CN-Smallwares

Klein Independent School District (KISD) located in Harris County, Texas, is soliciting electronic proposals for a smallwares procurement opportunity (Bid #26-233) specifically for its Child Nutrition and Food Services department. The solicitation seeks vendors to provide smallwares equipment and materials to support nutrition and food service operations, with proposals to be submitted electronically through the Bonfire purchasing system. Proposals are due by January 16, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., with the contract term beginning March 9, 2026, and running through December 31, 2026, with potential automatic annual renewals. Evaluation criteria will be comprehensive, including purchase price (70 points), vendor reputation (10 points), goods/services quality (10 points), extent of meeting district needs (5 points), and long-term cost (5 points), totaling 100 possible points. Vendor qualifications must include valid Texas and Harris County business licensing, workers' compensation and general liability insurance with minimum $1,000,000 aggregate limits, and submission of three references for similar work.

The solicitation does not explicitly indicate specific set-aside designations, but the district does recognize minority/women business enterprises (MWBE) and historically underutilized businesses (HUB) through its certification process. Vendors must complete comprehensive compliance certifications, including conflict of interest disclosures, criminal history reviews, debarment verifications, and Israel boycott certifications. While no specific contract value is stated, the solicitation suggests there is no guaranteed purchase volume, and the district reserves the right to award to multiple vendors if deemed advantageous. Vendors must be prepared to provide background checks for employees working on district property and name Klein ISD as an additional insured on liability policies. The procurement allows vendors to bid on all or portions of line items, with pricing expected to be firm and fixed for the initial contract period, and all materials, equipment, and labor costs must be included in the proposal.