EV00017976_Q_A.docx
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- Attached to
- Distribution of Food and Supplies to BPS Schools
- Solicitation number
- EV00017976
- Issued by
- Suffolk County, Massachusetts
About this file
This is a Questions and Answers document for a distribution of food and supplies contract issued by Boston Public Schools (BPS) Department of Food and Nutrition Services. The contract requires the awarded vendor to provide transportation and distribution services only, with BPS supplying all products from its central warehouse facility. The scope encompasses deliveries to 47 locations requiring once-weekly service and 79 locations requiring daily deliveries, with loading commencing at 6:15 AM and all deliveries to be completed by 1:30 PM. The contract period runs from October 6, 2026, through August 31, 2029, with anticipated service of 180 school days plus 36 summer program days annually. Sealed bids are due October 5, 2026, at 12:00 PM EDT. The current operation utilizes 7 daily delivery trucks and 2 weekly trucks plus 1 emergency standby truck, with each vehicle accommodating approximately 6 pallets. BPS does not allow subcontracting, requiring the awarded vendor to serve as the sole point of contact and directly operate all distribution services.
Pricing is structured as a flat delivery rate with no separate unit rates permitted for additional stops, miles, hours, helpers, weekends, holidays, or emergency services. Fuel surcharges are not allowed, requiring bidders to factor all anticipated costs into their proposals. All vehicles must be refrigerated dock-high trucks equipped with liftgates, GPS capability, and Boston-compliant side guards, with vendors required to demonstrate compliance within two to three months if equipment is not installed at contract start. Vendors must provide three references from the food service market segment confirming at least five years of experience in time and temperature-sensitive deliveries to over 100 locations and proof of successful comparable contracts. All drivers must comply with Massachusetts wage, prevailing wage, background check, CORI, and fingerprinting requirements per forms CM-15A and CM-16. The Boston Living Wage Ordinance applies to vendors with 25 or more full-time equivalent employees, requiring a minimum of $19.36 per hour effective July 1, 2026, with annual adjustments.
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Distribution of Food and Supplies to BPS Schools (EV00017976) Questions & Answers September 29, 2026
| Number |
| Question |
| Answer |
| 1 |
| Is BPS looking for a company strictly to handle the transportation and distribution of the food and supplies, or would the awarded company also be responsible for supplying the products? |
| The awarded company would not be responsible for supplying products, only for transporting them between the BPS central warehouse facility and various school locations. |
| 2 |
| Does the contractor purchase and supply the food and other items, or distribute products provided by BPS? |
| The awarded company would not be responsible for supplying products, only for transporting them between the BPS central warehouse facility and various school locations. |
| 3 |
| How many schools and other locations are served, and what are the expected delivery frequency and typical daily volumes? |
| 47 locations need once-a-week delivery and 79 locations need daily delivery. Loading starts at 6:15 AM; deliveries need to be completed by 1:30 PM. Delivery locations, number, and frequency are subject to change. |
| 4 |
| What vehicle types, temperature controls, storage facilities, and food handling qualifications are required? |
Frozen and/or Chilled Foods: Require transport temperature of 40 (forty) degrees F or below. Vendor must have a vehicle cleaning and sanitation process and plan in place. All references must be from the food service market segment, showing the vendor's ability to deliver time- and temperature-sensitive products in high volume to over 100+ delivery locations. Vendor references must confirm the vendor has been in the time and temperature-sensitive delivery segment for at least 5 years, and provide proof of successful completion of contracts with similar or comparable volume
| 5 |
| May a bidder use subcontractors or delivery partners to meet the requirements? |
| No, subcontracting is not allowed for this contract. |
| 6 |
| Where can we find the complete specifications, pricing sheet, and any addenda for the current event version? |
| These are all available on the City of Boston supplier portal. Search for EV00017976. |
| 7 |
| How many operating days are anticipated for each school year, including summer, recess periods, weekends, and holidays? |
| 180 school days or 40 school weeks, and additionally 36 school summer program days or 7 summer program weeks are anticipated each year. The BPS school calendar can be found online on the BPS website. Weekend and holiday deliveries are typically not needed, but vendor should have the capacity to provide emergency service outside of the regular delivery schedule if needed. . |
| 8 |
| How many daily and weekly routes will operate each day, and is the stated 5-to-7-truck requirement a minimum, average, or maximum? |
