EV00017995_Food_Storage___Trailer_Delivery_IFB_(1).docx

CITY OF BOSTON

BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Food & Nutrition Services

Food Storage and Trailer Delivery Service for Food & Nutrition Services at Boston Public Schools

INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) - EV00017995

RESPONSE DEADLINE: October 13, 2026 12:00 PM

Michelle Wu, Mayor Mary Skipper, Superintendent, Boston Public Schools

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION

What We Are Looking For IFB Contact Timeline

II. PURCHASE DESCRIPTION / SCOPE OF WORK

Receiving Food at Storage Facility Storage of Food

1. Frozen foods require a storage temperature of 0 (zero) degrees Fahrenheit (F) or below.

Transportation of Food between the Vendor’s Facility and the FNS Facility Invoicing and Billing Requirements Minimum Requirements III. Rule for Award IV. Submission Requirements

1. Pricing, Profile and References Workbook Pricing Worksheet Bidder Profile References V. Non-Collusion VI. Submission Instructions VII. Insurance Requirement

I. INTRODUCTION

What We Are Looking For Boston Public Schools (BPS) Department of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) requests quotes for food storage and trailer delivery service. This bid is for the entire contract period, beginning on or about December 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2029. This contract will be awarded to the responsive and responsible bidder offering the lowest total price for all services.

Boston Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services Boston Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services, the largest school meal program in New England, offers breakfast and lunch to more than 46,000 students at 123 schools. We also offer after-school meals, summer meals and participate in the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

FNS aims to prepare and serve healthy, scratch-cooked, locally sourced, culturally relevant meals that provide students with a welcoming dining experience. Meals are prepared on site in most school locations, and the district recently opened a new central kitchen facility where meals are prepared for those schools that have insufficient kitchen facilities or meal volume to support cooking on site.

The FNS Central Food Facility at 370 Columbia Road in Dorchester contains both a central kitchen where meals are prepared and packaged and a warehouse / distribution center where these prepared meals, or food for preparing meals in the school kitchens, are stored and distributed to schools. Approximately 76 schools that have limited on-site storage receive daily deliveries from the FNS Central Food Facility, and the other 47 schools receive weekly deliveries.

Because storage space at the FNS central facility is insufficient to accommodate all food needed for the school meals program, FNS has a need to store some food items at an alternate location and to have them brought to its own warehouse as needed. FNS uses this off-site storage primarily, though not exclusively, to store food items received in truckload quantities through the USDA Brown Box commodity entitlement program.

This IFB is open to any vendor who would like to respond, and the City and Boston Public Schools encourage participation from small, local, minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses. To support equality of opportunity for these businesses, we also encourage respondents to solicit for the subcontracting of goods and services from certified businesses.

Contact information to certify and the City’s directory of certified businesses is available at https://data.boston.gov/dataset/certified-business-directory

Instructions on how to become a city of Boston Vendor can be found here: https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/document-file-09-2016/new_vendor_registration.pdf

This bid is for the entire contract period, beginning on or about December 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2029. This contract will be awarded to the responsive and responsible bidder offering the lowest total price for all services.

IFB Contact With the release of this IFB, all communications must be directed in writing via email to the contact person below. No other City employee, consultant, or contractor is empowered to speak for the City with respect to this IFB. Any oral communication is considered unofficial and non-binding to the City.

The IFB contact is:

Eric Stevens Interim Deputy Director Food and Nutrition Services 370 Columbia Rd, Dorchester MA 02125 Email: estevens2@bostonpublicschools.org

Bidding will be conducted via the City of Boston vendor portal, and opens September 28, 2026, at 12:00 PM, closing October 13, 2026 at 12:00 PM.

Timeline The table below shows the preliminary IFB Schedule. Dates are subject to change. Any changes will be posted in an addendum that can be found on the IFB website.

DATE

Deadline to submit questions Via email only to estevens2@bostonpublicschools.org October 5, 2026 12:00 PM

Consolidated Q&A posted:

It will appear added as an event attachment in the city portal

October 9, 2026 5:00 PM

All correspondence will be posted on the City of Boston Supplier Portal which you can access via boston.gov/procurement It is the responsibility of Vendors to check regularly for updates and any IFB addenda.

Deadline for IFB Submitted via the City’s Supplier Portal or via hard copy; IFB must be received prior to the deadline October 13, 2026 12:00 PM

II. PURCHASE DESCRIPTION / SCOPE OF WORK

The primary intent of Boston Public Schools (BPS), through the Food and Nutrition Services Department (FNS), is to execute a contract with a partner to provide food storage and trailer delivery service for FNS. Trailer delivery service entails the transfer of food between the vendor’s storage facility and the FNS Central Food Facility at 370 Columbia Road in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Receiving Food at Storage Facility

1. Although FNS and the food suppliers endeavor to provide at least 72 hours notice of incoming deliveries, the vendor must be able to accept orders with less than 72 hours notice on occasion.

