INVITATION TO BID

#26-JG-021

FOR

MILK, DAIRY & JUICE PRODUCTS

Bid 26-JG-021 Posted

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Bids Due

Before 3:00 pm on June 11, 2026

All submittals are due electronically through the District’s OpenGov Procurement portal:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/pcsb

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1. SCOPE OF WORK

SECTION 2. SPECIAL CONDITIONS

SECTION 3. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

SECTION 4. PRICING PROPOSAL FORMS

SECTION 5. BID PROPOSAL

Attachments:

A - Milk_Dairy_Juice_Products_Group A_26-JG-021

B - Milk_Dairy_Juice_Products_Group B_26-JG-021

C - Milk_Dairy_Juice_Products_Group C_21-JG-021

D - Delivery_Site_List_26-JG-021

E - Insurance Specifications for Contractors

F - Bid Protest Procedure

G - Sample_Label_26-JG-021

The School Board Of Pinellas County Prohibits Discrimination In All Purchasing And Contracting

Bid# 26-JG-021

SCOPE OF WORK

SCOPE

The purpose and intent of this invitation to bid are to select a supplier to provide and deliver milk, dairy products and individual juice portions to approximately 117 district facilities (See accompanying delivery site listing posted as a separate attachment), districtwide and to secure either firm unit prices or fixed fees for the contract period as specified herein.

DELIVERY INFORMATION

F.O.B Destination Point:

School Cafeterias Districtwide

PURCHASING CONTACT

Any questions regarding the bid should be posted in the Questions & Answers section in OpenGov.

The procurement contact for this bid is Jena Grage and can be reached at gragej@pcsb.org, Bid# 26-JG-021

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The Pinellas County School District (District) “General Terms and Conditions” School Board Adopted

12/08/09 Revised 12/02/2025 can be found at the following link:

https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1767644581/pcsborg/pty67uqfdi5g2pkphbrc/GeneralTermsandCon ditionsFINAL1222025.pdf

By submitting a proposal, Proposer agrees to abide by all District Terms and Conditions.

CONTRACT PERIOD

The Contract Period shall commence on August 1, 2026, and end July 31, 2028. Prices and discounts shall remain firm for this period and shall include ALL freight and handling charges.

RENEWAL OPTION

By mutual consent of the School Board of Pinellas County, Florida, and the successful Bidders, this contract may be renewed for three (3) additional one (1) year periods.

SUPPLEMENTAL UNILATERAL RENEWAL PERIODS

The District, through its Director of Purchasing, has the option and reserves the right to unilaterally extend the original contract term or any renewal term for up to three (3) additional thirty (30) day periods, at the same terms and conditions. Notice of the District’s intent to renew shall be provided by the District in writing to the Contractor Supplier prior to the expiration of the contract, or the renewal period if the contract has been previously renewed.

PRICE ESCALATION/DE-ESCALATION

The District will allow a price escalation/de-escalation provision within this award. The original bid prices shall remain firm for the first term of the agreement. A price escalation/de-escalation will be allowed at each renewal period, provided the Awardee notifies the District, in writing, of the pending price escalation/de-escalation a minimum of 60 days prior to the final day of the current term. The price escalation percentage change shall not exceed the previous 1-year’s percentage change of the Consumer

Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) published by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of

Labor Statistics. If bidding discounts from list price, discounts offered may not change. Failure to comply with these instructions shall be grounds for disallowance of a price escalation as allowed herein.

If, at the point of exercising the price escalation provision, market media indicators show that the

Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) has decreased, and that the Awardee has not passed the decrease on to the District, the District reserves the right to place the Awardee in default, cancel the award, and remove the Awardee from the District’s Bidders List for a period of time deemed suitable by the District. In the event of this occurrence, the District further reserves the right to utilize any and/or all options as stated herein.

ADJUSTMENTS TO CONTRACT TERMS & CONDITIONS NECESSITATED BY

VOLATILITY OF THE MARKETPLACE

The District may, in its sole discretion, make an equitable adjustment in the contract terms and/or pricing if pricing or availability of supply are affected by extreme and unforeseen volatility in the marketplace, that is, by circumstances that satisfy all of the following criteria:

1. The volatility is due to causes wholly beyond the Supplier’s control https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1767644581/pcsborg/pty67uqfdi5g2pkphbrc/GeneralTermsandConditionsFINAL1222025.pdf https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1767644581/pcsborg/pty67uqfdi5g2pkphbrc/GeneralTermsandConditionsFINAL1222025.pdf

Bid# 26-JG-021

2. The volatility affects the marketplace or industry, not just the particular Supplier’s source of supply

3. The effect on pricing or availability of supply is substantial

4. The volatility so affects the Supplier that continued performance of the contract would result in substantial loss or financial hardship

The determination as to whether a situation represents “extreme” volatility of the marketplace and/or whether the effect on pricing or availability is “substantial” shall be solely at the discretion of the District.

Requests for adjustments will not be considered more than once in a one-year period. Adjustments and renewal escalation may not be exercised in the same term.

