26-006 Purchase of Large Equipment for School Nutrition Program

The Muscogee County School District seeks sealed bids for Invitation to Bid 26-006 to purchase, deliver, and install large equipment for the School Nutrition Program. The procurement encompasses 25 equipment categories including refrigeration units (reach-in refrigerators, freezers, and pass-through cabinets), heated cabinets, cooking appliances (ranges, convection ovens, combi ovens, tilting skillets, steamers, and kettles), display merchandisers, ice cream freezers, milk coolers, ice machines, and dishwashers, with multiple model options and approved equivalents from manufacturers such as Traulsen, Vulcan, Blodgett, Hobart, Crown, and Manitowoc. All equipment must be delivered and installed by factory-authorized service contractors at specified locations, with pricing to include equipment training, disconnection and removal of existing equipment, and debris disposal. The District will award contracts to vendors offering the lowest total delivered cost provided all specifications and conditions are met, with the option to award on individual items or a lump sum basis. Bidders must submit responses by October 28, 2025 at 1:00 PM EST, with written questions due by October 2, 2025 and answers posted by October 7, 2025; contract award is scheduled for December 15, 2025, with work commencing January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, with renewal options available in one-year increments not to exceed three total years. Bidders must provide product cut sheets, warranty information, three references of similar scope, proof of business licensure, W-9 forms, insurance certificates, and signed affidavits regarding debarment status, non-collusion, federal work authorization compliance, and lobbying certifications.

The bid documents do not specify set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions on respondent types. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement materials. Pricing from six competing vendors demonstrates significant cost variation, with individual line items ranging from under $2,000 for smaller equipment such as ice cream freezers to over $70,000 for large convection ovens and combi units; for example, a Blodgett MARK V-100 double oven ranged from $20,935.00 to $46,630.34 across competing bids. The District is exempt from state sales tax, and bidders must exclude applicable federal and state taxes that can be eliminated for public school systems from their pricing. All bid prices must remain firm for at least 60 days following bid opening, with delivery charges included in quoted prices. The District reserves the right to accept alternate models equal to or comparable to specifications, waive formalities, reject any or all quotations, and award contracts as deemed in its best interest.