6-1 - 26RFP19 Food Services for Williamson County Jail.docx

26RFP19 Food Services for the Williamson County Jail Due: Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 2:00PM

Purchasing Department 100 Wilco Way, Suite P101 Georgetown, TX 78626

512-943-3553

Wilcotx.gov

Wilco.org PageTABLE OF CONTENTS

Purpose 3

Definitions 3

Background 4

Scope of Work 4

Budget 13

Contract Term 13

Evaluation Criteria and Award Process 14

Due Date, Submission and Delivery 18

Instructions and Response Requirements 21

Terms and Conditions 25

Federal Requirements 38

Checklist and Summary of Required Documents 41

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pg. 2 Version January 2026

PURPOSE

Williamson County, Texas, herein “the County”, seeks to establish Food Services for the County Jail. The awarded Contractor shall be responsible for furnishing all labor, materials, food/beverage products, maintenance services, and other required miscellaneous items to provide the services identified. The following Specifications/Scope of Services will define the various services to be performed by the awarded Contractor. Provided here is a general description of the processes the Contractor may utilize in preparing and distributing food at our facility. Also defined is the level of expectation the County has for the performance of work to be done by the awarded Contractor and Contractor’s personnel. The Williamson County Jail (Jail) has a full commercial kitchen/food storage area. A completed list of kitchen equipment available to the awarded contractor is not provided herein, but the list will be available for inspection at a site visit.

DEFINITIONS

Addendum/Addenda - means any written or graphic instruments issued by the County, prior to the consideration of Proposals, which modify or interpret the Solicitation Documents by additions, deletions, clarifications, or corrections.

Buyer - means the designated Williamson County Purchasing contact.

Contract - means the Solicitation Documents and the Proposal of the Successful Respondent shall become a Contract between the Successful Respondent and the County once the Successful Respondent's Proposal is properly accepted by the Williamson County Commissioners Court (sometimes referred to herein as the Commissioner's Court"). In the event of a conflict between the terms and conditions contained in this RFP and the Proposal, an Ensuing Agreement may be required.

Commissioners Court - means the Williamson County Commissioners Court.

County - means Williamson County, a political subdivision of the State of Texas.

Ensuing Agreement(s) - means the Successful Respondent may be required by the County to sign an additional agreement containing terms necessary to ensure compliance with the RFP and the Respondent's Proposal. Such Ensuing Agreement(s) shall contain the Proposal specifications, terms and conditions that are derived from the RFP.

Solicitation Documents - means the RFP, including attachments, and any Addenda issued by the County prior to the consideration of any Proposals.

Proposal - means the complete, properly signed document, and ALL required forms and documentation listed in the proposal package which have been submitted in accordance with this RFP package. A Proposal submitted in accordance with this RFP is irrevocable during the specified time period for evaluation and acceptance of Proposals, unless a waiver is obtained from the Williamson County Purchasing Agent. Submission of any Proposal indicates a Respondent’s acceptance of the terms and conditions contain in this RFP, unless clearly and specifically noted otherwise in the Proposal. In the event of a conflict between the terms and conditions contained in this RFP and the Proposal, an Ensuing Agreement may be required.

Public Announcement – The newspaper advertisement and the County’s digital procurement platform posting of the solicitation.

Respondent - means a person or entity who submits a Proposal in response to this RFP.

Request for Proposals (RFP) - means this document, together with the attachments thereto.

Successful Respondent - means the responsible Respondent who, in the County's sole opinion, submits a Proposal which is in the best interest of the County, taking into account factors identified herein, and to whom the County intends to award the Contract.

BACKGROUND

The Williamson County Jail is a secure correctional facility with an average daily inmate population ranging from 600 to 850 inmates. The facility operates continuously, seven days a week, and requires a reliable and professionally managed food service operation capable of meeting the nutritional, operational, and regulatory demands of a correctional environment. Inmate meals must be prepared and served in a manner that supports facility security, public health standards, and the orderly operation of the jail.

Williamson County currently seeks to procure a qualified food service contractor to manage and operate the jail’s food service program. The contractor will be expected to provide comprehensive food service operations, including staffing, supervision, and meal preparation, while coordinating with County staff and utilizing assigned inmate trustees as permitted. The food service program must accommodate a routine meal service, medically prescribed diets, and religious dietary needs, as well as support continuity of operations during holidays and other peak periods. This RFP is intended to identify a contractor with experience, resources, and operational capacity to deliver consistent, compliant, and well-managed food services for the inmate population and, where applicable, jail staff.

SCOPE OF WORK/SPECIFICATIONS

1. Supply all labor (excluding inmate labor) and food/beverage products to provide inmate food services and associated documentation to the Jail. Contractor should provide a staffing plan for an average daily population range of 600 – 850.