CONTRACT VALUE

For the purposes of calculating the amount of a protest bond, this contract is valued at approximately

$22,500,000 for the initial two-year periods, including all renewal options. This is only an estimate and the actual amount could vary up or down. The District will not be held responsible if actual purchases are less than this amount.

BID CONTENT & SUBMITTAL

Each bid proposal shall include all information and submittals required or requested in this bid.

Incomplete bid proposals may be declared non-responsive.

PROHIBITION AGAINST COERCION FOR LABOR AND SERVICES AFFIDAVIT

Section 787.06(13), Florida Statutes requires all nongovernmental entities executing, renewing, or extending a contract with a governmental entity to provide an affidavit signed by an officer or representative of the nongovernmental entity under penalty of perjury that the nongovernmental entity does not use coercion for labor or services as defined in that statute. The Pinellas County School Board is a governmental entity for purposes of this statute. An affidavit is attached hereto. The affidavit shall be filled out, fully executed and returned as part of your bid/proposal response or the response shall be deemed non-responsive.

AWARD

This bid will be awarded "ALL OR NONE" to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder as outlined below. After bids are opened and tabulated, the district reserves the right to delete one or more items and recommend award of the balance of the items contained within the bid.

Criteria used for selection, includes, but is not limited to; compliance with specifications, price, lead-time, taste acceptability, packaging, product freshness, product quality and nutritional information. All products are subject to student acceptance testing before the selection for award will be made.

• Group A – Fixed Fees for milk with fluctuating prices (cost)

• Group B - Firm Fixed Prices on other dairy products

• Group C – Firm Fixed Prices on non-dairy products

NOTE: Bidders are hereby notified that this bid falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Government

Executive Order #10936, 26 Federal Register 3555, relating to identical bids, and as such comes under the

Justice Department Annotation DJ-1510, Ref: AT-IBR, reporting procedures. Furthermore, the

Bid# 26-JG-021 successful bidder shall deliver product in trucks belonging to the successful bidder and may not sublet the contract to other vendors.

BACKGROUND SCREENING

As required by The Jessica Lunsford Act [s.21 of Ch.2005-28, L.O.F.], if anyone representing a Supplier under contract with the school District will have access to school grounds when students are present, have direct contact with students or have access to or control of school funds, such personnel are required to be screened at Level 2, to include fingerprinting, statewide criminal and juvenile justice records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and federal criminal records checks through the Federal Bureau of Investigation. [s. 1012.465, Florida Statutes]

The requirements of this law must be met in order for the School Board to contract with your company.

To make an appointment to be screened by Pinellas County Schools, go to: http://fieldprintflorida.com/

For a full submission (fingerprinting and a badge) use the code FPPCSNETVendorsJLA. For a badge only (FSSR requests, lost or broken badges) use the code FPPCSBadge.

If Contractor/Supplier is awarded all or a portion of this bid, Contractor/Supplier hereby acknowledges and agrees to abide by the Florida Jessica Lunsford Act (1012.465, F.S.) and obtain, at its own cost, Level

2 clearance of all employees, agents, and subcontractors who (1) have access to school grounds when students are present, (2) have direct contact with students, on or off school grounds, or (3) have access to or control of school funds.

INSURANCE

Insurance is required of all Suppliers who perform work on School Board premises. If this bid requires that you work on our premises, an attachment titled: Insurance Specifications for Contractor/Suppliers will be included giving details.

NON-EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT

This bid does NOT establish an exclusive arrangement between the District and Supplier. The District reserves, but is not limited to, the following rights:

• The unrestricted right to use others to perform work, provide services or deliver the same or similar products as described herein when it is to the economic benefit of the District.

• The unrestricted right to separately bid any work, products or services as described herein when it is to the economic benefit of the District.

SAMPLES

SAMPLES ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL ITEMS LISTED ON THIS BID AND MUST INCLUDE

CONTAINER(S)/PACKAGING. Samples must be furnished by no later than the closing of the bid as indicated on the Bid Sample Label. Such submittals shall include complete specifications, ingredients list, cooking / heating instructions if appropriate and nutritional information (nutritional facts label) for the item. Nutrition facts labels may be forwarded prior to the bid opening date. If clarification of a sample is necessary, vendors shall have three (3) working days after receiving a written or verbal request to furnish clarification. All samples must be submitted as complete packages.

All sample containers are to be clearly identified as bid samples using the enclosed Bid Sample Label found at the beginning of this document. Samples should be sent PREPAID to:

Food Service Department

Pinellas County Schools http://fieldprintflorida.com/

Bid# 26-JG-021

Attn: Julie Kalach, Food & Nutrition Dist. Specialist

Walter Pownall Service Center

11111 South Belcher Road

Largo, FL 33773-5210

Samples are accepted between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 2:30 P.M. (Monday thru Friday)

Samples may be either destroyed or consumed through the evaluation process to determine compliance with specifications. We cannot guarantee return of samples. Samples become district property.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND SAMPLES TO THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT

Criteria used for acceptability, includes, but is not limited to; compliance with specifications, price, lead-time, taste satisfactoriness, packaging, product freshness, product quality and nutritional information.

