Addendum_3_10.23.2024.pdf

INVITATION TO BID (ITB) – ADDENDUM # 3

ADDENDUM POSTING DATE: PURCHASING CONTACT & TELEPHONE:

October 23, 2024 Myra White, Buyer Email: mmwhite1@volusia.k12.fl.us Phone: 386-734-7190 Ext. 20392

SOLICITATION TITLE & NUMBER:

Solicitation ITB-2024-5009

Solicitation Title: Direct Delivery of Milk, Juice and Dairy Products to

School Cafeterias

SOLICITATION OPENING DATE & TIME:

November 6, 2024, at 2:00 P.M. EST

NOTE: SOLICITATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THE DUE DATE AND TIME WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

The original Invitation to Bid (ITB) documents shall remain in full force and effect, except as modified herein, which shall take precedence over any contrary provisions in the prior documents.

This Addendum is being issued in response to questions received regarding this ITB.

1. Q. A spec has been added to the bid that requires the removal of corrugated / cardboard boxes.

The return of cardboard boxes is against our food safety program as keeping our trucks clean is critical control point.

Introducing bacteria from used boxes, likely stored on floors or outdoors, into a truck with fresh product is unsanitary.

Our competitors have been using this tactic against us in order to preclude us from bidding in various situations. It’s a false fear tactic that they try to instill fear in schools only to benefit themselves by eliminating the competition to increase their pricing.

Do mainline distributors that service your schools today pick- up cardboard? Do your current Juice boxes get picked up? Paper and all other boxes?

A. No, they are not currently picked up.

2. Q. Plastic milk crates are only picked up because they are an asset to the dairy’s, cardboard and milk crates should not be classified in the same category as a pickup procedure. Nearly 80% of Florida schools use our products and 100% of them recycle their corrugated boxes and extremely happy to do so given the service and quality products we provide.

CAN WE GET THIS SPEC REMOVED FROM THE BID? If that requirement cannot be removed, this will eliminate M&B and others from being able to bid on Volusia ITB 2024-5009 due to this process.

A. Yes. The District is no longer requiring that the corrugated/cardboard boxes will have to be picked up as a requirement of this ITB.

3. Q. The return of milk and dairy products that have been ordered and delivered prior to a Holiday is a practice that has become obsolete due to pre-ordering rather than par level deliveries. Cafeteria managers order the items needed to serve and manage their inventory in such a way there should be no items remaining.

WILL YOU PLEASE REMOVE SECTION 2.4 FROM THE BID? Section 1-15. Delivery

A. No.

SCHOOL BOARD OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT

200 N. Clara Avenue DeLand, FL 32720

4. Q. The Specification for shelf life remaining in section 15.1 and 15.6 are contradictory. 15.1 state a minimum of 5days,

15.6 states a minimum of 7 days. Section 2- General Terms and Conditions. WHICH IS CORRECT?

A. The correct answer is 7 days minimum.

5. Q. Award 7.1 - The school board reserves the right to evaluate ALL OR NONE / by lot, partial lot or by item.

• It would defeat the purpose of having milk & juice together on the same bid if the intent is to award by items.

• It is beneficial to the Volusia school district cost wise for one provider to distribute all items on this Milk and Juice

ITB.

Can we revise this bid to All or None Items?

A. Yes, the ITB will be awarded as All or None only.

6. Q. Term of Contract #8 – The board approval date is tentatively scheduled for December 10th, 2024, the award term starts on December 11th, 2024 the very next day after board approval.

Is the awarded vendor expected to start deliveries the very next day after getting official award notification?

A. It is the District’s intent to have the start of deliveries under this new contract begin after the 2024 Holiday break. Therefore, the first deliveries will be in the beginning of January 2025.

7. Q. Pricing / Decimal Formatting 10.1 – Milk prices are very intricate and fractions of pennies can make a large difference because of the quantity. Typically milk unit prices are bid in at least 4 decimal places, where case prices are typically rounded to 2 decimal places.

Are the unit prices and the cases prices both supposed to be in a ‘standard 2 decimal place format, or unit prices acceptable at 4 decimal prices and cases prices acceptable at 2 decimal prices?

A. Milk unit price can be provided to 4 decimal places & case prices are to be rounded to 2 decimal places. All other items are to be provided in a 2 decimal place format.

8. Q. Pricing Adjustment #11 – States that prices for fixed fees must be firm for 3 years. This would require bids to be placed higher than necessary because of unknown but potential market increases, fuel increases, labor increases, insurance increases. If you allow bidders to adjust yearly it would make for the most competitive bid.

Can prices be adjusted yearly based on the structure outlined in the spec rather than have to be held firm for 3 years?

A. Per Section 2, # 11: “The School Board may consider price adjustments prior to renewal of this contract as long as price increases do not exceed the rate of inflation determined by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), or an agreed upon index, for products and services requested, in accordance with these specifications.”

9. Q. Referencing page 23 of 61, #7.1, can you explain further the meaning of “all or none, by lot, by partial lot, or by item”?

A. Please refer to question # 5.

10. Q. Referencing page 24 of 61, #10.1 Decimal Formatting, pricing shall be submitted in a standard two (2) decimal place format. Can that be extended to three (3) or (4) decimals as that is how milk costs change?

A. Please refer to question # 7.

11. Q. Can we add in the fluctuating pricing based on monthly; the raw cost of butterfat and skim announcement into the bid as it was in your previous bid request?

A. Yes, this pricing can be included.

If you should have any questions regarding this addendum, please do not hesitate to contact me via email at mmwhite1@volusia.k12.fl.us or by phone at 386-734-7190 Ext. 20392.

Sincerely, Myra White Myra White Procurement Buyer

Acknowledgment of Addendum # 3 by Vendor:

This addendum shall be completed by the Vendor and returned with the submittal. If submittal has already been submitted, this addendum must be submitted to the above buyer via email, with the subject line: Addendum #3- ITB-2024-5009 Direct Delivery of Milk, Juice and Dairy Products to School Cafeterias.

Acknowledgement below is acceptance by the Vendor that this addendum has been received and fully understood. This addendum will become part of the ITB document.

NAME (TYPED OR PRINTED) TITLE

SIGNATURE VENDOR NAME

DATE PHONE NUMBER

mailto:mmwhite1@volusia.k12.fl.us