ESBD_495622_1773266878806_EPISD RFP 26-027 Bid Invitation FNS Software Point of Sale System.pdf

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Attached to
RFP 26-027 FNS Software Point of Sale System
Solicitation number
RFP-26-027
Issued by
El Paso County, Texas

About this file

RFP 26-027: FNS Software Point of Sale System

This is a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) for a comprehensive Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) Point of Sale (POS) software system. EPISD, serving approximately 48,000 students across 66 campuses, seeks to procure an on-premise deployed software solution that will support meal program operations, integrate federal and state meal program requirements, streamline payment processing, enhance nutritional transparency, and optimize front-of-house and back-of-house food service operations. The solicitation encompasses a single software package (Line Item 1.1) plus four annual support and maintenance service renewals (Line Items 2-6). The RFP was issued on March 20, 2026, with written questions due by March 25, 2026 at 11:00 AM (MT), answers to be provided by March 26, 2026 at 12:00 PM (MT), and proposals due by April 1, 2026 at 2:00 PM (MT). A non-mandatory pre-bid informational conference is scheduled for March 24, 2026 at 2:00 PM (MT) at EPISD Procurement & School Resources, 4900 Woodrow Bean Drive, El Paso, Texas 79924. The initial contract term is one year, with the District holding options to extend for up to four additional renewal years contingent upon satisfactory performance. Award and contract execution are anticipated for April 2026.

The solicitation requires vendors to provide pricing for the comprehensive POS software system and separate annual support and maintenance services for the initial year and each of four optional renewal years. No set-asides or incumbent information is specified in the RFP. Vendors must comply with Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations, including support for multiple federal meal programs such as the School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Community Eligibility Provision. The system must include menu management, student application processing, multi-payment options, nutrition transparency, inventory ordering, front and back-of-house operations, comprehensive reporting, system integration with EPISD's student information system, and on-site training across all 66 campuses. Vendors must submit financial statements for the past two fiscal years, provide evidence of financial responsibility, maintain appropriate insurance coverage, and complete all required certifications including EDGAR compliance, Form 1295 (unless publicly traded), criminal background clearance, and various state-mandated certifications regarding firearms, Israel boycotts, energy companies, and terrorist organizations. The District reserves the right to award based on best value rather than lowest price, considering factors including purchase price (25 points), quality (15 points), meeting District needs (20 points), long-term costs (20 points), reputation (5 points), and other relevant factors (15 points).

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26-027

FNS Software Point of Sale System

Issue Date: 3/10/2026

Questions Deadline: 3/25/2026 11:00 AM (MT)

Response Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT)

Contact Information

Contact: Sandra Burciaga-Velez Buyer, Food & Nutrition Ser Address: 4900 Woodrow Bean Dr.

El Paso, TX 79924 Phone: (915) 230-2811 Email: smburcia@episd.org

Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT) 26-027Page 1 of 35 pages

Event Information

Number: 26-027 Title: FNS Software Point of Sale System Type: Request for Proposal Issue Date: 3/10/2026 Question Deadline: 3/25/2026 11:00 AM (MT) Response Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT) Notes: El Paso Independent School District seeks to procure a comprehensive software for our Food and Nutrition Point of Sale (POS) system to support meal program operations across 66 campuses.

The system shall be owned and house by El Paso ISD with on-premise deployment options and serviced and maintained by the vendor.

The system shall provide full integration of federal and state meal program requirements, streamline payment processing, enhance nutritional transparency, and optimize both front-of-house and back-of-house food service operations. The solution must ensure complete compliance with Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations while supporting multiple federal meal programs and provisions.

Ship To Information

Contact: EPISD Procurement & School Resources

Address: 4900 Woodrow Bean Dr.

El Paso, TX 79924

Phone: (915) 230-3100 Email: bids@episd.org

Billing Information

Contact: Accounts Payable Address: PO Box 20100

El Paso, TX 79998 Phone: (915) 230-2136 Email: accountspayable@episd.org

Bid Activities

Pre-Bid Informational Conference (Non-Mandatory) 3/24/2026 2:00:00 PM (MT)

A non-mandatory Pre-Bid Informational Conference will be held at 2:00 PM (MT) on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at the following location:

El Paso Independent School District Procurement & School Resources 4900 Woodrow Bean Drive El Paso, TX 79924

Bid Attachments

Required Forms.pdf View Online

(REQUIRED) Complete and submit all included forms in the corresponding Response Attachments area.

Child Nutrition REQUIRED FORMS.pdf View Online

(REQUIRED) Complete and submit ALL Child Nutrition Required Forms in the corresponding Response Attachments area.

Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT) 26-027Page 2 of 35 pages https://episd.ionwave.net//VendorLanding.aspx?e=TFIMzNJK1rem~pXK4QGMfEV5ngNFJOaQJ6W0t1ujKHU2Qq8w~TgD52AOqcycuS4NJa7Xv~Mf1yHcBNJTsTSHvA https://episd.ionwave.net//VendorLanding.aspx?e=1sPIYofk3zv17D4jZoKSpGJ8SnR2nCg3lOPom6N6MbhgNagKHnPbrDbJ8HUEVrTfE64xCcAvmxdyj6WgYYbedw https://episd.ionwave.net//VendorLanding.aspx?e=FEal7UYfnVkOJ7qsmIgPXeTWm87HSneSvs~uhQ68MCyUmsWCcVyGj5~HHgMURxDrAKHscxDJ4SB6qT0CxOwodg

EDGAR_Certifications.pdf View Online

(REQUIRED) Complete and submit this form in the corresponding Response Attachments area.