A SAMPLE CONTAINER IS ALSO REQUIRED FOR EACH ITEM BID. SAMPLE

CONTAINERS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED ALONG WITH PRODUCT SAMPLES. Packaging must be approved before the bid is awarded. All sample containers are to be plainly and securely marked with the name of the bidder and bid number.

INVOICES & PAYMENT TERMS

Payment will be made after the item(s)/service(s) awarded have been:

A. Received or completed in full

B. Inspected and found to comply with all specifications and be free of damage or defect

C. Properly invoiced

Successful bidder(s) shall be paid weekly upon completion of an order. Invoices shall be in triplicate, giving invoice date, number, cost per unit, extension and total. One or two paper copies of the invoice shall accompany the order to the school and be left with the receiving authority dependent on the approved invoice system. The monthly statement shall be listed by school, indicating invoice date, number and total amount.

Bidders must disclose any special invoicing requirements within their bid response, which deviate from the General Bid Terms linked in this document.

BUSINESS HOURS & DAYS OF OPERATION

Regular School Year

Days of operation are Monday thru Friday (excluding holidays)

• Administrative Facilities: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Walter Pownall Service Center: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Warehouse Receiving 6:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

• School Sites for delivery 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Summer

From approximately the 2nd week of June thru the 2nd week of August all schools are closed, with the exception of those that may be in summer session. Beginning the 4thweek of August, schools are once again in session. For more specific information call (727) 588-6143 to confirm if a school can accept deliveries.

Days of operation are Monday thru Thursday as follows:

Bid# 26-JG-021

• Administrative Facilities: 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• Walter Pownall Service Center: 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• Warehouse Receiving 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• School Sites for delivery 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

HOLIDAY BREAKS

Each year, schools and administrative offices are closed for Thanksgiving, winter and spring break periods. Shipments cannot be accepted during these periods. These dates as outlined on the Pinellas

County Schools website will vary each year depending upon our negotiated personnel calendar and when the holidays actually fall. Be sure to check the site for specific dates here:

https://www.pcsb.org/staffcalendar.

KEY EVENTS & DATES

Bid Posted on District's OpenGov Procurement

Portal and Initial Notifications Sent:

May 13, 2026

Deadline to Additional Information or

Clarifications:

May 29, 2026, 3:00pm

Bids Due: June 11, 2026, 3:00pm

Evaluate Bids and Make Selection of

Contractor(s):

6/11/2026 thru 6/16/2026

Recommendation for Award Submitted to

Purchasing by (specify school or department name):

Food & Nutrition Department

Notice of Intent to Award Posted on District's

OpenGov Procurement Portal:

7/7/2026

Submit Recommendation for Award to School

Board for Approval (estimated date of School

Board approval):

July 14, 2026

*If the time allotted to evaluate bids and make the selection of contractors as stated above proves to be insufficient, the posting of the Notice of Intent To Award and the Board approval date could both slip two weeks or more. Continue to monitor our website or contact the purchasing department for more specific information as to when the notice will be posted.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS

During any solicitation period, including any protest and/or appeal, no contact with District officials or employees, other than with the individuals specifically identified in the solicitation, the Director of

Purchasing or the Legal Department is permitted from any Bidder. Such communication may result in an automatic disqualification for selection in the pending solicitation and any subsequent District https://www.pcsb.org/staffcalendar

Bid# 26-JG-021 solicitations for a period of six (6) months, no matter the outcome of the solicitation or any protest and/or appeal.

Additional questions or clarifications regarding this solicitation shall be directed through the project page on the District's OpenGov Procurement portal before 3:00 pm on Friday, May 29, 2026.

BID OPENING PROCEDURES

The names of all firms who have submitted a timely bid, shall be made public immediately following the bid due date and time expiring. Interested parties can view this information at OpenGov.com under the advertised bid title. Any recordings and/or bid proposals shall be exempt from public records requests until such time as the notice of an intended decision is published or until 30 days after opening the bids, proposals, or final replies, whichever occurs earlier.

If the District rejects all bids, proposals, or replies and concurrently provides notice of its intent to reissue a competitive solicitation, any recordings, bid proposals or records submitted, remain exempt from public records requests until such time as the District provides notice of an intended decision concerning the reissued competitive solicitation, until the District withdraws the reissued competitive solicitation, or 12 months after the publication of the initial notice rejecting all bids, proposals, or replies. Section

119.071(1)(b), F.S.; and Section 286.0113, F.S.

Please be aware that any meeting at which (1) there is negotiation with a Supplier, (2) a Supplier makes an oral presentation, or (3) a Supplier answers questions, pursuant to a competitive solicitation, are closed to competitors and other members of the public. Team meetings at which negotiation strategies are discussed are likewise closed. Such meetings shall be recorded.

PLEASE NOTE: Documents and Bid Amounts initially publicized are based upon what has been provided by each bidder and serve to formalize that a public opening of bids or proposals occurred on the date identified. The information publicized is subject to change once the Purchasing Department and

District division have reviewed the bids for accuracy. Publicized documents do not convey a notice of intended action. All bids or proposals received are subject to comprehensive review to determine responsiveness and responsibility.

PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES

As stated in paragraph 12 of the General Terms and Conditions, PUBLIC ENTITY CRIME &

CONVICTED VENDOR LIST, please complete, sign and notarize the “SWORN STATEMENT

UNDER SECTION 287.133(3)(A),FLORIDA STATUTES, PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES” form provided in the Bid Proposal of this Invitation to Bid. This form MUST be included in your response in order for your bid/proposal to be responsive.

PUBLIC RECORD LAW

Public Records: Section 119.0701, Florida Statutes, requires that the Contractor comply with Florida’s public records laws with respect to services performed on behalf of the School Board. Specifically, the statute requires that the Contractor:

A. Keep and maintain public records required by the School Board to perform the service.

B. Upon request from the School Board’s custodian of public records, provide the School Board with a copy of the requested records or allow the records to be inspected or copied within a reasonable time at a cost that does not exceed the cost provided in Chapter 119 of the Florida

Statutes or as otherwise provided by law.

Bid# 26-JG-021

C. Ensure that public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements are not disclosed except as authorized by law for the duration of the term of this Agreement and following completion of the Agreement if the Contractor does not transfer the records to the School Board.

D. Upon completion of the Agreement, transfer, at no cost, to the School Board all public records in the possession of the Contractor or keep and maintain public records required by the School

Board to perform the service. If the Contractor transfers all public records to the School Board upon completion of the Agreement, the Contractor shall destroy any duplicate public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements. If the

Contractor keeps and maintains public records upon completion of the contract, the Contractor shall meet all applicable requirements for retaining public records. All records stored electronically must be provided to the public agency, upon request from the public agency’s custodian of public records, in a format that is compatible with the information technology systems of the public agency.

E. A request to inspect or copy public records relating to this Agreement must be made directly to the School Board. If the School Board does not possess the requested records, the public agency shall immediately notify the Contractor of the request, and the Contractor must provide the records to the School Board or allow the records to be inspected or copied within a reasonable time.

F. The failure of the Contractor to comply with these provisions, if applicable, shall constitute a default and material breach of this Agreement, which may result in immediate termination, with no penalty to the School Board and may also result in penalties under Section 119.10, Florida

Statutes.

G. IF THE CONTRACTOR HAS QUESTIONS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF

CHAPTER 119, FLORIDA STATUTES TO THE CONTRACTOR’S DUTY TO

PROVIDE PUBLIC RECORDS RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, CONTACT THE

CUSTODIAN OF PUBLIC RECORDS, ANGELA BROWN, SUPERVISOR OF

RECORDS MANAGEMENT AT 727-793-2701 X 2393, 2929 COUNTY ROAD 193,

CLEARWATER, FL 33759, brownangel@pcsb.org.

INTEGRITY OF BID DOCUMENTS

Bidders shall use the original Bid Proposal Forms provided in this Invitation to Bid and enter information only in the spaces where a response is requested. Bidders may use an attachment as an addendum to any of the forms in the Bid Proposal if sufficient space is not available on the original form for the Bidders to enter a complete response. Any modifications or alterations to the original bid documents by the Bidders, whether intentional or otherwise, will constitute grounds for rejection of a bid. Any such modifications or alterations that a Bidders wishes to propose must be clearly stated in the Bidder’s proposal response and presented in the form of an addendum to the original bid documents.

EXCEPTIONS TO GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Bidders taking any exceptions to the General Terms and Conditions, linked herein, will be reviewed by staff prior to evaluation of bids. Exceptions to the General Terms and Conditions may be cause for rejection of your bid.

mailto:brownangel@pcsb.org

Bid# 26-JG-021

BID FORMS

For your convenience, the forms which are required to be completed and submitted along with your bid will be provided along with this Invitation to Bid on the District's OpenGov Procurement portal. If sufficient room has not been provided on a given form to enable you to enter a complete response, please include a supplemental attachment or replicate pages in the form as necessary. All required sections of the

Bid Proposal must be completed or the portal will not allow submittal of a given bid response.

MULTIAGENCY PARTICIPATION

Pinellas County Schools reserves the right, within statutory limits, to extend the terms and conditions of this solicitation to any and all other agencies within the state of Florida as well as any other federal, state, municipal, county, or local governmental agency under the jurisdiction of the United States and its territories. This shall include but not limited to private schools, parochial schools, non-public schools such as charter schools, special districts, intermediate units, non-profit agencies providing services on behalf of government, and/or state, community and/or private colleges/universities that require these goods, commodities and/or services. This is conditioned upon mutual agreement of all parties pursuant to special requirements, which may be appended thereto. The supplier/contractor agrees to notify the issuing body of those entities that wish to use any contract resulting from this bid and will also provide usage information, which may be requested. A copy of the contract pricing and the bid requirements incorporated in this contract will be supplied to requesting agencies.

Each participating jurisdiction or agency shall enter into its own contract with the awarded Contractor and this contract shall be binding only upon the principals signing such an agreement. Invoices shall be submitted in duplicate "directly" to the ordering jurisdiction for each unit purchased. Disputes over the execution of any contract shall be the responsibility of the participating jurisdiction or agency that entered into that contract. Disputes must be resolved solely between the participating agency and the Contractor.

