attachment-5-rfb-2027-dph-01-formu-eval-criteria.pdf

This evaluation criteria document is part of an Invitation to Bid (ITB) for the New England and Tribal Organizations (NEATO) WIC Retail Infant Formula Rebate System, involving seven jurisdictions: Cherokee Nation, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The procurement seeks sealed competitive bids from infant formula manufacturers to supply 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—to support approximately 48,503 infants monthly across the WIC program. Sealed bids must be submitted electronically through COMMBUYS by March 11, 2026, at 10:00 AM ET, with public bid opening at 10:30 AM ET. Contract award is estimated for March 19, 2026, with an effective start date of October 1, 2026. The agreement period extends for 36 months 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.

The evaluation criteria establish mandatory pass/fail technical requirements that bidders must satisfy, including timely submission of the NEATO Retail Infant Formula Rebate Bid Sheet, Certificate of Incumbency, Product Purchasing Methods and Wholesale Distribution Network Description, Wholesale and Distribution Network Listing, and nationally published wholesale price lists as of March 11, 2026. The bid sheet must be completed as instructed, properly signed by an authorized company representative, and demonstrate that the bidder offers all six iron-fortified infant formula product categories. Abbott Nutrition is the current incumbent vendor, with historical monthly rebate invoices demonstrating substantial contract values ranging from approximately $127,000 to $2.4 million monthly across jurisdictions. 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, and pricing is non-negotiable once accepted. Funding is provided through federal USDA Food and Nutrition Service funding, with Massachusetts providing supplemental state funding.