2. Provide services, as required, of a Registered Dietician to fulfill all nutritional needs of inmates. A Dietician must be available for onsite staff training with kitchen contract personnel and willing to work with the Jail Medical Department for individual dietary needs.

3. Maintain a standard of cleanliness for the food service facility which will ensure compliance with existing and future local, state, and federal health and environmental regulations.

4. Abide by all established security practices while operating in a manner to ensure that control is maintained throughout the jail kitchen.

5. Ensure adequate portions of quality food are provided to inmates at all meals.

6. Ensure all Jail policies are followed, and standards are always met.

7. Purchase food and beverage products and manage the inventory of such products to minimize spoilage.

8. Provide enough employees in the Jail kitchen to supply food to all Jail inmates and operate and maintenance of the dishwasher. The Jail may provide two (2) shifts of trusty inmates to assist Contractor’s personnel.

9. Contractor shall provide Trusty meals as a special meal provision. These meals should include higher quality of product, slightly larger portions and may offer additional condiments compared to the general inmate population to encourage participation in trusty assignment.

10. Jail inmate meals are served on trays with compartments, placed on rolling carts and delivered to the housing units where a corrections officer oversees the distribution of the meals and beverages by inmate workers. Beverages are placed on rolling carts and distributed by trusties/jail staff overseen by a corrections officer.

11. Individual cartons of 2% milk are to be served and distributed by the Contractor at least three times weekly.

12. If sack lunches must be utilized, all sack lunches shall be prepared no more than 24 hours in advance of delivery.

13. The Contractor shall provide medically related diets, including allergy sensitive diets, as required. Requests for medically related diets are approved and forwarded to the Contractor by the Jail Medical Department.

14. The Contractor shall provide Religious sensitive meals as needed.

15. The Contractor shall provide a minimum of two hot meals per day.

16. Contactor to provide an Employee Micro Market. This market should provide a self-service retail space located in the jail. This market should include a range of healthy snacks, healthy salads/meals and beverages. The Contractor should provide all equipment and furniture to be utilized within the Micro Market. The Market should be equipped with a Cashless Vending System. Also provides a complimentary Coffee Bar/Machine and all coffee supplies. The Market should be frequently stocked with fresh food items. Examples of equipment: Refrigerated Vending Machines, Food Shelving, Microwaves, and Toaster Ovens/Air Fryer.

17. The Contractor should provide employee hot meal options.

18. During the initial term of the contract and any extension periods, the County grants the Contractor exclusive rights to provide Food Services in the Jail.

19. The County grants the Contractor, its agents and employees, authorization to enter the Jail premises subject to standard security and background checks of the Contractor’s personnel. The background checks will be conducted at the discretion of the Williamson County Jail management prior to any access being granted.

20. The Contractor shall provide food service management, labor, food, beverages, materials, maintenance, and supplies to provide food for inmates at the Jail. Supplies shall include an adequate number of condiments such as sugar, creamer, ketchup, mustard, mayo, salt, pepper, butter/margarine, jelly, etc., to complement the respective food/beverages being served by the Contractor.

21. Contractor shall provide adequate management and supervision of each shift, seven (7) days per week to assure all necessary tasks are adequately performed on a schedule to be mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the Jail.

22. The County requires a minimum of one Contractor staff member on site anytime inmates are working in the kitchen. Proposals must include a staffing plan with proposed minimum starting pay or base pay for each position. The Contractor shall provide a trained Food Services Manager with experience in similar facilities who will work directly with Williamson County Jail contract administrators. Contractor’s employment of their Food Services Manager, and all other Contractor’s employees shall be subject to the review and approval by Jail management. Williamson County reserves the right to require the Contractor remove and replace any of the Contractor’s employees for just cause.

23. The Contractor’s Food Services Manager and any supervisor(s) assigned by the Contractor to the Jail shall not be changed unless mutually agreed upon between Jail management and the Contractor. Any replacement Contractor employee must be approved by Jail management. Contractor shall not allow any position to be unfilled for a period exceeding thirty (30) days. In the event a position is unfilled more than thirty (30) days, the Contractor shall be responsible to pay the County the wages of the unfilled position.

24. All Contractor’s employees shall be obligated to adhere to Williamson County/Williamson County Jail Policies and Procedures. All Contractor’s employees will conduct themselves in a manner to maintain local Health Department standards at the County Jail, accompany Health Department personnel during inspections, and address any issues raised by Health Department personnel during kitchen inspections.

25. Williamson County Jail, under non-emergency conditions and when available, may provide sufficient inmate labor for food preparation, serving, sanitation and other activities the Contractor determines can be appropriately handled by inmate labor except during lockdown, strikes or other emergencies. Jail personnel shall be responsible for taking disciplinary action for trusties when appropriate. The Contractor shall have the right to request Williamson County Jail management remove an inmate from a food service assignment.

26. The Contractor shall be responsible for orienting new employees and shall distribute a written job description to each member of their staff which clearly defines respective job responsibilities.