AWARD TERMINATION

When deemed to be in the best interest of the District, the District may cancel any award resulting from this specification by the following means:

• 10-day written notice with cause per item 51 of the District’s General Terms and Conditions; or

• 90-day written notice without cause.

The District reserves the following rights to:

• Conduct pre-award discussion and/or pre-award/contract negotiations with any or all responsive and responsible Bidders who submit bids determined to be reasonably acceptable of being selected for award; conduct personal interviews or require presentations of any or all Bidders prior to selection; and make investigations of the qualifications of Bidders as it deems appropriate, including, but not limited to, a background investigation conducted by the appropriate law enforcement agency.

• Request that Bidder(s) modify their bid to more fully meet the needs of the District or to furnish additional information as the District may reasonably require.

• Accord fair and equal treatment with respect to any opportunity for discussions and revisions of bids. Such revisions may be permitted after submission of proposals and prior to award.

• Waive minor irregularities in the procedures, and reject any and all proposals.

Bid# 26-JG-021

• Waive any irregularity in any bid, or reject any and all bids, should it be deemed in its best interest to do so. The District shall be the sole judge of Bidder’s qualifications and reserves the right to verify all information submitted by the Bidder. The bid selected will be that bid which is judged to be the most beneficial to the District.

• Request that Bidders submit their annual financial statements for the last three fiscal years, including company financial statement summaries, certified by a Certified Public Accountant. If the organization has been in business for a period of less than three years, Bidders may be required to submit a detailed business plan in addition to any pertinent information that would allow the District to evaluate the sufficiency of financial resources and the ability of the business to successfully perform the services enumerated in the contract. Unless otherwise stated, such requests would be made after the submission of the proposals and prior to award of a contract.

PURCHASES BY OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES

In compliance with 2 CFR Part 200.318-.326 and applicable program regulations, additional parties will be considered only to the extent that their contracts avoid creating a material change in the value of this bid. Pinellas County School Board reserves the right to review all requests to contract with the awarded vendor. Prior approval to extend the awarded contract to additional parties is required by Pinellas County

School Board Administrator, Food and Nutrition Department.

ADDENDA

Bidders are required to register for an account via the District e-Procurement Portal hosted by OpenGov.

Once the bidder has completed registration, they will receive addenda notifications to their email by clicking “Follow” on this project. Ultimately, it is the sole responsibility of each bidder to periodically check the site for any addenda at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/PCSB. Interpretations of the bid, clarification of bid specifications and requirements or changes to the bid which have a material effect will be documented and communicated to bidders only by written addenda. Verbal responses to bidders’ questions do not constitute an official response unless documented in the form of written addenda and shall be considered inadmissible in bid protest proceedings. Failure to acknowledge addenda containing material changes may constitute cause for rejection of your bid proposal. Telegraph, facsimile or e-mail acknowledgements of addenda will not be accepted.

Bid# 26-JG-021

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

PRICE SUBMITTALS

The Pricing Proposal Form is separated by Groups A, B & C. Bidders are required to complete all three

(3) Groups in order for your bid to be considered responsive. The Pricing Proposal Forms can be found under the Attachment section of this bid. Please refer to the Award section located under the Special

Conditions section of this bid for complete details.

QUANTITIES

All quantities shown are based upon prior year’s history and are to be considered estimates only for bidding purposes. No guarantee is given or implied as to the amount that will be purchased. Quantities may increase or decrease as conditions necessitate, such as enrollment changes, participation changes, menu changes, etc. All quantities, whether increased or decreased, shall be furnished at the bid prices. Estimated quantities may be affected by amounts of USDA commodities received by Pinellas

County Schools. The school district reserves the right to cancel order amounts upon two (2) weeks’ notice to the vendor when USDA commodities are anticipated.

DECIMALS & ROUNDING

Any unit price that involves decimals shall be treated as follows:

• Decimals will be carried only four (4) places for unit price.

• Bidders may take decimals to the fourth digit or more for computation purposes. However, final case prices will be rounded off to the next higher figure if the case price calculation for the third

(3) digit is 6 or greater. Round off to the lower figure if the third digit is 5 or less.

SUPPLIER QUALIFICATIONS

The District reserves the right to ascertain, subsequent to the bid opening, whether or not a vendor meets the requirements to be considered a responsible bidder. Bidders may be requested to provide a written narrative which supports their ability to comply with all aspects of the bid terms and conditions prior to contract award. That narrative may be required to include documentation supporting their financial stability, a list of delivery vehicles currently in service, a description of warehouse facilities, a list of current large volume accounts and proposed method of accommodating an account of this magnitude.

FACILITY INSPECTION

The Director of School Food & Nutrition (or designee) reserves the right to inspect vendor facilities at any time without advance notice.

APPROVED BRANDS

The product descriptions listed herein are specifications only to the extent that they specify the item to be bid. Descriptions are limited to requirements which can be verified on delivery or information essential for communication between the vendor and the School District. Item descriptions serve only as guides for soliciting product specification sheets and samples from packers for testing.

