BFCCPS Nutrition RFP Document 26-27 Questions and Clarifications 2.pdf

500 Financial Park in Franklin, Massachusetts 02038 | 508.541.3434 | BFCCPS.org

Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School Request for Proposal

2026-27 Vended Meals Questions and Clarifications

1. Can you provide the average daily breakfast, lunch, and snack counts?

a. Breakfast: 260

b. Lunch: 277

c. Snack: We do not provide snacks.

2. Can you please provide 2024-2025 school year total meal counts?

a. Breakfast: 46,644

b. Lunch: 49,864

c. Afternoon Snack: We do not provide snacks.

3. Can we schedule a site visit next week to better understand the logistics regarding meal delivery, etc.? If so, would we coordinate the site visit through you?

a. We aren’t hosting site visits until after bids are in. This will be coordinated through the school on a first come first served basis.

4. Can you provide the current meal costs for breakfast, lunch, and snack?

5. Does BFCCPS currently have any food service equipment on premise?

a. We have a milk fridge, 2 large refrigerators used for storing meals, and 2 warming ovens

6. What are your current food delivery times?

a. Food deliveries currently arrive between 1PM and 2:45PM. School dismissal begins at 3PM and it is not ideal to deliver around that time.

7. State Registration: Is there a specific mandatory state vendor registration (e.g., COMMBUYS or a specific MA Department of Education vendor list) required to be completed before we submit our proposal?

a. No. Proposals should be submitted via sealed envelopes (1 price proposal and 1 technical proposal, sealed separately along with a digital copy).

8. Site Visit / Presentations: Regarding the "Invitation to Present" scheduled for April 13-17, 2026: Do we need to schedule an appointment for this now, or will the SFA email selected vendors after the proposal submission deadline to arrange these visits?

a. BFCCPS will reach out directly to all eligible respondents to schedule site visits and taste tests during the week of April 13-17.

9. Insurance: Should the Certificate of Insurance (COI) list the school as an "Additional Insured" at the time of proposal submission, or is listing them as a "Certificate Holder" sufficient for now?

a. The standard approach is for the school to be listed as an Additional Insured on the nutrition providers General Liability and Umbrella Liability policies. Also on the auto policy if that is applicable.They just need to confirm as part of their RFP response that they will be able to list you as AI if they are chosen as your vendor.

They can simply provide their Certificate of Insurance in their RFP response to evidence to you of their current coverage.

10.In the "Proposal Specifications" section, the RFP requests "proposed indemnity language." We want to ensure our submission is compliant. Please advise if:

There is a specific form or addendum provided by BFCCPS that we must sign and attach; or We should provide a copy of the indemnification/hold harmless clause from our own standard contract terms.

a. You can include a copy of the indemnification/hold harmless clause from your standard contract.

11.Are separate USDA meal patterns required for K–5 and 6–8, including different calorie ranges and portion sizes?

a. Yes there are different meal patterns for those grade groups. That information can be found here:

https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern

12.What calorie ranges and sodium target level must be met?

a. Please see the chart below which is pulled from the NSLP Meal Pattern on the

USDA Food and Nutrition Service website. The chart is current as of July 1, 2024.

Dietary Specifications Grades K-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12

Minimum-maximum calories (kcal)

550–650 600–700 750–850

Saturated fat (% of total calories)

< 10 < 10 < 10

Added sugars (% of total calories) - must be implemented by July 1, < 10 < 10 < 10

Sodium limit - in place through June 30, 2027

< 1,110 mg < 1,225 mg < 1,280 mg

Sodium limit - must be implemented by July 1, < 935 mg < 1,035 mg < 1,080 mg

13.Are weekly vegetable subgroup requirements strictly enforced?

a. Yes, all NSLP requirements must be met and tracked. Vendors should be prepared to maintain recipe records in accordance with NSLP guidelines for periodic NSLP audits.