27. The Contractor shall provide well balanced meals that provide minimum values of 2500 calories per day. Alternate proposals that exceed the minimum will be considered.

28. The Contractor shall provide a dated three (3) week menu cycle that meets the recommendations of the Food and Nutrition Board National Research Council. Contractor shall provide copies of all menus to County Jail supervisors at least one (1) week in advance of use. Contractor must submit any changes to the menu to County Jail Supervisors for approval. Any changes must meet daily caloric requirements.

29. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring menus are reviewed and certified as to nutritional adequacy by a Registered-Certified Dietician. Upon Jail management request, the Contractor shall provide nutrient analysis and cooked weight (volume) for each serving size portion and recipes for every menu item.

30. The Contractor will be expected to provide special spirit lifter/holiday meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

31. The exact hours of meal service at Williamson County Jail shall be reached by mutual agreement between Jail Management and the Contractor. Discrepancies in meal delivery, such as missing meals, non-conforming meals, i.e., religious and medically sensitive diets, to Williamson County Jail shall be noted by Jail Management and corrected immediately by Contractor to present inmate(s) with a prepared meal within one hour of regular mealtime.

32. The Contractor shall be responsible for preparation, distribution, and documentation procedures for medically prescribed diets, as required. The Contractor shall prepare and serve all medically prescribed diets and ensure the menu is compliant with the Jail Medical provider’s orders. When possible, the menu of the day shall be modified by the Contractor for individuals on medically prescribed diets. When not possible, medically prescribed diets shall be prepared separately. Medically prescribed diets shall be served during normal mealtimes in the manner specified by the Jail Medical provider. The Contractor shall maintain complete records showing which inmates are to be provided medically prescribed diets, contents of the diet(s)/meal(s), and whether each inmate receives the prescribed meal. The Contractor shall provide a copy of records to the Medical Supervisor upon request.

33. Any food supplies purchased by the Contractor shall be the property of Contractor and the Contractor shall be responsible for any loss, damage, or spoilage. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring the correct merchandise and quantity is received, and deliveries are made to correspond with the appropriate schedules and security procedures of the Jail. The Contractor should assume the Jail will require advance notification of all deliveries. The Contractor must maintain a minimal inventory on hand and such inventory shall be rotated regularly to assure food items are not served after the manufacturer’s expiration date.

34. The Contractor shall purchase all paper products, kitchen cleaning products and household items as mutually agreed upon to be necessary for the efficient and sanitary operation of food services. The Contractor shall be responsible for the proper storage of those items to prevent any theft, damage, or loss.

35. The Contractor shall be responsible for the provision of all office supplies, except for any standard form(s), provided by Williamson County Jail, required to operate, and manage the kitchen. The Contractor shall be responsible for removal and disposal of all cooking oil at the Jail.

36. The County shall maintain and repair the building structure in areas assigned to the Contractor and shall provide all utilities necessary for the performance of food service operations contained herein. The County shall be responsible for the on-going maintenance and repair of the walk-in freezers, fire extinguishers, and refrigerators.

37. The County shall provide pest control for all areas assigned to the Contractor.

38. The County shall provide trash removal services.

39. In return for the cost-per-meal rates, the Contractor shall be responsible for the repair and maintenance of all kitchen equipment not mentioned in the preceding paragraph as specifically maintained by the County.

40. The Contractor’s liability for providing maintenance and repairs will be limited to the sum of $75,000 per calendar/contract year. Contractor shall keep a log of repair and maintenance costs incurred during each calendar/contract year. In the event the Contractor's expenditures in a calendar/contract year exceeds $75,000, the County will reimburse Contractor for such expenditures. Contractor shall notify and receive permission from the County prior to incurring any repair and/or maintenance cost above the $75,000 annual limit. In the event Contractor’s annual repair and maintenance expenditures for a calendar/contract year are less than $75,000 the Contractor shall reimburse the County the difference between the costs incurred and the sum of $75,000. If, in the Contractor’s opinion, a piece of kitchen equipment is judged to be past its useful life and repair is not justified, Contractor shall notify the County accordingly. Upon such notification, the County will either advise Contractor to proceed with repairs and/or maintenance or the County will assume responsibility for replacing the equipment.

41. Contractor shall be responsible for the costs of repairs of any kitchen item that becomes inoperable due to the negligence of Contractor’s employees.

General Requirements

1. Licenses, Fees, and Taxes The Williamson County Jail will be responsible to secure and pay for licenses and fees associated with local regulations and licensing required to prepare and serve meals to the inmate population.

The Contractor is responsible for any licenses, fees, and taxes for food products purchased, and for consumable supplies. These costs will be included in the proposed price per meal.

2. Billing Process/Record Keeping

· The Contractor will pay all invoices for food products as listed in the RFP.

· Final inmate Price Per Meal will include the cost for food, beverages, and services provided by the Contractor.