CIP_Form_1295.pdf View Online

(REQUIRED) Complete and submit this form in the corresponding Response Attachments area.

Deviations_Form.pdf View Online

(REQUIRED) Complete and submit this form in the corresponding Response Attachments area only if you are identifying deviations to the sample vendor agreement or any of the general terms and conditions. (See Bid Attributes)

Vendor_Information.pdf View Online

(REQUIRED) Complete and submit this form in the corresponding Response Attachments area.

2024_W9_Form.pdf View Online

(REQUIRED) Complete Form W9 and submit in the corresponding Response Attachments area.

Questions for Suppliers.pdf View Online

(REQUIRED) Answer all questions and submit your responses in the corresponding Response Attachments area.

Certificate of Insurance Limits.pdf View Online

(REQUIRED) Upload a copy of your Certificate of Insurance with the limits identified within the bid documentation.

General_Terms_and_Conditions.pdf View Online

(REVIEW) Please review RFP General Terms and Conditions

RFP_Goods_and_Services_Requirements.pdf View Online

(REVIEW) Please review RFP Goods and Services Requirements

Data Sharing Agreement.pdf View Online

(REVIEW - SAMPLE ONLY) Please review contract sample and state any Deviations on the appropriate form. You are not required to fill out this agreement at this time. (See Bid Attributes)

Requested Attachments

Required Forms (Attachment required)

Upload only the completed "Required Forms" documents here. Notarize forms where applicable.

Child Nutrition REQUIRED FORMS (Attachment required)

Upload only the completed "Child Nutrition Required Forms" documents here. Notarize forms where applicable.

EDGAR Certification (Attachment required)

Upload only the completed "EDGAR Certification" documents here.

CIP Form 1295 (Attachment required)

Upload only the completed "CIP Form 1295" documents here. All sections of the form must be completed and signed.

Deviations

(If Applicable) Upload only the completed "Deviations Form" document here.

Vendor Information (Attachment required)

Upload only the completed "Vendor Information" documents here.

IRS W-9 Form (Attachment required)

Upload the completed IRS W-9 form here.

Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT) 26-027Page 3 of 35 pages https://episd.ionwave.net//VendorLanding.aspx?e=FEal7UYfnVkOJ7qsmIgPXeTWm87HSneSvs~uhQ68MCyUmsWCcVyGj5~HHgMURxDrAKHscxDJ4SB6qT0CxOwodg https://episd.ionwave.net//VendorLanding.aspx?e=HsEzOs0q0vwHDzkkBHgEjB~sxYmCXlOyh923pswSNV0Xfogx132e8xh4RitsIzEFQrqpX6ByB-9ThCn9lpU9jA https://episd.ionwave.net//VendorLanding.aspx?e=iefaU3V06fZ4sZ3GZ4g10H2we2Nlk91X92Oh4ND-cQDCyuuX9p5xPOrry~CxiyoUf~U3jmu2YPKPy-MUabeaLw https://episd.ionwave.net//VendorLanding.aspx?e=f9BL38cAZZ3qqkNqyUgDBCJWK0KKk~ePkMX78ggrP-hr-CzNlLOVr8oMtEQRk7viwPuMynKxAu28z7Ho84LzMQ https://episd.ionwave.net//VendorLanding.aspx?e=2IXwXjytIdvz59SHVaSQKV4jRwRL7gBlpiLpwqq~Q-brtWx5cysgf2mxDUqptf9m6DJ63CCy3pa6y4PlnYs79g https://episd.ionwave.net//VendorLanding.aspx?e=Bugz0El4ZbgfOti3adY5dOwyAq00R9SyPFrML5n3GPCYX7MrVWVgnPQAVVnN7~FZgeH3-7ejw0pPt2zqjsyb3A https://episd.ionwave.net//VendorLanding.aspx?e=Z4JL5JuW6IsunWNsZEjjgYZHugPvd1tB4Za7gfKork5tnJJymaphQl~mOjE3k4GAIAC-~XkuRsbmeU2OXtpq0w https://episd.ionwave.net//VendorLanding.aspx?e=z~pCS1OfGKstXhsdRBn1nvbVSfFWstxjG7sYqG8l3sefbs9SpYzItReIqyhu1fMUpzK0gaMt11M7EPVsKZWoRA https://episd.ionwave.net//VendorLanding.aspx?e=IasX4ERCw9rNmeu12bXCRlNQNpABmouY5TOnjDhZP3PNWVgzL~uqg711Z8QG-B5b41qGleUtS-NWNqY1FxW~Iw https://episd.ionwave.net//VendorLanding.aspx?e=vWA~HDTTWPbobgXn21eQ-HklcYzVJ4CJCoydVgXvlcmc9VQQiUOM~CzpNBuv9W5eUUzBFecgXWTRLf9UFXbpfA

QUESTIONS for Suppliers (Attachment required)

Upload your responses to the "Questions for Suppliers" here.

Certificate of Insurance (Attachment required)

Upload a copy of your certificate of insurance with the limits identified within the bid documentation.

Bid Attributes

1 INTRODUCTION

The El Paso Independent School District is the pioneer of public education in the Paso del Norte region. With a history that spans more than 140 years, El Paso ISD is proud of our position as the springboard for generations of students to realize their dreams. We are committed to continuing to invest in innovation and to empowering and inspiring our students so they can thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. We are El Paso’s district!

