Beef, Poutry and Cheese products per attached specification

The Colorado Department of Corrections Purchasing Office issued Invitation to Bid #7852 for the procurement of meat and cheese products to supply six correctional facilities located throughout Colorado, including Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Crowley, Buena Vista Correctional Facility, Denver Women's Correctional Facility, Central Warehouse in Canon City, Limon Correctional Facility, and Sterling Correctional Facility. The specific deliverables include ground beef, beef patties, ground turkey, breakfast sausage links, turkey ham, turkey bologna, turkey franks, turkey roast, turkey salami, chicken patties, boneless skinless turkey or chicken thighs, and three types of cheese products: natural Grade A mild cheddar in 40-pound blocks, processed American cheese in 5-pound sliced blocks with 160 half-ounce slices per case, and shredded mozzarella appropriate for cheese pizza applications. All meat products must be produced and processed in the United States, manufactured within six months of delivery, fully frozen, and delivered at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit via appropriate refrigerated transport with F.O.B. pricing to designated delivery units. Products must comply with NAMP #136 standards, meet strict specifications regarding fat content, water percentages, and ingredient restrictions, and include pack dates and approval for sale to the Department of Corrections. Bidders must submit sealed bids by December 6, 2016, at 3:00 p.m. at the Canon City office, with bids submitted in sealed envelopes clearly marked with bid number CAA-17-IFB #7852; faxed bids are not accepted, and all bids must be signed to be considered responsive. Sample submissions of new items, including case lots with ingredient sheets and nutritional values, were required prior to the bid opening date. The contract may be awarded on an item-by-item basis with uniform pricing across all six facilities, and the evaluation criteria prioritize awarding the contract to the responsible bidder whose bid is determined most advantageous to the department.

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) officially registered and verified by the Center for Veteran Enterprise are eligible to claim a 3% preference, and all bidders may seek to qualify for environmentally preferable product preferences in accordance with the Colorado Procurement Code. All bidders must provide their Vendor Self Service (VSS) number, Federal Identification Number with company name, or Social Security Number for private parties, and low tie bids will be awarded according to CRS 24-103-202.5. The state controller may withhold payments for unpaid child support, taxes, student loans, unemployment compensation obligations, or other debts owed to state agencies under the vendor offset intercept system. Cheese products must not contain animal rennet, and turkey-based products must not contain corn or corn by-products, indicating specialized dietary requirements for the correctional facilities. Bidders were permitted to request a bid recap by including a self-addressed, stamped envelope or email address with their submission. No specific budget range or award value was disclosed in the available documentation, and no incumbent vendors or current contractors were identified in the solicitation materials.