· The Contractor shall keep complete and accurate records of expenses for its services. A copy of the records shall be supplied to Jail Management or his/her designee on the first working day of each month. All such records shall be available for auditing by Jail management at any time during regular working hours.

3. Additional Food Service Requirements

· The Contractor will agree to provide additional food services as mutually agreed upon at mutually agreed upon prices.

4. Training The Contractor shall provide contract staff training on receiving, handling, and managing inventory. The proposal shall outline what the training will entail. At a minimum, the Contractor will provide training on the following:

· Food handling, preparation and serving procedures

· Inventory and equipment management

· Menu management software

5. Menu Specifications All proposed menus must meet all the following requirements. Any variations from the provided requirements and/or serving size must be clearly defined.

· Proposed product substitution and brand

· Nutritional analysis of equality

· Serving size

· A registered dietitian certification of both the menu and nutritional analysis

· Cartons of milk must be served three times per week

· Fruit drink must be served twice weekly at breakfast

· A beverage must be served at lunch

· A beverage (other than water) must be served at dinner

· Twenty-five hundred (2500) calories minimums served per day

6. Menu Cycle

- Each Respondent shall submit a 3 (three) week cycle menu

- Each week will include 21 meals

7. Menu Certification by a Registered Dietician

- A registered dietitian shall certify the inmate menu in the proposal with a signed nutritional compliance statement. A copy of the dietitian’s registration card shall be submitted with the proposal.

- A registered dietitian will approve all menus prior to service, and annually thereafter. All meals served will follow the most recently published Recommended Dietary Allowances and Dietary Reference Intakes for adult meals as established by the National Academy of Sciences.

8. Sack Meals

- For approximately 30 inmates, 7 days per week, sack meals are prepared for inmates out of the facility for court appearances, in transit to another facility, or any other types of temporary release.

9. Medically prescribed and religion sensitive diets

- Medically prescribed diets must conform to physician-ordered specifications

- The average daily number of inmates receiving medically prescribed diets is approximately twenty-five (25)

- The most common medically prescribed diet orders include food allergies, diabetic, low salt, and vegetarian

10. Cost Summary

- The cost per meal prepared shall be indicated on the bid summary sheet. A sliding fee scale should be submitted. Based on inmate average daily population.

- The per meal prices stated in this RFP will be firm for the period beginning meal prices for each subsequent 12-month period shall be adjusted on the anniversary of the effective date by an amount to be determined utilizing the local CPI to calculate changes in food costs.

11. Furnish Verification

- Provide the following information from at least three previous contracts provided by the company’s organization, which are like the requirements of this RFP. These references may be contacted to verify the company’s ability to perform the requirements. The County reserves the right to use any information or additional references deemed necessary to establish the ability of the company.

a. Name and address of facility

b. Name, telephone number, and email address of a representative of that agency who may be contacted for verification of all information submitted

c. Dates of service

d. A brief, written description of the specific prior services performed and requirements

12. Company History

- It is a mandatory requirement of this RFP that the company’s team has a minimum of five (5) years of experience in the field of inmate food services for jail facilities and shall have successfully provided this service to a minimum of three facilities similar in scope and size to the facility represented by this RFP.

- Provide information establishing that the company submitting the proposal, or its team members, has the qualifications and experience to provide the services specified in the RFP.

13. Performance Bond & Financial Statements

- Vendor will be required to provide a Surety Bond guaranteeing performance of all conditions of this contract in the amount of fifty thousand ($50,000), this bond will be forfeited in the event the Vendor fails to satisfactorily perform this contract.

- The most recent financial statements (Form 10-K) should be submitted.

PROPOSAL FORMAT

A. Proposals submitted in response to this RFP should be organized and configured in the following format:

Cover Letter – The proposal must include a cover letter that introduces the Vendor, provides a highlight of their experience, and outlines the per meal costs.

Sections 1 - Overview of Vendor Experience - The proposal shall include an overview of the vendor, its background, history, and experience in providing inmate food service at a county jail. Provide the full name and address of your organization and identify the parent company if you are a subsidiary. Provide the number of years your firm has been in business and the number of years it has been providing these types of services for cities and counties. Provide a list of previously completed contracts in place. Provide the required references and summary with customer names and contact information so that the evaluation committee may contact your project references.

Section 2 – Services – Describe how your company will meet the requirements contained within this RFP.

Section 3 – Proposed Work Schedule – Provide a detailed description of your work plan and proposal for satisfying all RFP requirements.

Section 4 – Other Services – Vendor may describe other services that are available through, or recommended by, the vendor.

Section 5 – Exceptions and Deviations – Provide a statement expressing understanding and willingness to comply with all provisions of the RFP. If there are provisions of the RFP that the vendor is unwilling or unable to comply with, the vendor shall identify the paragraph number, list the provision in its entirety, and provide the reason for non-compliance. If there are provisions of the RFP for which the Vendor would like to propose an alternative solution, the vendor shall identify and list the provision in its entirety and provide the alternative solution.