Note: Only one manufacturer’s brand and code number may be bid for each item. Alternates are not acceptable. Each packing carton must be labeled with the supplier’s brand and code number at the time of delivery. Only one unit price may be bid for each item.

DELIVERY OF APPROVED BRANDS

A supplier may not change from one approved product to another without written approval from the

School District Food & Nutrition Department during the course of the bid period. If a product is

Bid# 26-JG-021 discontinued, a written explanation from the manufacturer stating that the product is no longer being manufactured must be sent to the Director of School Food & Nutrition. Letters from brokers or distributors are not acceptable in lieu of a manufacturer’s letter.

ITEM SUBSTITUTIONS AND OUT-OF-STOCKS

A contract distributor must not substitute brands without prior approval by the School District, Food &

Nutrition Director or designee. Distributors shall make no substitutions, which have not been requested or approved. The School District reserves the right to deny payment on substituted items when made without prior approval. If the district pre-approves a substitution, the out of stock item must be labeled as

“out of stock” on the invoice and the item approved for substitution must be labeled “substitute” on the invoice.

PROMOTIONAL ALLOWANCE

Manufacturers may offer promotional items to the School District from time to time (pieces of equipment, rebates, bid allowances). All promotional items offered become the property of the School District Food

& Nutrition Department. The use of these items will be “non-exclusive” and will be determined solely by the School District. All promotions shall accrue directly to the School District and may not accrue or benefit other organizations or associations. Specific rebates from suppliers, which accrue to the benefit of those other than the School District, will not be allowed and will constitute cause for immediate contract termination.

NEW PRODUCT PROCUREMENT AFTER CONTRACT AWARD

It may be necessary to add new products to this contract after the successful vendor is awarded the contract. The awarded vendor shall submit pricing and product specifications to the purchasing department for final approval before delivery of any such items.

AUDITS

School District personnel, or their appointed representatives, shall have the right to audit the manufacturer’s records relative to any transaction conducted under the provision of the contract established.

A. Audits may be made of a manufacturer’s cost record as follows:

1) Prior to contract award on items supported by 3rd party invoice or manufacturer’s price quotes.

2) At any time that reviews indicate that a problem might exist.

B. The Distributor shall provide acceptable documentation as follows:

1) Manufacturers Price Quotes

2) Packer’s Invoice

3) Freight Bills

4) Inventory Records

In addition to auditing manufacturer’s prices quotes, invoice prices and extensions against current price lists, the district may also audit, third party market bulletins for price petitions. Cost figures may be audited on a full or sample basis, at contract startup, quarterly, or without notice to the distributor. Audits may be made by mail or by personal visits to the distributor’s facility. The district reserves the right to audit original documents.

Bid# 26-JG-021

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION-REQUIRED SUBMITTAL

Nutritional Information shall be submitted on or before the scheduled bid opening date and time for

EACH product bid or your bid may be declared non-responsive. A copy of the nutrition facts label (1 label/ 8” X 10” sheet) must be submitted. An ingredients list for each product must also be submitted at this time.

IMPORTED PRODUCTS

The Federal ‘Buy American’ Policy (NSLA, section 12(n)(1)) mandates that School Districts participating in the National School Lunch Program purchase, whenever possible, only food products that are produced in the United States. For items such as but not limited to coffee, coconut, mandarin oranges, olives and pineapple normally not produced in the U.S. Commercially, the Distributor shall not purchase imported products without pre-approval from the School District. In compliance with Florida Statutes

585.89 and 585.92; “All American” and “Genuine Florida” meats or meat products shall be granted preference as allowed by Section 287.082, and only beef or pork inspected and passed by either the

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or the United States Department of

Agriculture will be accepted. Additionally, bidders must be able to provide documentation verifying domestic origin of products if requested and;

• The VENDOR must request approval for exceptions to Buy American Provision from Sponsor prior to delivery. Requests should include documentation such as cost or availability data.

Sponsor must document when an exception is approved, including all Buy American Provision requirements as stated in 7 CFR Part 210.21(d)/ and FNS Policy Memo SP 38-2017. The following must be documented for each approval:

o Consideration made for the use of domestic alternative foods before approving an exception.

o The use of a non-domestic food exception when competition reveals the cost of domestic is significantly higher than non-domestic food.

o The use of a non-domestic alternative food due to the domestic food not produced or manufactured in sufficient and reasonable available quantities of a satisfactory quality.

o Substitute product to replace a product that is temporarily out of stock cannot be non-domestic without prior approval from district.

ORDER FORMS

Order form information will be provided to the successful bidder. The information shall list all products and sizes available for individual locations to order and may not contain all items on bid for all locations.

Some locations will order the Group B other dairy products by individual bid units and not full cases as best meets the need of the operation.

TRANSMITTAL OF ORDERS

Orders from school sites must be electronic using the back of the house computer software, as determined by the Food & Nutrition central office. Each cafeteria manager will place orders for an individual site. Orders will be placed at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to delivery time. Electronic ordering is required with a system that is compatible with the Back-of-the-House software currently being utilized for menu planning and ordering of food and supplies.