| The 5-7 truck number is just a suggestion; the current operation uses 7 daily trucks and 2 weekly trucks (total of 9), plus 1 standby emergency truck. Each truck can fit approximately 6 pallets; depending on the truck size, this number can fluctuate. Large trucks are difficult to navigate in the city and, in many cases, require more time to complete deliveries, have difficulty finding parking, etc. |
| 9 |
| Can BPS provide the previous 12 months of route history, including each route stops, mileage, duration, truck type, and daily volume? |
| Current trucks use diesel fuel. Routing can be found here:BPS Routing. Mileage and route duration are not available; please note all deliveries must be completed between 6:30 AM and 1:30 PM |
| 10 |
| What are the minimum, average, and maximum number of stops, pallets, pieces, weight, and cube per route? |
| This depends on the size of the truck the contractor is using. Weight limit must not exceed the truck's specifications. Cubes per route are not currently calculated. Typically, a single route has 12-15 stops (for daily delivery) and 7-10 stops (for weekly delivery); there is no minimum or maximum. The vendor must work with BPS to determine, change and assign routes. Vendors must have access to a software system for optimal routing scheduling, delivery sequence assignments, and efficient duration to ensure all deliveries are completed within the required timeframe. |
| 11 |
| Are routes generally consistent, or will the locations, sequence, volume, and number of routes change daily? |
| Once the routing and delivery sequence is determined and agreed upon, it remains largely consistent, with some exceptions, as certain schools sometimes require an early delivery. |
| 12 |
| How much advance notice will the contractor receive when routes, sites, schedules, or quantities are added, removed, or changed? |
| For emergency needs, or late add-ons less than 12 hrs |
| 13 |
| Is any minimum number of daily routes or minimum contract volume guaranteed? |
| There is no minimum or maximum. BPS schools rely on the central warehouse to provide food; the distribution contracts cover this part, meaning as long as the vendor meets all requirements and has sufficient staff, trucks, and drivers, all schools listed and mentioned will need daily/weekly deliveries. Please note this service is not split or awarded by route; the awarded contractor is responsible for the entire distribution contract. |
| 14 |
| May [awarded vendor] serve as the prime contractor while subcontracting transportation to one or more qualified motor carriers? |
| No, subcontracting is not allowed for this contract. |
| 15 |
| Must BPS approve each subcontracted carrier, vehicle, driver, and substitute driver before service? |
| Yes, all rules, requirements, ordinances, and references apply to subcontractors. Please note, BPS would require one single point of contact for the distribution service and would not communicate with multiple subcontractors. |
| 16 |
| Can a subcontractor’s experience and references satisfy the three-reference requirement, including the five-year requirement and the reference serving more than 100 locations? |
| No, subcontracting is not allowed for this contract. |
| 17 |
| What Massachusetts wage, prevailing-wage, background-check, CORI, fingerprinting, or school-access requirements apply to drivers, supervisors, and subcontractors? |
| Please reference forms CM15-A (CORI compliance) and CM16 (wage theft prevention). Awarded contractors must compete these forms. |
| 18 |
| Is 6:15 a.m. the driver check-in time or the actual loading-start time, and how long does loading normally take per route? |
| 6:15 AM is the check-in time, and loading starts a few minutes later. Typically, loading is 20-30min per route. We usually see all trucks depart by 7:45 AM. We typically load 2 trucks at a time to ensure the load is checked properly, all items accounted for, and reduce unnecessary confusion/stress. |
| 19 |
| Will BPS stage and load each route, or will drivers be responsible for selecting, counting, sorting, and loading the products? |
| BPS is responsible for all items listed, most of the loads are bulk picked by route which means the drivers pick the order from the truck when they arrive to the destination (this is important to note) |
| 20 |
| When will [awarded vendor] receive the final route information and manifest: the prior day or the morning of service? |
| BPS can always share current routing, if contractor wants to re-visit or edit it, it should be mutually agreed as this would require BPS to change the routing settings in our own internal system. Once routes are agreed, those are followed consistently throughout the contract period. Order information is printed a day before and is available via delivery tickets the morning of the loading; if required, it could be shared 12 hours before loading. |
| 21 |
| Who is financially responsible when an item is missing or incorrectly staged by BPS, but the driver signed the manifest? |
| The contractor is responsible for reimbursing BPS for any damaged, lost, or missing product. Driver's signature on the consolidated load sheet confirms the delivery is received at full quantity, all items accounted for, and in good condition. BPS requires all drivers to inspect delivery before signing the document. |
| 22 |