Our organization’s theory of action is anchored on our core values, mission, and vision. In partnership with our families and community, we seek to uphold the highest standards to provide inclusive and fair learning experiences that support the whole child. We accomplish this theory of action through whole child development, delivery of instructional excellence, fostering a transparent culture of excellence, and intentional equity designed to make EPISD a destination district.

The El Paso Independent School District has approximately 48,000 students, 71 schools, and 8,000 employees.

2 GENERAL INFORMATION - Background Information

This solicitation is being issued in accordance with the following procurement-related guidelines and regulations as required:

Texas Education Code, Section 44.031, Purchasing Contract U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, sections 200.318–200.326 and 7 CFR, parts 210, 225, 226, and 250 Texas Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) “Administrator’s Reference Manual,” Sections 16, 17i , 17a, 17b, and 17c

3 GENERAL INFORMATION - Solicitation Purpose

The El Paso Independent School District is seeking to procure a comprehensive software forour Food and Nutrition Point of Sale (POS) system to support meal programoperations across 66 campuses.

The software system shall be owned and house by El Paso ISD with on-premise deploymentoptions and serviced and maintained by the vendor.

The software system shall provide full integration of federal and state meal programrequirements, streamline payment processing, enhance nutritional transparency, andoptimize both front-of-house and back-of-house food service operations. The solution must ensure complete compliance with Texas Department of Agriculture(TDA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations whilesupporting multiple federal meal programs and provisions.

Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT) 26-027Page 4 of 35 pages

4 NOTICES - Public Disclosure Proposal Information

Potential offerors should be aware that once a proposal is opened, all information contained therein will be available to the public unless the information is excepted from disclosure under the Texas Government Code pertaining to Public Information.

The exception that allows the District to protect that information, if released, would give an advantage to a competitor or bidder. However, the exception does not apply after the bidding is complete and the contract has been awarded. Trade Secrets, commercial or financial background data, and privileged or confidential information may be excepted from public inspection. If any information in your offer qualifies for an exception because it falls into one of the categories, it should bemarked "CONFIDENTIAL," and the basis of your claim of confidentiality should be stated.

Data so identified will be maintained as a protected record. Offerors who claim that information in a proposal should be protected from public disclosure after the contract award may be asked to support such a claim if the District receives a Public Information Act Request for the information and requests a determination by the Attorney General.

Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT) 26-027Page 5 of 35 pages

5 NOTICES - Cone of Silence / Anti-Lobbying Policy

The District’s Cone of Silence/Anti-Lobbying Policy was adopted to ensure a fair and competitive proposing environment by preventing communication between District officials, employees, or representatives and parties involved in the proposing process that could create an unfair advantage to any party concerning the award of a District contract. This restriction extends to “thank you” letters, phone calls, emails, and any contact that results in the direct or indirect discussion of the solicitation and/or proposal submitted by the Vendor. This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all Vendors and ensure the integrity of the solicitation process. Any violation of this provision may disqualify the Vendor’s response from consideration.

The Cone of Silence shall begin upon the development of the scope of work through the issuance of a request for information (RFI), request for qualification (RFQ), request for proposal (RFP), bid, or other competitive solicitation as defined in state law and shall officially end upon execution of an award by the Board and/or the execution of a negotiated contract, whichever represents the final act in the procurement process.

Regardless of the above time period, it shall not be acceptable for potential vendors to participate in discussions that determine the scope of work, strategic direction, technical specifications, or evaluation criteria of such projects.

The Cone of Silence shall apply to acquiring goods or services using the procurement methods identified in state law and renewal periods for contracts previously awarded by the Board of Trustees with renewal options.

Campaign contributions, gifts, donations, and any other items of value shall be prohibited between the parties defined above for any known contract under consideration during the cone of silence period.

The Cone of Silence/Anti-Lobbying Policy prohibits any communication or lobbying activities during the Cone of Silence period by any person, including but not limited to proposers, lobbyists or consultants of proposers, service providers, or potential vendors, and any of the following:

1. Any Board member, Superintendent, senior staff member, principal, department head, director, manager, or other District employee who influences the evaluation or selection process.

2. District Staff and Consultants, including any employee of the District, any person retained by the District as a Consultant on the project, or any person having participated in the development, design, or review of documents related to the project.

3. Members of the District’s Evaluation Committee, whether District employees or outside experts appointed or selected by the District.

The Cone of Silence/Anti-Lobbying Policy does not apply to:

1. Communication with the District’s Legal Services and Procurement Services staff. Such communications shall be limited to the purpose of obtaining clarification or information concerning the subject of solicitation or engaging in contract negotiations during any scheduled meeting.

2. Questions of process and procedure, including oral communications with the Executive Director of Procurement & School Resources or procurement staff assigned as the point of contact for the solicitation, provided the communications are strictly limited to matters of process or procedure already contained in the solicitation document. A minimum of ten days will be provided for questions during solicitation unless otherwise stated in the Solicitation Schedule of Events.

3. Pre-Proposal/Pre-Proposal Conferences, including oral communications at pre-proposal or pre-proposal conferences, oral presentations before selection committees, contract negotiations, and public presentations made to the District’s Board of Trustees during a duly noticed public meeting.