DELIVERY SITES & SCHEDULES

A current listing of schools that will receive deliveries is included under the Attachments section of this bid . The district reserves the right to add schools at any time within the district who are not currently

Bid# 26-JG-021 participating in this program and decide to do so or to delete schools currently in the program at the Food

& Nutrition’s request during the term of this contract. The successful bidder will be provided with a map showing site locations and addresses. The School Board of Pinellas County and the Food & Nutrition

Department may add or delete delivery locations as needed.

DELIVERY TICKETS

At the time of each school delivery, the driver shall leave two (2) pre-numbered invoices. He shall never leave, nor pick up product without having an invoice signed by an authorized person at the school. Delivery tickets must be pre-printed and legible with only bid items listed and the unit price and extensions accurately computed.

CONDITION OF PRODUCT

Product shall be delivered in a clean condition, free of dirt, sand, grease or other foreign material in clean cases at proper refrigerated temperature. Leaking, empty or partially empty cartons/containers or cartons/containers containing sour or contaminated product shall be replaced without charge. The conditions causing the cartons/containers to be replaced must not be extensive nor a consistently recurring problem.

SPECIFICATIONS

Bid on fresh, low fat milk, Grade A, pasteurized, homogenized, and fortified with Vitamins A and D, as authorized by State and local standards. Milk shall be free from added water, preservatives, neutralizers or other foreign matter. All milk shall meet pasteurization, percent of non-fat milk solids, percent of milk fat and bacteria count specifications consistent with Federal and/or Florida laws, State Board of Health requirements of Pinellas County Health Department and accepted standards of the milk industry. All items furnished under this bid shall be identified as having been officially inspected for wholesomeness and sanitation under the Florida Department of Agriculture regulation program.

Juice items listed as part of Group C are to be 100% juice, calcium fortified, no sugar added and be manufactured with USDA continuous inspections during production.

TYPE OF CONTAINER

Milk shall be packaged in one-half pint, ready-to-serve, disposable containers, free from pathogenic organisms/bacterial contamination, with FDA approved opening for pouring or insertion of straw. Bidder shall offer pricing on gable, wax coated ½ pt. containers or plastic ½ pt. or pouch containers.

District Preferences;

Milk 8 oz. – gable, wax coated container

Milk gal – plastic

Juice 4 oz. and 6 oz. – gable, wax coated container or pouch container

EACH BIDDER MUST SUBMIT A SAMPLE OF CONTAINER(S) WITH THEIR

BID. PACKAGING MUST BE APPROVED BEFORE THE BID IS AWARDED.

DELIVERY

• The awarded vendor will submit a detailed delivery plan for approval by the district thirty

(30) days prior to the first day of school each school year.

• Milk, other dairy products, juice and water are to be delivered daily to approximately 117 sites.

See school delivery schedule, included under the Attachment section of this bid. All schools are scheduled for every other day delivery; 3 days one week and 2 days the following week.

Bid# 26-JG-021

• All delivery personnel, i.e. drivers and helpers, must sign in and out on the “Visitor’s Log” in the cafeteria at each school site at the time of delivery. Drivers and their helpers shall deliver merchandise into designated areas at each school.

• Vendors awarded a contract will be held to the same standards of conduct as employees of the

School District of Pinellas County while conducting business with the district.

• The vendor awarded shall be required to see that their personnel maintain visible personal identification on each employee. Vendor’s employees must be appropriately attired (including shirt). Employees shall be required to dress neatly without vulgar or otherwise offensive apparel, commensurate with the location and types of tasks being performed.

• Delivery shall be to the cafeteria walk-in or reach-in refrigerator, storeroom and/or freezer and stocked in such a way as to promote first-in first-out usage. It shall be the responsibility of the successful bidder to remove all empty cases in which product has been delivered.

• Deliveries are to be made between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on any day that meals are served in school cafeterias during the contract period. Deliveries shall be made to approximately one hundred seventeen (117) sites, districtwide. As additional schools are constructed and occupied, or closed, the school listing will be adjusted accordingly. A school site delivery list is included under the Attachments section of this bid.

• The supplier shall be required to deliver fresh product to all delivery sites after the

Holiday/Winter Breaks and Spring Break prior to the start of the first meal service upon return from the holiday break.

• A schedule showing days of operation will be furnished to the successful bidder(s). Under no circumstances will orders be delivered before the manager or their designated representative arrives at the school. Products may not be left on loading docks before school hours. Milk must be delivered in properly refrigerated vehicles. No school keys will be issued.

• All arrangements for deliveries will be coordinated with the Director of Food & Nutrition or designee and approved prior to any deliveries. Excessive late deliveries will be cause for contract cancellation. All products must be in prime condition at time of delivery.

Bid# 26-JG-021

• Delivery temperature shall be no less than 32˚ and no greater than 40° F for refrigerated products. Product coding information shall be furnished with this bid. Delivery must be made no later than ten (10) days prior to the expiration date marked on the cartons.

• The cafeteria manager or a designee will verify the accuracy of items, quantities of each item, total quantities and condition of product. A manager or designee shall sign each delivery ticket.