B. Furnish a staffing plan identifying the background of the responsible staff, job descriptions and written work plan that demonstrates the ability of the contractor to fulfill the requirements of this RFP.

SILENCE OF SPECIFICATIONS

The apparent silence of specifications as to any detail, or to the apparent omission from it of a detailed description concerning any point, shall be regarded as meaning that only the best practices are to prevail and that only material and workmanship of the finest quality are to be used. All interpretations of specifications shall be made based on this statement.

AMBIGUITY, CONFLICT, OR OTHER ERRORS IN THIS RFP

If a Respondent discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission or other error in the Solicitation Documents, the Respondent shall immediately notify the Buyer of such error in writing and request modification or clarification of the document.

Modifications will be made by issuing Addenda. If the Respondent fails to notify the Buyer, prior to the date and time fixed for submission of responses, of an error or ambiguity in the Solicitation Documents known to the Respondent, or an error or ambiguity that reasonably should have been known to the Respondent, then the Respondent shall be deemed to have waived the error or ambiguity.

The County may also modify the Solicitation Documents, no later than seventy-two (72) hours prior to the date and time fixed for submission of responses, by issuance of an Addendum. All Addenda will be numbered consecutively, beginning with one (1).

BUDGET

Funds have been allocated and approved by the Commissioner’s Court or County Judge or County Auditor.

Budget for this solicitation has been established at $1,210,000.00 per year.

CONTRACT TERM AND RENEWALS

The term of the resulting Contract shall be a four-year (4) term (“Initial Contract Term”), plus four (4) one-year (1) renewals.

If applicable, at the end of the Initial Contract Term, the Commissioners Court reserves the right to renew the Initial Contract Term, by mutual agreement of both parties, as it deems to be in the best interest of the County. Any renewal will be in twelve (12) month increments with the terms and conditions remaining the same. The renewal of the Contract is contingent on the appropriation of necessary funds by the Commissioners Court for the fiscal year in question. Upon the failure of the Commissioners Court to appropriate sufficient funds in any year, the Successful Respondent may elect to terminate the Contract, with no additional liability to the County. The County and the Successful Respondent agree that termination shall be the Successful Respondent's sole remedy under this circumstance. Comment by Jacqueline Lentz: Stated in a separate section of the RFP

EVALUATION CRITERIA AND AWARD PROCESS

EVALUATION AND AWARD

The County reserves the right to use all pertinent information (also learned from sources other than what is disclosed in the solicitation process) that might affect the County's judgment as to the appropriateness of an award to the lowest and best evaluated Proposal. This information may be appended to the Proposal evaluation process results. Information on a Respondent from reliable sources, and not within the Respondent’s response, may also be noted and made part of the evaluation file. The County shall have sole discretion for determining the reliability of the source.

The County reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals, or delete any portion of the Proposal, or to accept any Proposal deemed most advantageous, or to waive any irregularities or informalities in the Proposals received that best serves the interest and at the sole discretion of the County.

EX PARTE COMMUNICATION

To ensure the proper and fair evaluation of a Proposal, all inquiries concerning this RFP are to be directed only to the Buyer tin writing. The County prohibits ex parte communication (e.g., unsolicited communication) initiated by the Respondent to any Elected Official/Department Head, County Employee or Evaluation Committee Member evaluating or considering the responses prior to the time a formal decision has been made. Questions and other communication from Respondents will be permissible by the means established by the Buyer until the day and time specified as the deadline for questions. Any communication between Respondent and the County after the deadline for questions will be initiated by the appropriate County Official or Employee in order to obtain information or clarification needed to develop a proper and accurate evaluation of the Proposal. Ex parte communication may be grounds for disqualifying the offending Respondent from consideration or award of the solicitation. If a Respondent violates these provisions more than once in a three (3) year period, the Purchasing Agent may debar the Respondent from the sale of goods or services to the County for a period not to exceed three (3) years. Comment by Jacqueline Lentz: Is this different from the Buyer?

The issuance of a written Addendum is the only official method by which interpretation, clarification, or additional information will be given by the County. Only questions answered by formal written Addenda will be binding. Oral and other interpretations or clarifications will be without legal effect.

CLARIFICATION

Respondents shall submit questions or requests for clarification through the solicitation portal: https://wilco.bonfirehub.com/ provided by EUNA Solutions. All responses to said question or requests shall be posted in the portal.

RESPONSIBILITY AND RESPONSIVENESS

The County intends to award a Contract to the Respondent whose response will be most advantageous to the County. In accordance with Texas Government Code and Local Government Code, the County may consider, to the extent allowed by law, the following:

All Proposals received by the designated date and time will be evaluated based on the Respondent's Proposal. Other information may be taken into consideration when that information potentially provides an additional benefit to the County and further helps the County in receiving the services listed in the RFP.