2. A Bill of Landing (BOL) will accompany deliveries from USDA. Before signing the BOL, the vendor must

a. Check for seal and verify that the number on the seal matches number recorded on the BOL

b. Check temperature of frozen and chilled foods

c. Verify quantity of cases received

d. Examine the quality and condition of the food and packaging

3. The vendor must refuse the shipment if:

a. The product is missing a seal

b. The seal number does not match the number recorded on the BOL

c. All or a major portion of the shipment is out of condition.

4. The vendor must notify FNS before a full or partial delivery is refused.

5. Any damaged and refused cases must be clearly noted on the BOL.

6. The BOL must be scanned and emailed to FNS within 24 hours of receipt of delivery and/or uploaded to the vendor’s software system for FNS staff to access.

Storage of Food

1. Frozen foods require a storage temperature of 0 (zero) degrees Fahrenheit (F) or below.

2. Refrigerated food storage required to be maintained at 41°F or below.

3. To prevent food spoilage, degradation of packaging, and pest infestations, dry storage should be maintained between 50°F and 70°F.

4. Humidity in dry storage should be no higher than 60% to prevent caked or stale products.

5. In accordance with Massachusetts Food Code (105 CMR 590.000 / FDA Food Code), food storage establishments must have sufficient ventilation to keep rooms free of excessive heat, steam, condensation, vapors, and obnoxious odors.

6. All items must be properly separated and labeled to ensure food belonging to FNS is returned to FNS.

7. If food items or pallets are damaged or lost once the vendor has received the delivery from USDA or other suppliers, the vendor must reimburse FNS the price paid or value of USDA commodity entitlement dollars used to acquire the item .

8. On a monthly basis, any FNS employee may enter the vendor’s facility to inspect food and take inventory at a time mutually agreed upon between FNS and the awarded vendor.

9. The vendor will track inventory received, inventory on hand, inventory out for delivery, and inventory delivered.

10. The vendor will have software for inventory tracking and will share user access to FNS to fully see inventory on hand and delivery receipts/Bills of Landing (BOLs).

11. The vendor must have and share an emergency plan in the event the facility loses power or experiences any other major emergency that would impact stored food or trailer delivery services.

12. The vendor must have its most recent state or local health inspection reports readily available and provide them upon request.

Transportation of Food between the Vendor’s Facility and the FNS Facility

1. Frozen food products must be delivered in accordance with FC 3-202.11(C): Must be solidly frozen (ideally 0°F / -18°C or below). Must show no signs of thawing, refreezing, ice crystal accumulation, or fluid staining on packaging.

2. Refrigerated food products must be delivered in accordance with FC 3-202.11(A) and 105 CMR 590.003: Must be delivered at 41°F (5°C) or below.

3. Dry/ambient food products must be delivered in accordance with FC 3-202.11: Must be delivered between 40°F to 70°F. Must be clean, entirely dry, and free from pests or structural damage.

4. No chemicals can be delivered together with food products.

5. The vendor must follow all FDA and Mass Food Code Requirements as well as HACCP plans for storing, handling and delivering food products.

6. Mechanical Refrigeration: All vehicles delivering Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) foods must be equipped with functional, insulated mechanical refrigeration.

7. Temperature Monitoring: Vehicles must possess an internal air-temperature thermometer readable by the operator to verify that ambient trailer temperatures are maintained during transit.

8. Sanitation & Separation: Cargo compartments must be sanitized, free of debris, and odorless.

9. Food items must never be placed directly on the vehicle floor. They must be elevated on pallets, racks, or shelving units.

10. The vendor must fulfill BPS requests to transport food within two (2) business days, unless otherwise specified.

11. Pricing must be itemized per one-way trip:

a. a) Transport of 1-16 pallets

b. b) Transport of 17-24 pallets

12. A Bill of Lading (BOL) must accompany each delivery to the FNS delivery location and be available to FNS electronically, upon request (a scan of a signed BOL or PDF of the same is acceptable).

13. Before transporting food from the storage facility, the vendor must check the temperature of frozen and chilled foods, verify the quantity of cases of the food for transport, and examine the quality and condition of the food and packaging.

14. The vendor must notify FNS prior to the transport if food or packaging look to be damaged or outside of acceptable temperature range.

