2027-01 Food Services

Middle River Regional Jail Authority is soliciting proposals under RFP #2027-01 for comprehensive food preparation and management services for inmates and staff at its Verona, Virginia facility, with a mandatory pre-proposal conference and facility tour on November 9, 2026 and proposals due December 14, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EST. Attendance at the pre-proposal conference is mandatory. The source names no set-aside or preference program.

The contractor must provide three meals daily for an average daily population of 562 inmates as of October 2026: hot breakfast and lunch, and a cold dinner. Scope also covers staff meals and specialty and holiday meals. The facility has a rated capacity of 396 beds and a core operational capacity of 750 inmates, and it serves the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro and the Counties of Augusta and Rockingham. Offerors must demonstrate experience providing food services in jails with average daily populations up to 750 inmates, maintain audited financial statements, and have operated under the same business name for three years. Required insurance includes Workers' Compensation ($1 million), Commercial General Liability ($1 million), Commercial Automobile Liability ($1 million), and Cyber Risk ($2 million). A performance bond equal to 100 percent of the annual contract amount is required, and payment bonds may be required for subcontractors. The contractor must comply with American Correctional Association standards, Prison Rape Elimination Act requirements, Virginia and federal regulations, and criminal background checks for all staff requiring facility access.

Pricing is a cost per meal per inmate, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same rate. Separate pricing options apply to operations using inmate labor and operations using food service employees. The per-meal cost must include food items, holiday, medical, religious, and special diets, consumable supplies, and operational management. The contract begins April 1, 2027 with an initial five-year term and five additional one-year renewal periods, for a potential ten-year contract. The incumbent is Trinity Services Group, Inc., which has provided services since April 1, 2020.

Written questions are due November 16, 2026, with responses issued by November 23, 2026. Sealed proposals require six paper copies plus a PDF on USB device. Interviews with selected offerors are scheduled for January 6, 2027, negotiations conclude by January 13, 2027, and a Notice of Intent to Award is scheduled for January 20, 2027.