REDUCED FILE ADDENDUM NO. 4 SFE SOUTHWEST FOODSERVICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS~1.pdf

This addendum document contains questions and answers related to Southwest Foodservice's proposal submission for the Town of Saugus School Committee's Request for Proposal for food service management operations. The RFP seeks a Food Service Management Company to operate the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and a la carte food services for the 2026-2027 school year and beyond. The procurement requires vendors to demonstrate minimum one year of experience managing K-12 school food service programs in comparable districts and employ a Food Service Director meeting USDA Professional Standards. Key procedural dates include a mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference and facility tour on March 11, 2026 at 2:00 PM; written questions due by March 13, 2026 with responses by March 17, 2026; sealed proposals (four copies each) due by March 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM to the Town of Saugus DPW; contract award by April 9, 2026; and executed contracts due by June 5, 2026. The initial contract term runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with options for two additional one-year renewals.

The procurement operates as a cost-reimbursable contract structure whereby the FSMC will be reimbursed for direct costs including food, labor, and supplies, plus fixed Administrative and Management Fees, while guaranteeing a minimum financial return to the School Food Authority with any shortfall covered by the FSMC. A bid bond equal to 5 percent of total budgeted costs is required at submission, and performance bonds may be required for contracts exceeding $100,000. Vendors must guarantee minimum lunch participation rates of 35 percent and maintain a clean contracting history with no defaults on school food service contracts in the prior five years. Financial projections must be detailed through Schedule E and include revenues from student meals, adult meals, and federal/state reimbursement rates calculated using USDA-provided formulas, with all discounts, rebates, and applicable credits credited to the School Food Authority. No set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to specific organization types are indicated in the procurement materials.