted warehouse/distributor at the submitted price, and the warehouse will subsequently distribute the product to Regional Agencies (RAs) at the contracted price. Bidders must meet mandatory qualifications including sufficient warehouse and vehicle space compliant with Massachusetts Department of Public Health Regulations, current Massachusetts operating license, "all risk" insurance coverage equal to the value of donated foods in possession, Continuity of Operations Plan, Food Defense Plan, Food Recall Procedures, product specification sheets, and formulation sheets. Evaluation criteria include vendor financial resources (20 points), reasonable unit costs (20 points), contract manageability including location and delivery logistics (20 points), computer capabilities for inventory monitoring (15 points), previous relevant experience with DESE (15 points), and Massachusetts location preference (10 points), with scoring based on a 100-point scale.