Direct Delivery of Milk, Juice and Dairy Products to School Cafeterias

The School Board of Volusia County, Florida, has issued Invitation to Bid (ITB) #2024-5009 for direct delivery of milk, juice, and dairy products to sixty-seven (67) school cafeterias throughout the county. The procurement seeks a vendor responsible for providing comprehensive dairy and juice product delivery, including white low-fat milk, chocolate milk, strawberry milk, and 4 oz. juice containers, with estimated annual usage ranging from 800 to 5,300,000 units across different product types. Bidders must be authorized distributors, meet specific packaging and labeling requirements, and comply with food safety and sanitation standards, including Buy American provisions requiring a minimum of 51% of processed food to be American-produced. The bid requires detailed pricing submissions, including Federal Milk Marketing Order costs and total fixed costs per unit, with evaluations based on price, ability to meet specifications, responsiveness, and past performance. The original bid opening was scheduled for November 6, 2024, at 2:00 PM EST, with electronic submissions to be made through VendorLink, though subsequent documentation indicates the district ultimately rejected the initial bids to allow for further review of requirements.

The procurement does not explicitly outline specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. The original solicitation was sent to 20 vendors, with initial responses received from multiple bidders. The contract was tentatively structured for a three-year term with an optional two-year renewal period, potentially beginning in December 2024 or January 2025, with first deliveries planned after the 2024 holiday break. The estimated annual expenditure for this contract is approximately $2,812,470.32, with provisions for potential price adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The bid will be awarded on an "All or None" basis, meaning a single vendor will be selected to provide all items in the solicitation. Notably, the bid allows for unit pricing to be quoted to four decimal places, with case prices rounded to two decimal places, and includes flexibility for including fluctuating pricing based on monthly raw butterfat and skim cost announcements. While an initial Notice of Intended Decision recommended DFA Dairy Brands Fluid dba TG Lee Dairy, a subsequent notice indicated the district would reissue the solicitation with revised specifications.