Catering products & other specialty foods (UW-MAD) [19-5844-A3]

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Purchasing Services, on behalf of Housing Dining and the WI Union, is seeking bids for catering products and specialty foods through a Request for Bid (RFB) numbered 19-5844-A3. The procurement encompasses a wide range of food items, including specialty meat products, juices, Asian foods, and other specialty food items for various university dining and food service locations. Bidders must be capable of accepting orders through multiple channels (email, fax, internet, mail, phone) and delivering to residence halls, union facilities, and catering operations Monday through Friday during business hours. The initial contract term runs from August 1, 2022, through January 30, 2023, with an option for automatic one-year renewal. Key bidder requirements include maintaining a 98 percent or higher weekly fill rate, providing current W-9 forms, and holding workers' compensation and commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000. Written questions were due by July 15, 2022, with sealed bids required by 2:00 p.m. CDT on July 22, 2022. Pricing must be submitted as a percent discount from a current price list, percent markup from cost, or as market-driven weekly pricing, with all prices remaining firm for 60 days from bid opening.

The University actively encourages participation from Wisconsin-certified minority business enterprises (MBE), woman-owned businesses (WBE), and disabled veteran-owned businesses (DVB), with specific participation goals of 5 percent for MBE and 1 percent for DVB. Awards may be made by individual food service unit, potentially resulting in multiple vendor awards for specific items. The contract includes standard state terms and conditions, requires compliance with pandemic and emergency operations guidelines, and includes a prohibition on contractor engagement in boycotts of Israel. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, the University does not guarantee any minimum purchase quantity or dollar amount, indicating flexibility in potential contract value. Bidders must submit all deliveries FOB Destination, with delivery charges and risk of loss borne by the contractor. The procurement approach suggests a competitive bidding process designed to secure diverse, responsive, and reliable food service providers for the University of Wisconsin-Madison's various dining and catering needs.