15. Deliveries to FNS warehouse must be made from 6 AM to 1 PM Invoicing and Billing Requirements

1. Electronic invoices must be sent to the FNS Finance Office within ten (10) days of delivery.

2. Invoice must include:

a. Purchase order number

b. Vendor letterhead

c. Vendor address

d. Invoice number

e. Invoice date

f. Delivery date

g. Item description

h. Quantity

i. Extended price subtotal by item and category

j. Total extended price

k. Credits, if applicable

3. Retention of records: All records must be retained for a period of six (6) years from the close of the Federal fiscal year (September 30th) to which they pertain.

Minimum Requirements

1. The vendor must have at least five (5) years of prior experience receiving, storing and transporting foods for the USDA Foods Direct Delivery program.

2. The vendor’s storage facility must have capacity to accommodate an average of 250-300 frozen pallets and 100-150 dry storage pallets during the contract term, with all storage preferably located at one (1) site. The vendor must also have refrigerated storage capacity if needed, and the ability to accept at least 100 additional pallets of each storage type in the event of an emergency.

3. The facility should be located within 60 miles of 370 Columbia Road, Dorchester, Massachusetts.

III. Rule for Award

One (1) award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. This bid is for the entire contract period, beginning on or about December 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2029. This contract will be awarded to the responsive and responsible bidder offering the lowest total price for all services.

IV. Submission Requirements

1. Pricing, Profile and References Workbook Bidders must completely fill out all three (3) tabs of the “Pricing, Profile and References Workbook” that is attached to this bid event and upload the completed attachment in the City of Boston portal for this event. This is a required part of the bid submission.

Pricing Worksheet BIDDER(S) must submit pricing in “Tab 1 - Pricing Worksheet” of the Pricing, Profile and References Workbook. BIDDER(S) should fill out only the “unit price” column (cells highlighted in yellow). The sheet will then calculate total price based on the anticipated volume of goods and/or services.

Bidder Profile BIDDER(S) must submit their company profile in tab 2 of the Pricing, Profile and References Workbook.

a. Company name, federal ID and year founded

b. Headquarters address

c. Address of storage facility where FNS food would be stored

d. Description of business

e. Name and contact info of primary contact (if awarded, this would be the the same person who will be listed on the CM06 and CM09 forms as having the authority to sign contracts on behalf of the company) References BIDDER(S) must submit three (3) client references in tab 3 of the Pricing, Profile and References Workbook. References must include business name, contact person, phone number, email address, description of products and/or services provided, and total contract amount.

V. Non-Collusion

Persons submitting a bid or proposal to provide supplies or services to your jurisdiction, or to purchase supplies from your jurisdiction, must submit a certification of non-collusion as a bid factor in the City of Boston vendor portal.

VI. Submission Instructions This section provides an overview of the process for submitting your proposal:

· Directions are included for submitting your proposal online or via hard copy Please note that the City will NOT be able to consider proposals that are submitted late or that do not follow these guidelines.

After the bid submission deadline, bidders may not change the price or any other provision of the bid in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the BPS or fair competition. The City shall waive minor informalities or allow the bidders to correct them.

SUBMITTING BIDS VIA BOSTON’S SUPPLIER PORTAL

The Supplier Portal is where vendors should submit a proposal electronically and is accessible from boston.gov/procurement at the Supplier Portal link.

You will need to register with us to submit your proposal electronically; doing so will also allow you to receive email updates regarding this IFB and other opportunities. Please visit https://www.boston.gov/departments/procurement/how-use-supplier-portal for step-by-step instructions to register.

Upon logging in under your account, look for event EV00017995 “Food Storage & Trailer Delivery for BPS Food & Nutrition Services”

In the section of EV00017995 labeled "Step 2: Enter Line Bid Responses", please enter the total bid amount from your price sheet. Next, click the icon on the far right of the screen labeled "View/Add Question Comments and Attachments." There you will find the proper location to upload your price details.

Please visit https://www.boston.gov/departments/procurement/how-use-supplier-portal for step-by-step instructions.

Submitting your proposal via the Supplier Portal streamlines the entire process, but please allow extra time to become familiar with the system. Upload any applicable documents into the Supplier Portal and SUBMIT your submissions well before the deadline so that you have enough time to make a physical paper submission if you have any issues with the City’s Supplier Portal. We recommend submitting your proposal at least 24 hours prior to the deadline.

Please note that Supplier Portal file uploads are limited to a 59-character file name length.

It is strongly recommended that bidders submit via the Supplier Portal to ensure all forms, attachments, and online bid factors necessary for a bid to be considered complete are on file by the bid submission close date.