4. Written communications to the Procurement staff member identified in the solicitation.

5. Conducting business on contracts previously executed and currently in force.

Vendor will comply with the Cone of Silence Policy (Required: Check if applicable)

Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT) 26-027Page 6 of 35 pages

6 NOTICES - Questions and Request for Clarification

If a Vendor doubts the meaning of any part of this solicitation, questions or requests for clarification may be submitted electronically via the District's E-Bid system. Verbal questions and explanations are not permitted.

Interpretations, clarifications, and answers to questions shall be made only by written response to all Vendors via E- Bid message or other delivery form if prior arrangements are made. To meet the District’s schedule, it is extremely important that requests for clarification or additional information be submitted in writing no later than the date identified within this solicitation. Questions submitted after this date may not elicit a response.

7 NOTICES - Schedule of Events

The following Schedule of Events represents the District's estimated timetable that will be followed in connection with this solicitation:

EVENTS DATE AND/OR TIME

Issuance of Solicitation Tuesday,March 20, 2026 10:00 AM MT Site Visits (If Applicable)

N/A

Non Mandatory Pre-Proposal Informational Conference (Attendance Highly Recommended)

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 2:00 PM MT

Last Day for Proposers to Submit Written Questions (Must submit through Ionwave)

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 12:00 Noon MT

Answers to Questions Provided (Posted through Ionwave)

Thursday, March 26, 2026 12:00 Noon MT

Deadline for Submission of Proposals Wednesday, April 1, 2026 2:00 PM MT Evaluation of Proposals (Approximate)

April 2026

Interviews / Presentations (If Applicable)

April 2026

Negotiations (If Applicable)

April 2026

Contract Award Date (Approximate)

April 2026

NOTE - The District reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to adjust this Schedule of Events as it deems necessary. If changes are necessary, the District will communicate any adjustments in the form of an addendum or other communication issued through the Ionwave platform.

8 NOTICES - Solicitation Term (Initial and Optional Terms)

The term of this solicitation will be for one (1) year (“initial term”) that will take effect upon the completion of the award process as determined by the District. The District shall have the option to extend the term of the solicitation for up to four (4) additional years ("optional terms") at its discretion. Renewal terms will be contingent upon satisfactory delivery of goods and/or services. Each renewal term shall be at the same contract price/discount established for the initial term unless otherwise approved by District.

All intent to terminate notifications for this agreement must be delivered via certified mail to the following:

El Paso Independent School District Procurement & School Resources Attn: Executive Director (RFP #26-027) FNS Software Point of Sale System 4900 Woodrow Bean Dr.

El Paso, TX 79924

Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT) 26-027Page 7 of 35 pages

9 NOTICES - Electronic Submittal

As permitted by law, Section 44.0313 of the Education Code, the District conducts non-construction solicitation transactions by electronic means (E-Bid System) to the extent possible. The E-Bid System is web-based, and the process requires vendor registration in order to use the system and provide an electronic response to this solicitation. The instructions for electronic filing can be accessed at:

https://www.episd.org/o/episd/page/new-e-bid-system-and-vendor-registration

If you need assistance with registering or accessing the information, you may contact the Procurement & School Resources Department at (915) 230-3100 for assistance.

Vendors are responsible for ensuring that their proposal has been properly submitted. Failure to comply with the requirements of this solicitation, including the specific form of the submission required, may be grounds for disqualification of the proposal as “non-responsive.” All proposals shall be submitted through the Ionwave platform or, in hard copy, by hand delivery, mail, or overnight carrier. The District will not accept proposals via facsimile or email.

NOTICES - Hard Copy Pickup and Submission

If the Vendor does not have the means to submit a response electronically, the District will accept hard copy responses; however, the Vendor must register on the Ionwave platform in order to receive communications during the process. If the Vendor has no access to a computer system, the Vendor may contact the Procurement & School Resources Department at (915) 230-3100 for assistance in registering or obtaining responses from the system.

Prospective Vendors may obtain a hard copy of this solicitation from the District’s Procurement & School Resources Department, located at 4900 Woodrow Bean Dr., El Paso, Texas 79924, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Please contact the Procurement & School Resources Department at (915) 230-3100 in advance of your visit to ensure that the hours have not changed and someone will be available to assist you.

Hard copy responses must be submitted prior to the stated submission deadline. Responses shall be mailed or hand delivered to the following address in a sealed envelope or package:

El Paso Independent School District Procurement & School Resources Department 4900 Woodrow Bean Dr.

El Paso, TX 79924

The Vendor’s name, return address, the solicitation name and number, and the opening date and time must be clearly marked on the submitted package. The Procurement & School Resources Department may open any unlabeled submittal to identify it properly. Vendors are required to identify their packages to protect the integrity of their proposals and to fully avail themselves of the evaluation and selection process. Hard copy responses may be modified, provided such modifications are sealed and received at the District’s Procurement & School Resources Department prior to the stated solicitation submission deadline. Any proposal or modification received after the solicitation submission deadline shall not be accepted or considered.

NOTICES - Proposal Delivery Responsibility

Proposals received at the Procurement & School Resources Department after the specified date and time will not be accepted. Package delivery services such as FedEx, UPS, etc., deliver packages addressed to the Procurement & School Resources Department directly to the department. U.S. Postal Service deliveries, including Express Mail, are delivered directly to the department. The offeror accepts all responsibility for providing its proposal to the address stated in this solicitation within the specified time, or the proposal will be considered non-responsive and mailed back unopened. If the envelopes do not reflect a return address, they will be opened for the sole purpose of obtaining the return address.

Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT) 26-027Page 8 of 35 pages https://www.episd.org/o/episd/page/new-e-bid-system-and-vendor-registration

NOTICES - Descriptive Literature

Descriptive literature, where applicable, containing the complete scope of services or other information sufficient for the District to determine compliance with the specifications must accompany each proposal. If a Vendor wishes to furnish additional information, more sheets may be added.

The District is not responsible for locating or securing any information not identified in the offer and is reasonably available. The District will not be responsible for locating or securing information not included in the offer. In conducting its assessment, the District may use data provided by the Vendor and data obtained from other sources.

Still, while the District may elect to consider data obtained from other sources, the burden of providing thorough and complete information rests with the Vendor.

NOTICES - Proposal Documents, Supporting Literatature, and Related Data

Related data, where applicable, will be made part of the proposal. All proposal documents, literature, and related data submitted as an offer become the property of the El Paso Independent School District.

NOTICES - Proposal Preparation Cost

This solicitation does not commit the El Paso Independent School District to pay any costs incurred in preparing and submitting the proposal or to contract for the services specified. This solicitation is not to be construed as a contract or a commitment of any kind, nor does it commit the District to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation of a formal presentation, or for any costs incurred prior to the execution of a formal contract.

NOTICES - Contract Performance

The Vendor shall be responsible for the completion of all work set out in any potential contract and task orders. All work is subject to inspection, evaluation, and acceptance by the District. The El Paso Independent School District may employ all reasonable means to ensure that the work is progressing and being performed in compliance with the contract terms and conditions.

NOTICES - Notification of Proposal Award

All awards are made by the Board of Trustees or the Administration of the El Paso Independent School District in accordance with District policy. All agendas for meetings of the District’s Board of Trustees are posted on the District’s website and available to the public. Information may be accessed at:

https://www.episd.org/page/board-meeting-agendasmaterials-new

Additionally, notifications of awards are sent to both awarded and non-awarded respondents via the District’s Ionwave platform.

NOTICES - Acceptance or Rejection of Proposals

The District reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, to waive all minor technicalities and formalities, and to accept the proposal determined to be the most advantageous to the District. Additionally, the District may accept a proposal subject to an exception if, in its sole judgment, the proposal meets or exceeds the District’s specifications. In evaluating responses, the District is not required to select the response based solely on the lowest pricing and will consider the criteria set out in the Texas Education Code, Section 44.031(b), and any other factors specifically set out in this solicitation.

Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT) 26-027Page 9 of 35 pages https://www.episd.org/page/board-meeting-agendasmaterials-new

NOTICES - Solicitation Protest Procedures

A protest may be submitted in writing during the solicitation process when the aggrieved vendor knows or should have known the factors giving rise to a protest or within five (5) business days after the bid due date.

A written formal protest must contain a minimum of the following:

The solicitation number and title of the solicitation.

Specific identification of the statutory or regulatory provision(s) that the procurement staff member or department allegedly violated.

A specific description of each act alleged to have violated the statutory or regulatory provision(s) identified above.

A statement of the relevant facts that includes timelines and involved parties.

Identify the issues that need to be resolved to support the protest.

Protest should be emailed to the procurement staff member responsible for the bid, with the subject line stating “Dispute/Protest and Bid/CSP/RFP name and number.”

The Executive Director of the Procurement & School Resources Department shall:

Contact the involved department and inform them of the vendor protest.

Gather information and prepare documentation for the Chief Financial Officer, outlining the solicitation, evaluation, and award of the solicitation.

Inform the involved department on the vendor protest's progress and/or outcome.

The Procurement & School Resources Department shall promptly issue a written decision if the protest is not resolved by mutual agreement. The decision shall consist of the following:

The reasons for the action taken will be determined and sent to the aggrieved vendor.

A copy of the decision shall be immediately forwarded to the vendor and any other party intervening.

All decisions will be based on “best value” for the District.

A decision shall be final and conclusive.

All vendor protest documentation shall be filed with Procurement & School Resources in the respective bid file.

NOTICES - Price Adjustments

Adjustments may not exceed 25% of the total price awarded throughout the duration of the contract. Requests from vendor for Economic Adjustments must be submitted on company letterhead no less than 60 (sixty) days prior to request for adjustment to take effect, original signature in blue ink, reason for request and include letter from manufacturer indicating the adjustment. Adjustments will be verified by an appropriate Producer Price Index (PPI) and/or Consumer Price Index (CPI) published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and adjustments will be calculated based on the latest six (6) months of data available in the month preceding the effective date of the price adjustments. Adjustments are subject to District approval.

All requests for price adjustments must be sent to:

El Paso Independent School District Procurement and School Resources Attn: Executive Director (RFP #26-027) FNS Software Point of Sale System 4900 Woodrow Bean Dr.

