Dry Beans for Processing

The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction is soliciting bids for dry beans to be processed at the Enterprise Roanoke River Cannery located in Tillery, North Carolina. The Invitation for Bid (IFB) seeks 43,200 pounds each of three specific bean varieties: Pinto Beans, Dark Red Kidney Beans, and Black-Eyed Pea Beans, which will be used for further processing and canning. The solicitation is highly specific, accepting bids only from seven pre-approved manufacturers: Kirkeide's, Triple Nickel, NW Pass, Kirsten, Hayes Foods, Cooperative Elevator, and New Deal. Vendors must meet stringent quality requirements, including US #1 grade beans, zero tolerance for foreign materials, beans from the current crop year, and specific moisture and defect standards. The bid was issued on April 22, 2025, with responses due by May 6, 2025, at 2:00 PM ET through the Ariba Sourcing Tool. Each delivery must include a USDA Official White Certificate and be packaged in 100-pound food-grade bags delivered on shrink-wrapped pallets.

Previous contract awards provide insight into potential pricing, with Hayes Foods having been awarded Pinto Beans at $0.50/lb and Black-Eyed Pea Beans at $0.94/lb, and Advanced Commodities awarded Dark Red Kidney Beans at $1.077/lb. While the solicitation does not explicitly mention set-aside designations or preferences for disadvantaged businesses, the restricted vendor list suggests a highly controlled procurement process. The total potential contract value appears to be approximately $109,440, calculated from the maximum quantities and previous pricing benchmarks. The procurement is specifically for the Enterprise Roanoke River Cannery, which suggests this is an ongoing, operational procurement to support the facility's food processing needs. Vendors must demonstrate the ability to consistently meet precise agricultural commodity specifications and delivery requirements, indicating a preference for experienced, specialized agricultural suppliers with robust quality control processes.