QLVM27006875 Specifications.pdf

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SOLICITATION SPECIFICATIONS

QLVM27006875 - FRESH BREAD, ROLLS, BAGELS AND RELATED BAKERY

PRODUCTS

SECTION A. BACKGROUND

The State of Rhode Island, Department of Administration, Division of Purchases, on behalf of participating State agencies, is seeking qualified vendors to furnish and deliver fresh bread, rolls, bagels, and related bakery products through a Qualified Vendor List Master Price Agreement (QLVM).

The purpose of this solicitation is to establish a list of qualified vendors capable of supplying fresh bakery products that meet the specifications contained within this solicitation. Vendors determined to be technically qualified will be eligible to participate in a subsequent Reverse Auction to establish final pricing.

Products awarded under the resulting Master Price Agreement will primarily support the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, Veterans Home, Training School, Central Distribution Center, Department of Children, Youth and Families, and other authorized State agencies.

Estimated quantities provided within this solicitation are for evaluation purposes only and do not represent a guarantee of future purchases.

SECTION B: SCOPE OF WORK AND REQUIREMENTS

The successful vendor shall furnish and deliver fresh bread, rolls, bagels, and related bakery products in accordance with the specifications contained within the Attachment B - Pricing Sheet.

Product Requirements

1. Products shall meet or exceed all minimum specifications identified within Attachment B

- Pricing Sheet.

2. Products shall be commercially produced and comply with all applicable federal, state, and local food safety regulations.

3. Products shall be fresh upon delivery unless specifically identified as frozen within the Attachment B - Pricing Sheet.

4. Whole Wheat products may be either Whole Wheat or Whole Grain unless otherwise specified.

5. Products shall meet all minimum package weights, loaf sizes, slice counts, and packaging requirements identified in Attachment B - Pricing Sheet.

6. Bread slice counts shall exclude end (crust) pieces where usable slice counts are specified.

7. All products shall be accurately labeled and packaged.

8. Packaging shall clearly display the baked-on date and sell-by date printed directly on the package. Adhesive date stickers are not acceptable.

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9. Nutritional labels shall be provided for every product offered.

10. Product substitutions shall not be permitted without prior written approval from the ordering agency.

Delivery Requirements

1. Deliveries shall be made Monday through Friday by 6:00 AM unless otherwise coordinated with the ordering agency.

2. Saturday deliveries may be required for the Department of Corrections.

3. Vendors shall accept routine orders one (1) business day prior to delivery.

4. Deliveries shall be made FOB Destination to locations designated by participating agencies.

5. Vendors shall unload all products and remove empty bread racks during each delivery.

6. Products rejected due to damage, incorrect product, labeling deficiencies, or lack of freshness shall be replaced at no additional cost within the timeframe requested by the ordering agency.

7. Vendors shall immediately notify the ordering agency of any anticipated shortages or delivery delays.

Quality Assurance

1. The State reserves the right to request product samples before award and at any time during the contract term.

2. Vendors shall maintain all required Rhode Island Department of Health licenses throughout the contract.

3. Vendors shall provide copies of their most recent health inspection reports upon request.

4. Vendors utilizing subcontractors shall ensure all subcontractors meet the same licensing, inspection, and food safety requirements as the prime contractor.

5. The State reserves the right to inspect vendor and subcontractor facilities during the contract term.

Vendor Specifications All vendors must include specifications with the bid proposal (even those bidding brand specified). Failure to submit specifications with the bid proposal may result in disqualification of bid. Items in catalogs must be clearly marked and pages tabbed.

DOC Delivery -Central Distribution Center A. Delivery Instructions: Central Distribution Center, Department of Corrections, 25 Power Road, Cranston, RI 02920 (Tel: 462-4022). Deliveries are received between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Deliveries must include a shipping slip showing the State’s purchase order number. Bulk or large merchandise items must be on 48" x 40" pallets. If pallets are in good condition, they will be exchanged. Any merchandise delivered on other size pallets must be stripped by the delivery firm and placed on a 48” x 40” pallet. Unsealed packages shall not be accepted. All shipping cases must be bar-coded.

Reports: The Vendor agrees to provide the State with quarterly reports describing activity against this Agreement. If this is a Master Price Agreement, such reports shall include usage by municipalities, quasi-public agencies, schools, etc. All reports shall contain the following data: (1) billing volume in dollars and (2) quantity shipped for each line item in the Agreement. When there are no line items in the Agreement, vendor shall report volume by catalog order numbers with a brief description of each order number. Reports must be submitted to the Division of

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Purchases to the attention of the BUYER named in this notice, identifying the Agreement number and the Reporting Period. Quarterly reports shall be due 45 calendar days after the end of each quarter. Failure to submit required reports shall be considered a breach of the contractor's obligations and may be considered, at the discretion of the State Purchasing Agent, sufficient cause for the termination of the agreement and other outstanding agreements and orders, and/or possible suspension from participation in additional State procurements.