El Paso, TX 79924

Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT) 26-027Page 10 of 35 pages

NOTICES - Additional Goods and/or Services

During the Term of a Contract awarded under this solicitation, additional goods/services not included in the original solicitation list and resulting awarded contract may become necessary and benefit El Paso ISD. Vendor and El Paso ISD agree that the aggregate value of added purchases during each year of the Contract (if renewed) shall not exceed 25% (10% for federally funded purchases) of the estimated total value of the Contract. The total value of the Contract must be agreed upon, and the dollar value listed inthe Contract and each renewal term of the Contract (if any). For purposes of this section, the total value of the Contract includes all contracts awarded because of the procurement solicitation to all vendors. For the initial Term of a Contract awarded under this solicitation, Vendor and El Paso ISD agree that the total value of the Contract shall be as stated on the award. Additions of new products may be included in the awarded Contract list during the renewal of the Contract through an amendment to the Contract, and the total Contract value adjusted accordingly. For each renewal term of the Contract, the total actual value of the Contract in the preceding year and the additional new product(s) made during that Term will be the basis for determining the maximum dollar amount (not to exceed 25%) of the additional new product(s) that will be allowed during the next Contract renewal term. Material change means a modification that exceeds and/or alters the terms of the original contract between EPISD and the Vendor, exceeding 25% of the contract value.

SCOPE OF WORK - Background Information

The mission is to provide nutrition education and healthy food to fuel successful learning. Food and Nutrittion Services is responsible for managing food and nutrition services of the District while adhering to the USDA regulations. Under the terms of the USDA Agreement, the District agrees to serve lunch and breakfast that meet meal requirements; provide free and reduced price meals to eligible children; provide meals to all children without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability; accept and use USDA commodities; and operate on a nonprofit basis.

Read and Understood (Required: Check if applicable)

SCOPE OF WORK - Objectives

A software Point of Sale (POS) system to support meal program operations across 66 campuses. The software system shall provide full integration of federal and state meal program requirements, streamline payment processing, enhance nutritional transparency, and optimize both front-of-house and back-of-house food service operations.

Read and Understood (Required: Check if applicable)

SCOPE OF WORK - General Requirements

The software system shall be owned and house by El Paso ISD with on-premise deployment options and serviced and maintained by the vendor.

The software system shall provide full integration of federal and state meal program requirements, streamline payment processing, enhance nutritional transparency, and optimize both front-of-house and back-of-house food service operations. The solution must ensure complete compliance with Texas Department of Agriculture(TDA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations while supporting multiple federal meal programs and provisions.

*Full Requirements outlined within Bid Line Items.

Read and Understood (Required: Check if applicable)

PROPOSAL INFORMATION - Name of Company Contact

Please list the name of the contact person that the District may call regarding this bid. The contact person will be the liaison between the District and your organization. This should be the person who will answer questions regarding the bid submittal and questions about purchases and purchase orders.

(Required: Maximum 1000 characters allowed)

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PROPOSAL INFORMATION - Company Contact Email

Please list the email address of the company contact person that the District would be emailing regarding this bid and to whom questions about purchases and purchase orders should be addressed.

(Required: Email address)

PROPOSAL INFORMATION - Principal Place of Business

Pursuant to the Texas Government Code, Chapter 2252, Subchapter A, it is necessary for the District to determine the residency of its vendors. In part, this law reads as follows:

Section 2252.001: 'Nonresident bidder' refers to a person who is not a resident. 'Resident bidder' refers to a person whose principla place of business is in this state, including a vendor whose ultimate parent company or marjority owner has their principal place of business in this state.

Section 2252.002: A governmental entity may not award a governmental contract to a 'nonresident bidder' unless the nonresident underbids the lowest bid submitted by a responsible ' resident bidder' by an amount that is not less than the amount by which a 'resident bidder' would be required to underbid the nonresident bidder to obtain a comparable contract in the state in which the nonresident's principal place of business is located.

Please indicate your principal place of business (State).

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut

Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas

Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota

Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey

New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon

Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas

Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington, D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin

Wyoming Other (Required: Check only one)

PROPOSAL INFORMATION - Authorized Signatory

Please provide the NAME and TITLE of the company representative identified as an authorized signatory for any potential contract documents associated with this solicitation.

(Required: Maximum 1000 characters allowed)

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PROPOSAL INFORMATION - References

Provide information regarding three (3) school district clients, other than the El Paso ISD, to whom you have provided similar goods or services to the ones requested in this solicitation or with whom you have worked on projects of similar size and scope to the one for which services are requested in this solicitation. It is preferred that the references are from school districts similar in size to the El Paso ISD. El Paso ISD has an approximate student enrollment of 48,000 students.

For each reference, provide the following information:

1. Reference Name

2. Entity Name and Address

3. Telephone Number

4. Email Address

References may be contacted regarding the quality of your service and your qualifications. Please ensure that the reference point of contact is responsive. Points will be deducted for non-responsive references.

(Required: Maximum 4000 characters allowed)

EVALUATION - Criteria and Factors

The District reserves the right to award the Vendor offering the best value, and not necessarily to the Vendor proposing the lowest price, and reserves the right to accept or reject any or all Proposals and waive any formalities.

It is not the policy of the District to purchase on the basis of lowest price proposals alone. In evaluating proposals submitted, the District will consider the criteria set out in the Texas Education Code, Section 44.031(b), including the following:

EVALUATION CRITERION MAXIMUM POINTS

1. Purchase Price 25

2. Reputation 5

3. Quality 15

4. Meeting the District's Needs 20

5. Long-Term Costs 20

6. Historically Underutilized Business XX

7. Principal Place of Business XX

8. Other Relevant Factors 15

Total Points Available 100

CRITERION DESCRIPTION

1. PURCHASE PRICE (25 POINTS)

Includes all costs associed with obtaining the goods and/or services associated with this solicitation.

2. REPUTATION (5 POINTS)

Includes the reputation of the Vendor and the goods and/or services included in their proposal. For the scope of work included within this solicitation, responses from the Vendor's identified references will be used to determine points awarded.

