Technical_Specifications_.pdf

Introduction

The City of Newark Department of Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Senior Services

(RCASS) is inviting vendors/caterers to submit bids to provide nutritional lunches for the

Senior Nutrition Program.

Access to healthy nutrition is essential to one's well-being regardless of age. The City’s objective is to provide nutritional well-balanced meals. These meals must meet each senior’s nutritional needs, as well as help to fulfill social/psychological needs, through good taste and socialization as part of the dining experience.

The City of Newark wishes to enter into a contract with a vendor to provide high quality nutritional lunches to various senior centers located in the City between the hours of

12:00pm and 1:00pm, Monday through Friday. All lunch deliveries must be at the location thirty minutes prior to 12:00pm.

Locations of Senior Centers:

1. Nellie Grier Senior located at 98-104 Maple Avenue

2. Ironbound Senior Center located at 226 Rome Street

3. Vince Lombardi located at 201 Bloomfield Avenue

4. Boylan Recreation located at 916 South Orange

5. Bethany Baptist Church Senior Center located at 275 West Market Street

The contract term will be for a period of twelve (12) consecutive months with two (2) one-year options to renew.

Scope of Work

1. Type and Quantity of Meals to be Provided

a. Approximately 250 meals

i. Provider shall prepare and provide fifty (50) meals per senior center

b. All meals shall be approximately eight hundred (800) calories and served fresh daily.

c. The food shall be provided in a pan or individually served with no Styrofoam.

d. Hot Meals

5-8oz cooked meat option including baked chicken, grilled chicken, fried chicken, baked salmon, baked fish, lasagna, spaghetti, turkey meat loaf, baked turkey wings, fried fish, roast beef, shrimp alfredo, chicken alfredo and roast beef, cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, and chicken and beef tacos . “No Pork”.

Variety of cooked vegetables, sautéed, steam vegetables, stir fried vegetables, mixed vegetables. Vegetables should include spinach, green beans, string beans, succotash, broccoli, butter beans, black eye peas, baked beans, and other variety vegetables.

Starch, which shall be a choice of brown rice, rice pilaf, roasted potatoes, or sweet potato and mashed potatoes. All starches must be cooked with the appropriate texture according to the starch. (Example: Brown rice should be moist, mash potatoes should be whipped, and properly, roasted potatoes should be soft and moist, etc.

10-12oz. soup shall be a choice of fresh chicken noodle, fresh chicken and kale, fresh chili, fresh turkey and rice, or cream of broccoli, to be served with a variety of crackers.

Soups shall only be included in the menu during the months of December, January and February.

Bread will be served with each meal, which shall include a variety such as butter rolls, garlic bread, corn bread, croissant rolls, etc.

e. Cold Meals

Fresh meats including tuna wraps, chicken wraps, chicken salad, shrimp salad, and seafood salad.

Variety of vegetables shall include toss green salad, arugula salad, spinach salad, kale salad, mixed green salad which shall include a variety of salad dressings.

Bread will be served with each meal which shall include a variety such as butter rolls, garlic bread, corn bread, croissant rolls, etc.

f. Beverages

All meals shall include an 8oz bottled water, 8oz juice and/or 8-12oz soda.

Flavors of sodas shall include Coke, Pepsi, Sprite Limon, and Ginger ale.

Flavors for juice shall include cranberry, apple, mango, grape, and orange.

During the summer months, iced tea, lemonade, other refreshing drinks are acceptable.

g. Desserts

Dessert, which shall be a choice of fresh fruit salad, cookie, variety of cake, variety of pies, and a variety of brownies.

h. Gluten Free and Vegetarian options must be included in the menu and approved by the City.

2. Additional Requirements

a. Provider is responsible for providing fresh quality meals. If there is an issue with the quality of the food and the City of Newark incurs any out of pocket expense to replace all or part of a meal, the provider must provide reimbursement for said out of pocket expense.

b. Meals shall be planned by a qualified nutritionist to provide at least one-third of the current recommended dietary allowances as established by the Food and Nutrition

Board, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council and must meet an older person's daily nutritional needs.

c. Meals must Monday through Friday except on holidays and senior center closings designated by the City. The City will provide a list of the holidays and senior center closings at the time of contract commencement.

d. Provider is responsible for ensuring proper temperature of meals at all times according to the standards set forth by State and Federal guidelines ensuring quality controls. If the meals do not arrive at the senior centers at the appropriate temperature, the City of Newark’s staff must reject and discard the food. The City will procure meals from an alternative source and the provider will be responsible for reimbursing the City the cost.

e. Meals must be delivered to each senior center at 11:30am but not tater than

12:00pm. If the delivery times are not met, the City may immediately procure meals from an alternate source, for which the provider will be required to reimburse the City at equal cost.

f. Provider shall submit a written request to the Director of RCASS for any menu change, with forty-eight (48) hour notice, which may be approved by the Director. However, there shall be no change in price for any menu change.

g. A representative of Senior Services shall submit in writing to the provider any complaints within forty-eight (48) hours of the occurrence.

h. Provider must comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing the preparation, handling, and transporting of food.

i. Provider must procure and keep in effect all necessary licenses, permits and food handler's cards as are required by law.

j. Provider cannot have violations of other Food and Nutrition Service Program(s) and cannot be currently disqualified, sanctioned or under investigation by any state program.

3. Pricing

a. The Provider must provide pricing on a per-meal basis

b. The City does not guarantee the amount of meals listed in this proposal. The amount may increase or decrease during the different seasons.

c. The provider must be able to accommodate approximately 250 meals per day.

4. Invoicing

a. Provider shall submit a weekly invoice to the Director of Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Senior Services

Proposal Submission Format

All respondents must include the following in their proposal:

1. Document a brief background/history of the proposer, documenting the number of years of service experience (must have a minimum of five (5) years of business experience), and demonstrate experience in providing senior meals.

2. Provide a copy of the most recent Satisfactory Food Inspection certificate.

3. Submit documentation of Certified Food Production Manager credentials, and sanitation certification such as National Restaurant Association ServSafe Program.

4. Identify other communities that you have provided with food services and provide their contact information

i. Name of Contact Person

ii. Phone Number and Email

iii. Name of community or contract

iv. Description of services provided

5. Provide five (5) sample menus, with corresponding nutritional analysis.

6. Submit the credentials of the Qualified Nutritionist.

7. Document how you propose to ensure service to the City’s senor centers

8. Submit the process to be used to measure senior satisfaction.

9. Identify the key personnel to be assigned to render the services required and provide their contact information.

10. Submit Pricing Proposal found in the procurement portal.

11. Provide samples of at least two meals

i. Samples must be provided to Central Purchasing no later than 10:15 am of the date the proposal is due.

ii. There will be three committee members. Please provide adequate samples for each member to taste and evaluate

iii. Samples must be accompanied by labels clearly stating the items per packaging and what each meal contains.

Evaluation Criteria for Scoring Proposals

1. Experience and References (50%)

a. Ability to provide the required services

b. Past performance providing similar services

c. Results of the reference checks

2. Management (25%)

a. Stability of Responding Company or Individual

i. Demonstrate the stability and continuity of both staff and management of the responding company or individual.

b. Possesses the certifications, personnel, and licensing (if required)

3. Cost (10%)

4. Samples of Meals (15%)

a. Provided samples with their proposal

b. Samples will be evaluated based on the taste and quality