Only bids that are submitted on time, follow these instructions, and conform strictly with the requirements of this bid document will qualify for consideration.

SUBMITTING VIA MAIL/ DELIVERY

Hard copies of the Bids may be submitted by mail, delivery service, or in person. Vendors submitting a hard copy must submit a complete Bid in a sealed envelope The envelopes should be clearly marked as follows:

Food Storage and Trailer Delivery Service for Food & Nutrition Services at Boston Public Schools IFB Number: IFB EV00017651 Submitted by: [Name of Vendor] [Date Submitted] and delivered or mailed to:

Shirley Nguyen, Eric Stevens, Procurement & Contracts, Business Services | Finance Department 2300 Washington Street, Boston MA 02119

Addenda

● Any supplemental instructions, amendments and/or changes to this IFB or attached documents shall be in the form of written addenda. If issued, such addenda shall be emailed to all registered BIDDER(S) via the City procurement portal. Such addenda, if any, will be made available no later than five (5) business days prior to the deadline for the submission of proposals.

● Failure of any BIDDER(S) to acknowledge receipt of any such addenda shall not relieve such BIDDER(S) any obligation under the bid as submitted. At the time of the opening of the bids, each BIDDER(S) shall be conclusively presumed to have received and understood all IFB documents, including all addenda, and the failure of any BIDDER(S) to examine any form, instrument or other document that is part of the IFB shall in no way relieve such BIDDER(S) from any obligation arising under law from the submission of a proposal. Failure of any BIDDER(S) bid to address any addenda may also result in the rejection of the entire bid.

Correction, Modification and Withdrawal of Bids The “Official” shall accept a bid without alteration or correction, except as provided here:

● A BIDDER(S) may correct, modify or withdraw a bid by written notice to and received by the Contracting Official as designated in this IFB prior to the time and date set for the submission of bids.

● After the bid submission deadline, a BIDDER(S) may not change the price or any other provision of the bid in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the BPS or fair competition. The Contracting Official shall waive minor informalities or allow the BIDDER(S) to correct them.

Please note that all bids will be public record. Do not submit confidential information in your Proposal.

The District may cancel this IFB, or reject in whole or in part any and all bids, if the District determines that cancellation or rejection serves the best interests of the District.

VII. Insurance Requirement The City recommends the following levels of insurance; if you have a different level of coverage, please explain why that is sufficient for the work required under this IFB. The Contractor shall purchase and maintain during the term of the Contract all insurance required by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and as required in this section and will assure that subcontractors carry similar and appropriate coverage. These requirements shall not be construed to limit the liability of the Contractor or its insurer.

Insurance will be issued by insurance companies licensed to write insurance in their domicile state and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and will have a current Best’s rating of A- VII or above. Insurance Certificates on Acord Form 25 evidencing all requirements listed below shall be delivered to the Official by the selected vendor prior to the execution of any contract. Additionally, renewal certificates must be delivered within 30 days prior to the expiration of the preceding policy.

Insurance Requirement:

Workers’ Compensation insurance as required under General Laws c.152 (the Workers’ Compensation Law) and including employer’s liability limits of one million ($1,000,000) per accident and per employee, including disease.

Commercial General Liability with coverage no less than ISO CGL Form, CG00 01 0413, for one million ($1,000,000) per occurrence and two million ($2,000,000) annual aggregate limit per location or project basis.

Umbrella Liability excess of Commercial General Liability, Employer’s Liability and Auto Liability for one million ($1,000,000) each occurrence. In lieu of umbrella liability, required limits may be achieved by purchasing higher limits on individual policies.

Technology Errors & Omissions / Cyber Liability / Security & Privacy: for one million ($1,000,000) per claim and one million ($1,000,000) in the aggregate with coverage continuing for one year after completion or termination of the Agreement. Policy must specifically include: a) computer or network systems attacks, b) denial or loss of service, c) introduction, implantation or spread of malicious software code, d) unauthorized Access and Use of computer systems, e) privacy liability, and f) breach response coverage equaling at least 50% of liability limit.

General Conditions:

· The City of Boston will be named as Additional Insured on all policies except, Workers’ Compensation and Employer’s Liability.

· Above insurance shall be primary and noncontributory over any such insurance available to the City of Boston, its officials, employees, and volunteers.

· Waiver of Subrogation will be included as respects all coverages listed above in favor of the City of Boston. The Workers’ Compensation Policy must be specifically endorsed and noted as such in the required certificate.

· All policies will be endorsed to provide thirty days written notice to the certificate holder, the City of Boston, in the event of cancellation, non-renewal or material changes in coverage. Such endorsements must be attached to the Certificate.

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