Respondents' _Proposals must meet all mandatory (minimum) requirements in order to be scored. Scoring may also be based on total information gathered by the County at its discretion, including but not limited to Respondent's ability to perform without delay or interference, character, responsibility, integrity, and experience or demonstrated capability; quality of prior work; compliance with laws; and noncompliance with requirements as to submission of relevant information.

Additionally, the County has the sole discretion and reserves the right to cancel this RFP, to reject any and all Proposals, and/or to readvertise with either identical or revised specifications if it is deemed to be in the County’s best interest. The County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all of the items in the Proposal, and/or negotiate any or all items with individual Respondents if it is deemed in the County’s best interest.

The County reserves the right to enter into a Contract, Ensuing Agreement, or a Purchase Order with a single award, split awards, non-award, or use any combination that best serves the interest and at the sole discretion of the County.

EVALUATION COMMITTEE AND SELECTION PROCESS

All Proposals will be evaluated by a County appointed Evaluation Committee. The Evaluation Committee may be composed of County Staff that may have expertise, knowledge, or experience with the services and/or goods being procured hereunder. Those Respondents meeting all requirements and deemed most qualified may receive further evaluation via telephone or in-person interviews with members of the Evaluation Committee. The County will select a Respondent determined to be the best and most responsible Respondent meeting minimum specifications and qualifications.

Respondents are advised that the Evaluation Committee, at its option, may recommend an award strictly based on the initial Proposals without any further or additional discussion with the Respondents. Therefore, each initial Proposal should contain the Respondent’s best terms and offer. The Evaluation Committee will present its recommendation to the Williamson County Commissioners' Court for approval and award of Contract.

The recommended finalist shall be determined by the Respondent receiving the most points in relation to the Evaluation Criteria outlined herein. Additional scoring may be conducted based upon Respondent's presentation during the interview process and may or may not include previous scores from Respondent's Proposal. Respondent Interviews may be conducted in person or remotely at the County’s sole discretion. Comment by Jacqueline Lentz: We state above that further evaluation could be done in-person or via telephone. I recommend including both virtual and in-person options for flexibility in unforeseen circumstances, but at the County’s sole discretion. Respondents should be prepared for either option.

The County also reserves the right to communicate with select Respondents at any time to gather additional information.

FINALIST INTERVIEWS

The Evaluation Committee will review each response to determine the most highly qualified Respondent on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications using the weighted criteria. A consensus score will be assigned to each response.

At the Evaluation Committee’s discretion, Respondents may be required to make an oral presentation to the Evaluation Committee to further present their qualifications. These presentations will provide the Respondent the opportunity to clarify their qualifications and ensure a mutual understanding of the goods or services to be provided and the approach to be used. However, finalist interviews are included at the sole discretion of the Evaluation Committee and are not a guaranteed part of the selection process.

COSTS INCURRED

Costs incurred in the submission of a Proposal, making necessary studies or designs for the preparation thereof, or attending an interview are the sole responsibility of the Respondent. Furthermore, no reimbursable cost may be incurred in the anticipation of award.

WEIGHTED EVALUATION FACTORS The following weighted evaluation factors will be used to determine how well a Respondent meets the desired performance.

Price per Meal

ADDITIONAL EVALUATION INFORMATION

The evaluation process may reveal additional information for consideration. The County reserves the right to modify, without notice, the evaluation structure and weighted criteria to accommodate these additional considerations.

CONSIDERATION OF LOCATION OF PRINCIPAL OFFICE

Pursuant to Texas Local Government Code, Section 271.905, in purchasing any real property or personal property that is not affixed to real property, if the County receives one or more Proposals from a Respondent whose principal place of business is in Williamson County and whose Proposal is within three (3) percent of the lowest bid price received by the County from a Respondent who is not a resident of Williamson County, the County may enter into a contract with: (1)The lowest bidder; or (2) the Respondent whose principal place of business is in Williamson County if the Commissioners Court determines, in writing, that the local Respondent offers the County the best combination of contract price and additional economic development opportunities for Williamson County created by the contract award, including the employment of residents of Williamson County and increased tax revenues to Williamson County.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Award announcement will be made upon Commissioners Court approval of staff recommendation and executed agreement (if applicable). Award announcement will appear on the County’s website at Williamson County (bonfirehub.com) provided by EUNA Solutions.

REJECTION OR ACCEPTANCE

The County reserves the right to reject any or all responses, or to accept any response deemed most advantageous, or to waive any irregularities or informalities in the response received that best serves the interest and at the sole discretion of the County.

Any additional terms and conditions attached to the Proposal will not be considered unless Respondent specifically and clearly references them on the front of the Proposal response document. WARNING: Exceptions to or additional terms and conditions may result in disqualification of the response.