14.What are the required daily and weekly grain ounce equivalents, and must all grains be whole grain-rich?

a. Please see the chart below which is pulled from the NSLP Meal Pattern on the USDA Food and Nutrition Service website. The chart is current as of July 1, 2024.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern

Meal Components Grades K-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12

Fruits (cups)2 2 1⁄2 ( 1⁄2 ) 2 1⁄2 ( 1⁄2 ) 5 (1)

Vegetables (cups)2 3 3⁄4 ( 3⁄4 ) 3 3⁄4 ( 3⁄4 ) 5 (1)

Dark green subgroup3 1/2 1/2 1/2

Red/orange subgroup3 3/4 3/4 1 1⁄4

Beans, peas, and lentils subgroup3

1/2 1/2 1/2

Starchy subgroup3 1/2 1/2 1/2

Other vegetables subgroup3,4

1/2 1/2 3/4

Additional vegetables from any subgroup to reach total

1 1 1 1⁄2

Grains (oz. eq.)5 8–9 (1) 8–10 (1) 10–12 (2)

Meats/meat alternates (oz.

eq.)6

8–10 (1) 9–10 (1) 10–12 (2)

Fluid milk (cups)7 5 (1) 5 (1) 5 (1) https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern#endnote2 https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern#endnote2 https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern#endnote3 https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern#endnote3 https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern#endnote3 https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern#endnote3 https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern#endnote3 https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern#endnote4 https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern#endnote5 https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern#endnote6 https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern#endnote7

15.What are the exact required meal components for lunch, breakfast, and snack?

a. That information can be found here:

https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern 16.Is the vendor responsible for maintaining and submitting USDA production records?

a. Yes, the vendor is responsible for keeping and maintaining records in compliance with NSLP guidelines.

17.Who is responsible for submitting NSLP reimbursement claims?

a. BFCCPS will submit NSLP reimbursement claims each month.

18.What is the current average daily participation for lunch, breakfast, and snack?

a. Breakfast: 260

b. Lunch: 277

c. Snack: We do not provide snacks.

19.What were the prior vendor’s per-meal rates for breakfast, lunch, and snack?

a. Breakfast: $2.57

b. Lunch: $4.33

c. Snack: $1.20

20.Are meals paid based on meals ordered or meals served?

a. Meals are invoiced and paid based on meals ordered.

21.Are meals reheated onsite, and what equipment is available at the school?

a. Meals are reheated on site. We are equipped with 2 warming ovens to do so.

22.Have there been any recent state or USDA audit findings related to meal compliance?

a. Our last audit was conducted in 2022. There was a finding that not all required components per weekly meal patterns were offered and served to students.

23.What is the current meal participation rate for K-6 and for 6-8 kids? Can you please break it out by lunch, breakfast and afternoon snack?

a. Breakfast: 260*

b. Lunch: 277*

c. Snack: We do not provide snacks.

*Please note these numbers are not broken down by grade level.

24.Some charter schools provide the current price they pay for the meals they serve.

Do you consider yourself at liberty to disclose this information? If so, what are the prices you currently pay for lunch, breakfasts and snacks?

a. Breakfast: $2.57

b. Lunch: $4.33

c. Snack: $1.20

25.Do you submit your orders separately for the Kindergarten/Elementary school and for the Middle School?

a. No we don’t. We order all meals at once, not separated by grade level.

26.Are all meals delivered to the same place? Or are we making two separate deliveries for K-5 and 6-8 kids? Are there two (or more) separate cafeteria areas, or are all meals served in the same cafeteria?

a. We are one campus and all students use the same cafeteria for lunch. As such, all meals will be delivered to the same place.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern

27.Are you equipped with a walk-in refrigerator/dry storage space and with retherm ovens that allows us to deliver meals the day before, or do you expect hot meals to be delivered hot just-in-time for lunch? If you have no retherm ovens, do yolou wish for the vendor to provide that to you for the duration of the contract?

a. We do not have a walk-in refrigerator. We do have 2 retherm ovens, 2 large refrigerators for food storage, a milk fridge, and a small freezer. We expect meals to be delivered the day prior to service.

28.At what time do you wish to receive the meals, expressed either as “before x am” or as a time window, e.g., between 10 am and 1 pm.

a. Our delivery time is between 12:30pm and 2:30pm. School dismissal starts at 3pm and delivery is impossible at that time.

29.What do you like about the meals service you currently have? What would you like to see improved?

a. The relationship with the current service provider is very strong. Food quality is good as well. There are menu discrepancies or changes that are last minute that can be improved.

30.Demographically, you have a lot of white and Asian students, plus some Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American students. Would you value having a menu that features a rotation of the cuisines each population represents, or is that not a consideration?

a. We always welcome diversity in foods served to students.