3. QUALITY (15 POINTS)

Includes an evaluation of the quality of the goods and/or services proposed by the vendor related to the scope of work of the solicitation.

4. MEETING THE DISTRICT'S NEEDS (20 POINTS)

Includes an evaluation of the extent to which the goods and/or services being proposed by the vendor, related to

Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT) 26-027Page 13 of 35 pages the scope of work of the solicitation, meet the District's needs.

5. LONG TERM COSTS (20 POINTS)

Includes a review of the long-term costs incurred by the District when acquiring the goods and/or services included in the Vendor's proposal. For the scope of work included in this solicitation, the District will evaluate the costs associated with years two through five of the Vendor's proposal.

6. HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESS (XX POINTS)

Includes a review of the impact on the ability of the District to comply with laws and rules relating to Historically Underutilized Businesses.

7. PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS (XX POINTS)

For a contract for goods and services other than those related to telecommunications and information services, building construction and maintenance, or instructional materials, whether the vendor or the vendor's ultimate parent company or majority owner has its principal place of business in this state or employs at least five hundred

(500) persons in this state.

8. OTHER RELEVANT FACTORS (15 POINTS)

Includes a review of other factors considered relevant to the scope of work included in this solicitation. The following will be evaluated, and points will be distributed accordingly:

Point of Sale System Nutrient Analysis Menu Planning Food Production Reporting Inventory Ordering

Read and Understood (Required: Check if applicable)

EVALUATION - Process and Award Determination

All proposals are subject to the terms and conditions of this solicitation. Material exceprtions to the terms and conditions, or failure to meet the District's minimum specifications, shall render the proposal non-responsive to the solicitation.

Any award made under this solicitation shall be made to the Vendor who provides goods or services, other than profesional services as defined by Section 2254.002 of the Texas Government Code, that are determined to be the most advantageous to the District. Factors to be considered in determining the proposal most advantageous to the District are included below, and are described within the evaluation criteria described on this solicitation.

As part of the requirement to establish the responsibility of the Vendor, the District may perform a price analysis to determine the reasonableness of the price(s) at which the goods and/or services are offered. Prices that are significantly lower than the mean of all offers and that appear to be unreasonably low may be determined to be evidence of non-responsibility and cause the proposal to be rejected.

An Evaluation Committee shall be established to evaluate proposals based solely on the Evaluation Criteria set forth within this solicitation. Factors not specified in the solicitation will not be considered. The District reserves the right to waive any minor irregularities or technicalities in the proposals received. Proposals will be evaluated individually against the requirements stated in the solicitation.

Minor problems of completeness or compliance may be brought to the attention of the Vendor for clarification.

Substantial deviations from specifications or other requirements of this solicitation will disqualify the proposal.

Cost will not be the only consideration in the selection of short-listed proposals. A detailed evaluation of proposals will determine the most favorable combination of various elements for this solicitation. The selection of the awarded proposal will be based on what the evaluators believe to be most advantageous to the District.

During the evaluation process, the District reserves the right, where it may serve in the District's best interest, to request additional information or clarifications from the Vendor or to allow corrections of errors or omissions.

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The Procurement & School Resources Department will arrange the presentation/interview process, if deemed necessary, for discussion and/or clarification. Points may be deducted or added to the Vendor’s preliminary score as necessary by the Evaluation Committee.

The District may request the Vendors in the competitive range ("short list" finalists) to provide an onsite demonstration of their solution at a location that resembles the scope and size of the requirements laid out within this solicitation. Vendors wil l be asked to provide possible site locations for these onsite demonstrations. All planning associated with the logistics of these onsite demonstrations and any costs incurred will be borne entirely by the vendor. The District will be responsible only for travel-related costs for their staff attending the agreed-upon sites.

The District reserves the right to negotiate the final scope of services, price, schedule, and any and all aspects of this solicitation with all Vendors in the competitive range ("short list" finalists). Once negotiations are complete, the District shall establish a common date and time for submitting the Best and Final Offers. If a Vendor does not submit a notice of withdrawal of its offer or a Best and Final Offer, the Vendor’s immediate previous offer shall be construed as its best and final offer.

The best and final offers shall be evaluated in essentially the same manner as the initial offers. The contract shall be awarded to the responsible Vendor whose qualifications, price, and other factors are the most advantageous to the District.

The District reserves the right to award this contract to one Vendor, to make multiple awards, and to award without discussions. The District may reject any or all offers if such action is in the District’s interest, award a contract other than to the lowest respondent, waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received, and award all or part of the requirements stated.

Proposals that are considered non-responsive will not receive consideration. The District reserves the right to reconsider any proposal submitted during the evaluation process. It also reserves the right to meet with any Vendor at any time to gather additional information. Furthermore, the District reserves the right to delete, add, or modify any aspect of this procurement through competitive negotiations until the final contract signing.

The awarded Vendor's proposal will be incorporated into the final contract. Any false or misleading statements in the proposal will be grounds for disqualification or contract termination. Submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by the Vendor of the conditions in this solicitation unless clearly and specifically noted in the proposal and confirmed in the contract between the District and the awarded Vendor.

Read and Understood

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FINANCIALS - Responsibility Determination

The responsibility determination includes consideration of a Vendor’s integrity, compliance with public policy, past performance with the District (if any), financial capacity, and eligibility to perform government work (e.g., debarments/suspension from any Federal, State, or local government). The District reserves the right to perform whatever research it deems appropriate to assess the merits of any Vendor’s proposal.