CONTRACTUAL DEVELOPMENT

The Commissioners Court may award the Contract on the basis of the initial Proposals received, without any further or additional discussions. Therefore, each initial Proposal should contain the Respondent's best terms and offer. The contents of the Solicitation Documents and the selected Proposal will become an integral part of the Contract, but may be modified, at Williamson County's sole discretion, by provisions of an Ensuing Agreement. Therefore, the Respondent must agree to inclusion in an Ensuing Agreement the specifications, terms, and conditions of this RFP and the Solicitation Documents. Williamson County may, at its discretion, opt to conduct further discussions with responsible offerors and request the highest ranked Respondent's Best and Final Offer (BAFO).

CONTRACTUAL FORMATION AND ENSUING AGREEMENT

The Solicitation Documents and the Respondent's Proposal, when properly accepted by the Commissioners Court, shall constitute a Contract equally binding between the Successful Respondent and the County. The Successful Respondent may be required by the County to sign an additional Ensuing Agreement containing terms necessary to ensure compliance with the Solicitation Documents and Respondent's Proposal.

DUE DATE, SUBMISSION AND DELIVERY

SUBMITTAL DUE DATE

The Proposal is due no later than the submittal date and time set forth in the Public Announcement and listed in this RFP package. The contents of each Proposal shall be submitted in accordance with this RFP.

The Submittal Due Date for responses to this solicitation is:

April 15, 2026: Submissions Due 2:00 PM

Proposals will be opened publicly; however, in a manner to avoid public disclosure of contents, only names of Respondents will be read aloud. No pricing will be announced at the opening.

SUBMISSION AND DELIVERY OF RESPONSES

It is preferred that Proposals be submitted electronically through the County’s digital procurement platform, however, Respondents may submit a hard copy. Please be aware that submitting Proposals electronically is a convenience to the Respondent. Williamson County takes no responsibility for any third-party system interruption such as US Mail, FedEx or UPS, potentially causing late delivery of Respondent's submittal. Additionally, Respondents are encouraged to submit well in advance of the deadline to protect against any system disruptions.

Refer to https://wilco.bonfirehub.com/ provided by EUNA Solutions for further information on how to submit electronically.

If mailed or delivered in person, Proposals are to be delivered in sealed envelope on or before the submittal deadline, as noted in this solicitation, to: Comment by Jacqueline Lentz: Do Respondent’s submit addenda? I thought addenda was only issued by the County in response to a question or clarification.

Williamson County Purchasing Department Attn: Food Services for Williamson County Jail 26RFP19 100 Wilco Way, Suite P101 Georgetown, Texas 78626 Respondents should list their Name and Address, and the Date of the Proposal opening on the outside of the box or envelope and note “Sealed Proposal Enclosed” along with the solicitation name and number clearly marked. Williamson County will not accept any Proposals after the submittal deadline and shall return such Proposals unopened to the Respondent. Responses received after this time and date shall not be considered.

OWNERSHIP OF PROPOSAL

Each Proposal shall become the property of the County upon submittal and will not be returned to Respondents unless received after the submittal deadline.

WITHDRAWAL OF SOLICITATION

The Respondent may withdraw its Proposal by submitting a written request with the company letterhead and the signature of the Respondent or other authorized individual, to the Williamson County Purchasing Department any time prior to the Submittal Due Date.

The Respondent may submit a new Proposal prior to the Submittal Due Date. Alterations of the Proposal in any manner will not be considered if submitted after the Submittal Due Date. Withdrawal of a Proposal after the Submittal Due Date will be subject to written approval of the Williamson County Purchasing Agent.

RESPONSIBILITY

It is expected that Respondent shall provide demonstrated ability to perform the scope of work as described. A Respondent shall meet the following requirements that include, but are not limited to:

The County may request other information sufficient to determine the Respondent’s ability to meet the minimum standards listed above.

VALIDITY

The Proposal shall be valid for one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days from the Submittal Due Date. Any Proposal containing a term of less than one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days for acceptance may, at the County’s sole discretion, be rejected as non-responsive or extended by mutual agreement.

SUBMITTAL DUE DATE EXTENSIONS

Williamson County Commissioners Court has the discretion to extend a Submittal Due Date to best serve the interest of the County. Approval of this RFP by the Commissioners Court delegates the authority to issue an extension to the Purchasing Agent and the Purchasing Agent’s assistants. Extensions are issued to enhance competition and provide a fair and favorable environment for Respondents to submit a Proposal. With this goal in mind, if a situation warrants an extension, it shall be granted. The acceptable reasons for an extension are outlined herein. Documentation shall be kept on file noting the reason for the extension. Documentation must contain the approval of the Purchasing Agent or Deputy Purchasing Agent. All submitted Proposals, including those received prior to an extension being made, shall all be opened at the same time.