31.We noticed every K-5 kid learns some French language as part of the classical curriculum of the school. Does the this represent an opportunity for your vendor to feature some French meals or French special events in partnership with the French department at the school?

a. We are open to collaborations like this that better integrate the food program into the larger school community.

32.The RFP offers the possibility for each vendor to come and meet individually with the staff of the school and provide some food to be tasted, which is great. Can you describe what form this meeting will have, e.g., will we be able to serve food to the kids and the staff, interact with some of them, visit the cafeteria, etc.?

a. The site visit will have a Q&A component as well as a taste test of typical food that would be served. It should be noted that food must be served vended meal style so that students and staff taste food as it would be served on a typical day.

The visit will also include a tour of the cafeteria and kitchen.

33.Are we able to schedule a specific day for the school visit between April 13 - 17, or would you be picking a day for each vendor?

a. Yes, dates and times will be sent to all respondents and will be chosen on a first come first serve basis.

34.Tour of facility: Are we able to tour prior to interviews and bid submission?

a. No, we will not be conducting tours prior to bid submission.

35.Who is on the evaluation committee?

a. The evaluation committee will be made up of school staff, students, and at least one parent and school nurse.

36.What are the top 3 area you would like to see improved?

a. Packaging, menu consistency, and more consistent delivery time.

37.Are meals delivered cold and heated on site?

a. Meals are delivered cold the day prior to service and then heated on site.

38.What equipment is on site and who owns the equipment?

a. We have 2 warming ovens, 2 large refrigerators, a milk fridge, and a small freezer. BFCCPS owns all the equipment.

39.Kindly provide claims data for SYTD 2025-26?

a. Breakfast: 24793

b. Lunch:31064

c. Snack: We do not provide snacks.

40.It noted no frozen foods: Does that include flash frozen vegetables, such as peas, corn, certain pastas as raviolis, chicken nuggets etc?

a. We try our best to limit frozen foods in favor of fresh food wherever possible.

41.Nutrition Advocacy: Can you please expand on this? Classroom visits, newletters etc?

a. This can include classroom visits. We typically have special events during lunch that feature some education around proper nutrition and a taste test of healthy foods/meals.

42.Just to confirm, the vendor is to supply food receptacles, if so how many and what size? Who supplies trash liners?

a. We currently have meals prepackaged and then served on 5lb food trays. We supply our own trash liners.

43.Bulk Milk Delivery: Does BFCCPS have enough refrigeration to accept deliveries of 30 cases at a time? As dairy vendors have minimum deliveries.

a. It does not. Our milk fridge can accommodate 12 cases of milk.

44.Kindly provide delivery window?

a. Our delivery time is between 12:30pm and 2:30pm. School dismissal starts at 3pm and delivery is impossible at that time.

45.The RFP ‘food qualifications’ list requires no frozen food. It appears there are frozen foods on your current menu. Kindly clarify what the expectations are for this specification.

a. We try our best to limit frozen foods in favor of fresh food wherever possible.

46.As follow up to Q1 – if you are looking for all fresh non frozen food are you looking for a FSMC who’s production facilities are USDA/FSIS inspected?

a.

47.Is this RFP off cycle? If yes, why?

a. This RFP is not off cycle.

48.Please provide a copy of the most recent FSMC contract renewal agreement.

a. We are not in search of an FSMC and do not have that type of renewal agreement.

49.Who is on the evaluation committee?

a. The evaluation committee will be made up of school staff, students, and at least one parent and school nurse

50.What are the top 3 goals you would like to achieve in this next service contract agreement?

a. We’d like to see improvements in the following areas: packaging, menu consistency, and more consistent delivery time.

51.Please provide claim forms from September 2025 – January 2026.

a. Breakfast: 24793*

b. Lunch:31064*

c. Snack: We do not provide snacks.

*These numbers are inclusive of the current school year (August 2025 - February 2026)

52.Are daily deliveries required?

a. Yes, we currently receive deliveries daily for meals to be served the following day.

53.Do you have storage/refrigeration/freezer space to hold multiple days of food?

a. We do not. Our storage space is very limited and typically holds 1 days worth of food service.

54.Please confirm the SFA is responsible for heating and serving meals.

a. Yes, we have designated staff for the heating and serving of meals.

55.Have student surveys been conducted regarding satisfaction with food? If yes, please share the results.

a. This has not been conducted.

56.Are electronic signatures permitted?

a. Yes.