Mohave Educational Services Cooperative is soliciting proposals for bread and baked goods to serve its statewide membership of approximately 480 public agencies throughout Arizona as part of a cooperative purchasing initiative designed to achieve economies of scale. The Request for Proposal (RFP 26D-0305) was posted on January 28, 2026, with a deadline for submitting questions by February 24, 2026, a pre-proposal conference scheduled for February 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Arizona time, and a proposal response deadline of March 5, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. The procurement seeks vendors to supply a range of bread and baked goods products including hamburger buns, hot dog buns, whole wheat sandwich bread, sourdough, French rolls, and Texas toast, with all bread products required to be 51 percent whole grain rich and processed in the United States in compliance with domestic sourcing requirements. Products must comply with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, Arizona Revised Statutes 15-242.01 regarding ultra-processed foods, and current child nutrition regulations, with complete nutritional data sheets provided for all offerings. Vendors must deliver products weekly between 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, in manufacturer's original undamaged packaging with a minimum shelf life of seven days from delivery date, with shortages corrected within three days. The contract will be awarded for an initial one-year term with four potential one-year extensions, and evaluation shall be weighted across pricing information (30 points), offer and acceptance and terms and conditions (25 points), primary vendor information (20 points), supporting contract documents (15 points), and additional information (10 points). Vendors must provide evidence of current insurance coverage with a minimum comprehensive general liability aggregate of $2,000,000, current certificate of insurance, IRS W-9, financial information, and pricing in an unlocked Excel format with all products containing specific prices; pricing listed as "call for quote" or similar undefined terms is not acceptable, and all prices must include Mohave's 1% administration fee.
The solicitation does not identify specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting response to particular organization types, allowing any qualified vendor meeting the specified requirements to respond. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are listed in the provided solicitation documents. Vendors must submit the mandatory pricing workbook containing core item pricing and may submit optional product pricing, disclose quick pay discount structures, specify payment method acceptance (including P-card or credit card with associated fees), provide volume discount methodologies, indicate delivery fees with any regional variations, and specify restock fees not to exceed 15 percent along with return policies. Vendors must also designate specific contacts for various administrative functions including member services, contract administration, accounting, open orders, audits, and escalation matters, and specify their delivery capability by county or statewide with detailed route information. All offerors must certify compliance with federal requirements including the Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment, Executive Order 11246 (Equal Employment Opportunity), the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, the Buy American provision, E-Verify employment verification, civil rights compliance under USDA regulations, and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act for contracts exceeding $100,000. The RFP documents do not specify award values or budget ranges for this procurement.