Variations from the norm, i.e., shortages, damages, etc., shall be noted clearly on each ticket by the designated school receiver and initialed by both driver and receiver.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Any items suspected of not meeting specifications may be pulled and sent to a USDA laboratory for analysis; if test analysis reveals the product is not “as specified”, the supplier will be billed for the cost of the testing. Furthermore, samples will be analyzed monthly thereafter with all costs of testing to be borne by the supplier.

EMERGENCIES

In the event of strikes, severe weather, fires or other emergency type situations, deliveries will be adjusted accordingly in compliance with the Pinellas County Emergency Management recommendations. The vendor shall be responsible for any additional special deliveries requested in the case of an emergency. The successful bidder shall be prepared to deliver emergency supplies upon twenty-four hours’ notice in disaster situations.

USAGE REPORTS

The successful bidder must provide a monthly summary by item and year-to-date usage figures on the bid to the Food & Nutrition Department representative when requested. Failure to supply this report may result in removal from the bidders’ list for a period of one year.

These reports are due in the office of School Food & Nutrition within 3 days of request and shall give a detailed listing by product descriptions, brand and selling price of the products delivered. Emergency or non-bid items delivered are to be set out from bid award items and identified as such.

Estimated quantities may be affected by amounts of USDA commodities received by Pinellas County

Schools. The School District reserves the right to cancel order amounts upon two (2) weeks’ notice to the vendor when USDA commodities are anticipated.

TAX EXEMPTION

When purchasing directly from a supplier the School District of Pinellas County, Florida is exempt from

Federal Excise, State Sales and Use Taxes. Tax exemption certificates and numbers will be furnished upon request.

GROUNDS FOR CONTRACT TERMINATION

As is described in paragraph 51 of the General Terms and Conditions:

The distributor’s contract may be terminated for cause if one or more of the following conditions exist:

• The distributor has provided inadequate service;

• Substandard products are being provided;

• Results of audits are not favorable.

Bid# 26-JG-021

The concerns shall be documented and forwarded to the distributor for corrective action. If no action is taken or unsatisfactory results occur, the Director of Food & Nutrition may request a review by the

Purchasing Department to determine if contract termination is a justified course of action.

CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT

signed debarment form is required of all vendors who are awarded a contract from this bid. The awarded bidder will be required to submit after contract award if not included in their bid proposal. Please review the form located in the Bid Proposal section under Forms for this bid.

CERTIFICATION REGARDING LOBBYING FOR EXPENDITURE OF FEDERAL FUNDS

A signed lobbying form is required of all vendors who are awarded a contract from this bid. The awarded bidder will be required to submit after contract award if not included in their bid proposal. Please review the form located in the Bid Proposal section under Forms for this bid.

PRICE ADJUSTMENT CONDITIONS

The basis of this bid is April 2026 Raw Milk Costs; butter fat and skim milk. Initial quoted prices shall be firm for 30 days after award of bid anticipated for August 1, 2026. After that date, prices may change up or down in accordance with changes in Class I raw milk prices as enumerated either by the

Florida Fluid Milk Report, published monthly by the Florida Crop and Livestock Reporting Services, USDA, Agricultural Service, Market Administrator plus over order premiums payable to Dairy

Cooperatives, for Federal Order #6, Zone #2, Federal Milk Order announcements, or other pre-established pricing sources. Increases or Decreases shall be based on both Butterfat and Skim Milk costs. The awarded vendor shall give written notification to the Food & Nutrition Director or his designee each month of the fiscal year that a change upward or downward will take place. The awarded vendor shall provide documentation of these changes, to include an appropriate copy of the Florida Fluid Milk Report, the Federal Milk order, or other pre-approved price change announcement supporting increases or decreases. Suppliers must submit conversion calculations showing manner of arriving at the amount of the charge. The Food & Nutrition Director or designee must be notified by the 25th day of the month proceeding the month in which the change will occur.

If the awarded vendor fails to notify the Director of any decrease which would result in a decrease in contract price of milk, the Pinellas County School Board will make an appropriate reduction in price using the date such reduction should have been made had the awarded vendor given proper notice or take such other action as is appropriate to give the district the advantage of such reduction.

DISTRIBUTOR'S MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The district reserves the right to ascertain, subsequent to the bid opening, whether or not a vendor meets the requirements to be considered a responsible bidder. Bidders must demonstrate to district officials that they have the capacity to manufacture/procure, store, and deliver merchandise covered by this bid in the volume necessary to efficiently administer the provisions of any resulting contract. The facilities and operating practices must, at all times, be in compliance with the United States Food, Drug, and Cosmetic

Act, as well as all State and local statutes, regulations, and ordinances. If it is determined by a review committee of district officials that a bidder is not responsible and the determination is substantiated to the satisfaction of the School Board, the bid submitted by that supplier could be rejected. The criteria used to determine responsibility shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

1. Delivery Ability: Bidders must have a record or must otherwise demonstrate to School District officials the ability to promptly and efficiently deliver all the approved items as specified on the bid list.

2. Capacity: Bidders may be required to participate in an onsite facility review by a District Review

Committee to show that…