27NUTRL4 | Warehouse Distribution for MA Procured Food Products | RFR

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Office for Nutrition is requesting proposals for warehouse distribution services for state-procured food products, including USDA Processed Foods, across four Massachusetts regions, with responses due June 26, 2026 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time and questions due June 18, 2026.

Bidders must commit to a minimum 1% of contract sales with Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) certified diverse business enterprises or nonprofits; at least 25% of total evaluation points are allocated to SDP submissions. Massachusetts small businesses meeting the Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP) criteria receive award preference where they satisfy best value standards — SBPP participants must maintain principal place of business in Massachusetts, have been in operation for at least one year, employ 50 or fewer full-time equivalents (or fewer than 26,000 combined hours per quarter), and have gross revenues of $15 million or less based on a three-year average.

The scope covers purchasing, receiving, picking up, storing, and delivering approximately 18,000 cases per year ($1.1 million estimated value based on 2026 data) across Region 1 (Greater Boston, ~82 agencies), Region 2 (Southeast Massachusetts, ~120 agencies), Region 3 (Central Massachusetts, ~110 agencies), and Region 4 (Western Massachusetts, ~74 agencies). Bidders may respond for one or more regions. The contractor must operate separate frozen, chilled, and dry storage at a single site, maintain perpetual inventory with monthly reporting in FNS-155 format, and provide biweekly delivery (weekly preferred) on minimum 20-case drops or 15-case preferred minimums. Pricing is structured on flat-rate per-case basis for tiered warehousing periods (days 1–30, 31–60, 61–90) and separate 30-day storage fees, plus tiered delivery fees (15–19 cases optional, 20–49, 50–99, 100–199, 200+ cases). The contractor bears all risk for loss, spoilage, damage, or theft and must carry "All Risk" warehouse contents insurance with minimum $1.1 million coverage and a $25,000 performance bond.

Contract term runs July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with DESE reserving termination without cause on 120 days' notice or 10 days for noncompliance. Evaluation criteria include financial resources (25 points, 5x multiplier), fee reasonableness (20 points, 4x), contract manageability (20 points, 4x), computer/reporting capabilities (20 points, 4x), and prior relevant experience (15 points, 3x). Bidders must pass seven qualification requirements: current Massachusetts operating license, adequate insurance, continuity of operations plan, food defense plan, food recall procedures, sample reporting and delivery paperwork, and compliance with Massachusetts Department of Public Health Regulations 105 CMR 500.00 and 21 CFR Part 110.00. All responses must be submitted through COMMBUYS. Prompt Payment Discount and Electronic Funds Transfer participation are required.