163-04302025TB Ice Cream - Dessert and Dessert Toppings

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education (CMBE) is seeking qualified vendors to provide ice cream and frozen fruit products for school lunches through Invitation for Bid #163-04302025TB. The procurement covers a comprehensive range of frozen dessert items including ice cream cups, sandwiches, bars, cones, and fruit cups for the 2025-2026 school year, with potential renewals for up to three additional one-year terms. Strict nutritional guidelines are mandated, requiring single servings to be limited to 200 calories, with specific restrictions on fat, sugar, and sodium content, and all frozen fruit products must be 100% fruit with no added sweeteners. The bid is open to electronic submissions through the state's electronic Vendor Portal (eVP), with a bid opening scheduled for May 14, 2025, at 3:00 PM ET, and a contract effective period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Vendors must provide comprehensive documentation including product labels, ingredient lists, allergen information, nutritional analysis, and corporate product specification sheets. Pricing must remain firm for 120 days, with potential adjustments considered after December 1, 2025, for market conditions effective January 1, 2025.

The procurement emphasizes minority, women, and small business enterprise (M/W/SBE) participation, requiring prime suppliers to engage minority, women, and small businesses as subcontractors. Vendors must submit an M/W/SBE Utilization Form, with specific categories including Black, Hispanic, Asian American, Native American Indian, Female, Small, and Socially and Economically Disadvantaged businesses. Strict vendor qualifications include comprehensive criminal background checks, compliance with the NC Lunsford Act, and certification of being a nut-free facility. Vendors must also certify they are not debarred from federal transactions and have no recent criminal convictions in public transactions. While specific award values are not explicitly stated, the procurement indicates substantial quantity requirements, including 48,000 units of certain ice cream cups and 50,000 ice cream sandwiches. Compliance with federal regulations is mandatory, including the Buy American provision, which requires that over 51% of the final processed product consist of domestically grown agricultural commodities.