DUE DATE EXTENSION NOTICE REQUIREMENT

A notice of a proposed Submittal Due Date must be published at least once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the County, with the first day of publication occurring at least 14 days before the date of the bid opening. Extension information will also be published on the County’s digital procurement platform.

REASONS FOR EXTENSION

Williamson County may consider an extension which can include, but is not limited to, the following reasons:

1. Change or clarifications in specifications, such as substantive change in specification provided by Williamson County End User;

2. Administrative issues, such as change in process, staffing or other administrative issues necessitating an extension; or

3. Emergency/natural disaster may prevent regional suppliers from submitting a response and prevent County staff from being able to participate in the solicitation administration.

INSTRUCTIONS AND RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

Each Proposal submitted in response to this RFP should clearly reference the numbered sections of this RFP that require a response. Failure to arrange the Proposal as requested may result in the disqualification of the Proposal.

Though there is not a page limit for Proposals, to save natural resources including paper, and to allow the County staff to efficiently evaluate all submitted Proposals, the County requests that Proposals be orderly, concise, but comprehensive in providing the requested information. Conciseness and clarity of content are emphasized and encouraged.

Vague and general Proposals may be considered non-responsive, and may, at the County’s sole discretion, result in disqualification. Proposals must be legible and complete. Failure to provide the required information may result in the disqualification of the Proposal. All pages of the Proposal should be numbered, and the Proposal should contain an organized, paginated table of contents corresponding to the sections and pages of the Proposal.

ORGANIZATION OF PROPOSAL CONTENTS AND TABLE OF CONTENTS

Each Proposal should be submitted with a table of contents that clearly identifies and denotes the location of all enclosures of the Proposal. The table of contents should follow the RFP’s structure as much as is practical.

Each Proposal should be organized in the manner described below:

A. Transmittal Letter B. Table of Contents C. Executive Summary D. Evaluation Selection Criteria (Please see the sections in this RFP package that list the Specifications and Cost Proposal, Experience and Qualifications, References, and Implementation Strategy to respond to our criteria in a clear and concise manner) E. Price Sheet F. References: Identification of three (3) references within the last four (4) years, for which the Respondent is providing, or has provided, the goods and/or services (public sector) of the type requested in this RFP. Include the name, position/title, and telephone number of a contact person at each entity- G. Similar Contracts H. Cancelled and Terminated Contracts I. Conflict of Interest Questionnaire J. Proposal Affidavit (Signature Page) K. Attach your entities sample contract, if applicable, for the County’s review and consideration. The County is not required to use the sample contract submitted

TRANSMITTAL LETTER

The Transmittal Letter should be signed by a person legally authorized to bind the Respondent to the representations in the Transmittal Letter and the Proposal.

The Respondent should submit a Transmittal Letter that provides the following information:

A. Legal Name and address of the individual or business entity submitting the Proposal B. Respondent’s type of business entity (i.e., Corporation, General Partnership, Limited Partnership, LLC, etc.)

C. Place of incorporation or organization, if applicable D. Name and location of major offices and other facilities that relate to the Respondent’s performance under the terms of this RFP E. Name, physical address, email address, business, and the Respondent’s principal contact person regarding all contractual matters relating to this RFP F. The Respondent’s Federal Employer Identification Number G. A commitment by the Respondent to provide the services required by the County

AUTHORIZATION OF RESPONDENT

Respondent shall be an individual who is authorized to bind the Proposal contractually: (1) If the Respondent is a Corporation or Limited Liability Company, the legal name of the Corporation or Limited Liability Company shall be provided; (2) If the Respondent is a General Partner, the name of the partners shall be provided; (3) If the Respondent is a Limited Partnership, the name of the Limited Partner's General Partner shall be provided; (4) If the Respondent is a Sole Proprietor(s) (individual), each Sole Proprietor(s) shall be provided; (5) If response is by an agent, other than the Sole Proprietor(s) or an officer of a Corporation, Limited Liability Company, General Partner or a member of a General Partnership, a power of attorney or equivalent document must be submitted to the Williamson County Purchasing Department.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Respondent should provide an Executive Summary of its Proposal that asserts that the Respondent is providing all of the requirements set forth in this RFP. The Executive Summary should not include any information concerning the cost of the Proposal but instead must present a full and concise summary of the contents of the Proposal. It is recommended the Executive Summary include the following information:

A. Identify any goods and/or services that are provided beyond those specifically requested. If the Respondent is providing services and/or goods that do not meet the specific requirements of this RFP, but in the opinion of the Respondent are equivalent or superior to those specifically requested, any such differences should be noted in the Executive Summary. However, the Respondent must realize that failure to provide the goods and/or services specifically required, at the County’s sole discretion, may result in disqualification of the Proposal.

B. Indicate why the Respondent believes that it is the most qualified Respondent to provide the goods and/or services described in this RFP. The Respondent must demonstrate extensive experience and understanding of the intent of this RFP.