| Can drivers document shortages, damage, temperatures, and loading discrepancies with photographs before accepting custody? |
| Yes, absolutely; the goal is to mutually agree that mistakes are found and reported before the truck leaves |
| 23 |
| What percentage of each route is frozen, chilled, dry, and non-food supplies, and what specific temperature settings apply to each category? |
| Time- temperature-sensitive foods must be delivered adhering to Massachusetts Food Code. Cold TCS Foods: Must be received or transported at 41°F or below. Frozen Foods: Must remain frozen solid upon arrival. |
| 24 |
| Can frozen, chilled, and dry products move together, or are multi-temperature vehicles, bulkheads, or separate vehicles required? |
| Yes, they can move together as long as they fulfill the food code requirements |
| 25 |
| Are continuous-run refrigeration, electronic temperature monitoring, temperature reports, or probe checks required for every route? |
| Electronic temperature monitoring and recording is highly recommended; site managers check delivery temperatures upon receiving |
| 26 |
| What physical separation is required between food and chemicals or other non-food supplies? |
| Chemicals can not be transported together unless the driver has room and space to safely deliver those in the passenger cabin area |
| 27 |
| What vehicle types are acceptable, and are refrigerated 26-foot straight trucks with liftgates suitable for all routes? |
| We find that a dock-high truck with a minimum of 6-8 pallet spaces and a liftgate is most efficient. 26-foot trucks are difficult to maneuver but definitely not restricted. Certain 26-foot trucks require a CDL license, so please consider that too. |
| 28 |
| Must every primary and backup vehicle be dock-high, liftgate-equipped, GPS-enabled, refrigeration-capable, and Boston side-guard compliant before startup? |
| Yes, but regarding side guards, if the vendor does not have those installed on day 1, typically past business practise allowed 2-3 months transition, but the vendor has to provide an active plan and submit work and part orders to show progress and proof this requirement will be met. Please note, sideguard ordinance requirement applies to leased, rented, subcontracted, or replacement vehicles too. |
| 29 |
| How many fully compliant backup trucks and drivers must the contractor maintain? |
| Enough to fulfill the requirement to deliver to 47 school orders weekly and 79 school orders daily within the given timeframe. Currently we have 9 regular trucks and 1 backup. |
| 30 |
| Can rental or temporary replacement vehicles be used during a breakdown if they satisfy the food-safety, insurance, and equipment requirements? |
| Yes, but they must meet sideguard ordinance requirements too if they are typically used for backup needs during this contract period. |
| 31 |
| Which schools have stairs, elevators, long carries, restricted streets, difficult parking, or other access conditions that materially affect delivery time? |
| It’s the vendor's responsibility to do all this research to ensure all delivery details are captured. We do not have a master data sheet to show this. We have typically seen vendors take “dry” runs and explore each school to fully understand the scope and complexity of the contract. Schools with loading docks are listed in Appendix 3. |
| 32 |
| What is the average service time per school, and must drivers break down pallets, hand-unload cases, place products inside storage areas, and remove wrap or empty totes? |
| Depends on the driver; we assume a typical stop is no more than 15-25 minutes. Drivers remove pallet wrap and place products in designated areas (dry, frozen, refrigerated). Drivers are not allowed to leave the pallet or products in the middle of the kitchen or other area unless otherwise directed by the cafeteria manager. Please note: products are loaded in bulk pick method, each delivery requires the driver to pick the product from the truck. |
| 33 |
| Are helpers required at any locations, or is one driver expected to complete every route and inside delivery alone? |
| Helpers are highly recommended as they can shorten the delivery time and help the driver in schools with difficult parking. |
| 34 |
| Will BPS permit separate unit rates for a base route, additional stops, additional miles, additional hours, helpers, weekends, holidays, authorized emergencies, detention, route cancellation, and added locations? |
| BPS is asking for a flat delivery rate(s); separate rates for items listed in the question are not considered. |
| 35 |
| Will the contract permit a fuel surcharge or rate adjustment based on a published diesel index, labor increases, market changes, or annual contract-year pricing? |
| No, fuel surcharges are not allowed. Bidders should factor all anticipated costs into their price proposals. |
| 36 |
| What charges, deductions, penalties, or free recovery obligations apply to late deliveries, missed deliveries, shortages, school closures, unavailable receivers, BPS-caused delays, and emergency redeliveries? |
| The charges listed in the question are not considered and are not a part of this bid. BPS would work with a contractor to effectively resolve these issues to ensure BPS does not cause any delays. |
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