SECTION C: REVERSE AUCTION PROCEDURES

The State of Rhode Island intends on issuing a subsequent reverse auction pricing event following the qualification of vendors responding to this solicitation. However, the State reserves the right to award vendor(s) based on pricing submitted in response to this solicitation without the issuance of a reverse auction pricing event.

Reverse Auction Information The State of Rhode Island will accept bids for MPA 77 Fresh Bread, Rolls, Bagels and Related Bakery Products using an online Reverse Auction Process managed and hosted by EasiBuy, LLC.

• Sealed response documents for QLVM27006875, will be received by the State of Rhode Island through the OSP system on 8/27/2026 at 2:00 PM (EST)

• Pricing for MPA 77 will be received via the Reverse Auction process currently scheduled to take place on 9/3/2026, at 10:00am (EST)

The Reverse Auction will be conducted in accordance with the Rhode Island purchasing provisions and the specifications for this Bid. The Reverse Auction will be the process used to determine final pricing.

A condition of participation in the Reverse Auction is that vendors complete all bid proposal forms and be deemed responsive to all requirements and responsible to perform the services or to provide the goods or services. Such determination will be a pre-requisite to participation in the Reverse Auction event.

Reverse Auction Procedures

• Qualified bidders will be publicly announced via an “Award Report” available on the bid board solicitation listing for QLVM27006875.

• EasiBuy will provide notice to each bidder through telephone or email regarding the bidder’s inclusion or exclusion from the qualified bidders list. This will be the official invitation to participate in the Reverse Auction.

• EasiBuy will work with the bidder during a training session to prepare for the auction event.

• During the Online Reverse Auction event, only those bidders qualified by the State will be allowed to participate. EasiBuy will provide the necessary administrative support to ensure that the integrity of the auction event is not compromised.

• EasiBuy will keep an event record, which will include the prices offered by the bidders.

• The EasiBuy bidder interface will be configured such that a bidder will only know their price offer and their rank.

• Qualified bidders may submit multiple prices during the reverse auction event. The lowest price offered by each qualified bidder will become the price portion of the bid response.

• Bids must be submitted by, or under the direction of, an authorized representative.

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• The event will conclude once no more bids are placed and the designated time on the clock expires.

Reverse Auction Transaction Fee The bidder with whom the State of Rhode Island enters a contract, agrees to and is required to pay a transaction fee to EasiBuy pursuant to the Terms & Conditions signed and returned to the State of Rhode Island prior to the bid response due date. The fee will be 1%

Awarded Supplier Reporting and Payment Terms and Conditions: The Awarded Supplier will be responsible to pay the Transaction 1% to EasiBuy for all payments received from the Buyer, any of its political subdivisions or any other entity (the “Buying Agent”) resulting from this bidding event or subsequent contract. Awarded Supplier is required to enter into the Solution all Buying Agent payments received (the “Payment” or “Payments”) and all Purchased Items within ten (10) days of the end of each month.

SECTION D: PROPOSAL

Proposal – Pass/Fail Assessment

Vendor responses must address specifically each of the following elements:

A. Licensing & Regulatory Compliance – Demonstrate compliance with all applicable food safety regulations by providing all required licenses, health inspection reports, and food safety certifications applicable to the facilities that will manufacture, store, or distribute products supplied under this contract.

B. Capability, Capacity, and Qualifications of the Vendor - Describe your company's qualifications and experience supplying fresh bakery products to governmental agencies, correctional facilities, schools, hospitals, healthcare facilities, or other institutional food service operations.

C. Delivery Capability - Provide a description of delivery capabilities, including timelines, service area, and ability to meet required delivery conditions.

D. Attachment A EasiBuy LLC Bidder Agreement – Provide a completed and signed

Attachment A

E. Attachment B Pricing Sheet – Provide a completed Attachment B, include all required pricing, with your proposal submission. Submitted pricing may be used for award purposes if the State elects not to conduct a reverse auction event

SECTION E: EVALUATION AND SELECTION

Proposals shall be reviewed by the Division of Purchases on a “Pass/Fail” basis. All criteria must receive a “Pass” determination for a vendor’s potential inclusion on the resulting qualified vendor list. Any criteria with a “Fail” determination will not be reviewed further and the vendor will be dropped from consideration.

Proposals shall be reviewed and scored based upon the following criteria:

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NOTE: See the “Requirements” tab of this solicitation for additional information on the evaluation and selection process in the “QLV-Qualified List of Vendors” section.

Criteria Possible Points

Licensing & Regulatory Compliance Pass/Fail

Capability, Capacity, and Qualifications of the Vendor Pass/Fail

Delivery Capability Pass/Fail

Attachment A EasiBuy LLC Bidder Agreement Pass/Fail

Attachment B Pricing Sheet Pass/Fail

Overall Pass/Fail Pass/Fail

SECTION E: EVALUATION AND SELECTION