RFPCAFE 2026-02_Apr_20_26_solicitation_doc.pdf

This is a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the Middletown Board of Education in Connecticut seeking vendors to supply milk products for school meal programs across the district. The procurement covers a two-year contract period from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028 and includes specified quantities of various milk products: 2,700 cases of 1/2-pint 1% milk, 450 cases of 1/2-pint skim fat-free milk, 4,000 cases of 1/2-pint chocolate fat-free milk, 320 cases of Lactaid fat-free in 27-count packages, 50 cases of 1% milk in gallons, 100 quarts of half and half, and 100 quarts of heavy cream to support approximately 5,400 daily meals across ten school sites. The RFP opened April 2, 2026 at 7:00 AM EDT with proposals due April 24, 2026 by 11:00 AM EST through the Middletown Board of Education's online e-Procurement Portal at https://mpsct.bonfirehub.com. Written questions must be submitted by April 15, 2026 by 12:00 PM EST to Christopher Puorro, Purchasing Agent, at puorroc@mpsct.org. No formal bidders' conference or site visits are indicated in the solicitation materials.

Pricing must be fixed for the first contract year with the opportunity to refresh pricing in April 2027, provided increases remain reasonable or the Board reserves the right to re-bid; fuel surcharges are not permitted. Payment terms are Net 30 Days, and the City of Middletown is exempt from federal excise taxes and Connecticut sales and use taxes, which should not be included in proposal pricing. All milk products must comply with Connecticut Nutrition Standards for Child Nutrition Programs and meet Buy American requirements mandating domestic sourcing or substantial processing in the United States using at least 51 percent domestically-grown agricultural commodities. Vendors must provide three references from similarly-sized school districts within the past five years, maintain and repair milk coolers as needed, and furnish a Certificate of Insurance naming the City of Middletown and Middletown Board of Education as additional insureds. Evaluation criteria weight price at 80 percent and customer service at 20 percent, with the Board retaining the option to conduct presentations or interviews with selected vendors. No set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or incumbent restrictions have been identified, and the procurement is open to all qualified vendors. Deliveries must occur on Mondays and Wednesdays between 6:30 AM and 2:00 PM, with off-loading required by 2:30 PM.