Provide a current financial statement for your company (or individually if you are a sole proprietor) and end-of-year financial statements for the past two (2) years. Such statements are preferred to be audited; however, if audited financials are unavailable, please submit statements prepared by a third-party preparer.

Financial Statements

Please provide financial statements for your organization for at least the last two (2) fiscal years as follows:

If a publicly held organization:

1. Consolidated financial statements submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Form 10K.

2. The most recent Form 100 since the last Form 10K was submitted.

3. Any Form 8K's in your last fiscal year.

If a privately held organization:

1. Balance sheet for your last two fiscal years certified by an independent Certified Public Accountant.

2. Statement of income of your last two fiscal years certified by an independent Certified Public Accountant.

3. Management discussion and analysis of your organization's financial condition for the last two years indicating any changes in your financial position since the certified statements were prepared.

4. If not considered proprietary, please provide any recent Management Letters.

Evidence of Financial Responsibility

Submit evidence of financial responsibility. This may be a credit rating from a qualified firm preparing a credit rating or a bank reference. The District reserves the right to confirm and request clarification of all financial information provided (including requesting audited financial statements certified by an independent Certified Public Accountant) or to request documentation of the Vendor's ability to comply with all of the requirements in the Proposal Documents. Incomplete disclosures may result in a proposal being deemed non-responsive.

Note: Dun & Bradstreet has the capability to obtain information on past performance on specific contractors.

Accordingly, the District may require Vendors to provide a copy of a recent past performance report prepared by Dun & Bradstreet. The Past Performance Evaluation Report provided to the Vendor by Dun & Bradstreet shall be submitted no later than 14 calendar days after request by the District. The Vendor shall be responsible for the cost of Dun & Bradstreet's report preparation.

Attached in "Response Attachments" Not Attached - Explanation in "Response Attachments" (Required: Check only one)

CERTIFICATIONS - Insurance

Vendor represents that it can provide the insurance coverage set out in the attachment "Insurance Limits" of this solicitation and will provide evidence of such coverage to the District at the time a contract for goods and/or services is executed. Please indicate below if the vendor complies.

Vendor COMPLIES with Certification Vendor Does NOT COMPLY with Certification (Required: Check only one)

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CERTIFICATIONS - Deviations / Exceptions to Terms and Conditions

If identified as an awarded Vendor on this solicitation, you may be required to complete and sign the El Paso Independent School District Vendor Agreement (if applicable). At this time, the EPISD only needs to know that you agree with the terms provided in the agreement provided in the "Attachments" tab. Vendors do not need to complete the contract until an award has been made. If you do not agree with the terms on the District's Vendor Agreement, please state so in the Deviations section included in this solicitation.

Complete and submit any deviations/exceptions to the general terms and conditions of the contract attached to the solicitation in the "Attachments" tab. Include an explanation for the requested change(s) in your response. Your response should be submitted on the attached form, which contains Attachment Deviations/Exceptions to Pricing Conditions, Terms and Conditions, and Contracts. Attach additional sheets as necessary. By execution of its proposal, the Vendor agrees to the general terms and conditions of the contract and the form of contract set out in the "Attachments" tab as General Terms and Conditions of the Contract, respectively, to the extent they apply to the provision of Goods or Services (or both) in connection with this solicitation.

NOTE: Failure to provide comments or requested changes will indicate your acceptance of the required contract provisions, and no further negotiations regarding the provisions will be permitted. The final contract shall be subjectto review and approval by the District’s Legal Counsel.

AGREE to the Terms and Conditions Do NOT AGREE, Deviations Form Attached (Required: Check only one)

CERTIFICATIONS - Conflict of Interest

As part of the proposal submission, it is required that the Vendor comply with certification that they will disclose any conflicts of interest related to any individual associated with the District. Local Government Code, Section 176.003 (a)(2)(A)states that a local government officer shall file a conflicts disclosure statement with respect to a Vendor if the Vendor:

has an employment or other business relationship with the local government officer or a family member of the officer that results in the officer or family member receiving taxable income, other than investment income, that exceeds $2,500 during the 12-month period preceding the date that the officer becomes aware that:

a contract between the local governmental entity and vendor has been executed; or the local governmental entity is considering entering into a contract with the vendor.

Any sort of familial relationship must also be disclosed. Vendors are also required to certify that they do not have a "family relationship" with any individual associated with the District. “Family relationship” means a relationship between a person and another person within the third degree by consanguinity or the second degree by affinity, as those terms are defined by Subchapter B, Chapter 573, Government Code.

As a means of additional clarification, Opinion No. GA-0446 from the Office of the Texas Attorney General defines the following terms:

Business Relationship - a connection between two or more parties based on a commercial activity of one of the parties.

Affiliation - an association between two or more parties outside a business relationship.

Please indicate if you can comply with the certification that you will disclose if any member of your organization has a Conflict of Interest with any member of the District. This would include, but is not limited to, any sitting member of the Board of Trustees and any employed staff member of the El Paso Independent School District.

Vendor COMPLIES with Certification Vendor Does NOT COMPLY with Certification

Deadline: 4/1/2026 02:00 PM (MT) 26-027Page 17 of 35 pages

CERTIFICATIONS - Interlocal Cooperation Agreement

The District is permitted, under the provisions of Texas Government…

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