27NUTRL6 - Scorecard- final.docx

This is an evaluation criteria scorecard prepared by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for the procurement of low-sugar dried cranberries. The solicitation (27NUTRL6) seeks a vendor to supply the Food & Nutrition Department with dried cranberries in two flavors—Fruit Punch and Raspberry Lemonade—made exclusively from cranberries grown and harvested in Massachusetts. The scorecard establishes the framework for evaluating all bidder responses and will be used by agency staff to assess vendor qualifications and suitability for contract award.

The evaluation process consists of two stages: required qualifications and additional evaluation criteria. Bidders must receive affirmative responses on all six required qualifications to advance, including adequate warehouse space and vehicles compliant with Massachusetts Department of Public Health Regulations 105 CMR 500.00 and 21 CFR Part 110.00, exceptional customer service capacity, product specification sheets, current state operating license under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 94 Section 305 C, documented Continuity of Operations Plan with Food Defense and Food Recall Procedures, and a detailed company profile. The additional evaluation criteria are weighted on a 100-point scale: contractor financial resources (25 points), unit cost reasonableness (25 points), contract manageability including location and delivery logistics (20 points), previous relevant experience and department performance (20 points), and Massachusetts location preference (10 points). Scoring uses a rubric ranging from zero points for non-responsive submissions to five points for outstanding qualifications, with multipliers applied to each criterion category.