attachment-35-rfb-2027-dph-01-formu-vt-june.docx

This is a rebate invoice from the State of Vermont Department of Health, Division of Maternal and Child Health, related to the NEATO/WIC Retail Infant Formula Rebate Agreement involving seven jurisdictions: Cherokee Nation, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The invoice documents rebate payments for infant formula products purchased through the WIC program during June 2025, covering all six product categories: powdered milk infant formula, powdered soy infant formula, liquid concentrate milk formula, liquid concentrate soy formula, ready-to-feed milk formula, and ready-to-feed soy formula. The contract requires the successful bidder to guarantee supply of 100 percent of NEATO's caseload requirements, maintain adequate distribution to all authorized WIC vendors across all jurisdictions, and provide substitute formulas during supply disruptions or recalls with 24-hour notice. Sealed bids for the upcoming procurement must be submitted electronically through COMMBUYS by March 11, 2026, at 10:00 AM ET, with public bid opening at 10:30 AM ET and contract award estimated for March 19, 2026. The new contract will be effective from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2029, with a non-negotiable renewal option for one additional two-year period or any portion thereof under identical terms and conditions.

Abbott Nutrition is identified as the current incumbent vendor, with the June 2025 Vermont rebate invoice totaling $127,052.97 due on or before August 14, 2025. Historical rebate data demonstrates substantial monthly invoice values across all jurisdictions, with Massachusetts invoiced at $2,400,394.93 in August 2025 and $2,375,084.11 in June 2025, Connecticut at $1,144,724.35 for June 2025, and Vermont at $139,727.87 for August 2025. The procurement is funded through federal USDA Food and Nutrition Service funding, with Massachusetts providing supplemental state funding. The contract includes cent-for-cent adjustment provisions wherein rebate amounts automatically adjust with changes in the manufacturer's national wholesale prices for full truckloads. Evaluation criteria require mandatory pass/fail compliance with bid submission requirements, including submission of the signed NEATO Retail Infant Formula Rebate Bid Sheet, Certificate of Incumbency, wholesale and distribution network listing, and nationally published wholesale price lists as of the bid opening date. Questions regarding the procurement must be submitted by January 27, 2026, with responses provided by February 19, 2026.