eClearance # 1602869: 2018 NSLP Commodity Processing

The State of Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) issued Request for Proposals (RFP) IHGA 2017000139 on December 27, 2016, for 2018 National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Commodity Processing services in Denver County and Denver City. This procurement seeks qualified USDA-certified processors to convert raw bulk USDA foods into ready-to-use end products for Colorado's 240 recipient agencies across 227 delivery sites, serving approximately 6,734,537 processed pounds annually. Deliverables include processed beef, chicken, turkey, pork, cheese, eggs, potatoes, fruits, and other USDA commodities in bulk or individually wrapped formats, with all products requiring USDA-approved Summary End Product Data Schedules, nutritional information, meal contribution facts, and product yield data. Bidders must demonstrate USDA processor approval, experience in food processing for school lunch programs, compliance with 7 CFR Part 250.30, and ability to meet a six-week delivery deadline with penalties of $1,000 per day for late deliveries. The written inquiry deadline was January 5, 2017, with proposals due January 27, 2017, at 2:00 PM Mountain Time. Evaluation criteria include proposal approach and understanding, bid specification compliance, USDA food processing experience, and cost competitiveness. Vendors must submit technical proposals not exceeding 50 pages, cost proposals in Microsoft Excel format on USB drives, certificates of insurance (minimum $1,000,000 general liability), company background information, references, financial documentation, Dun and Bradstreet numbers, WBSCM warehouse codes, and evidence of USDA processor approval. The contract term runs from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018, with options to renew for four additional one-year periods at the State's sole discretion, not to exceed five years total. Selection was estimated for the week of January 30, 2017, contract finalization for the week of May 15, 2017, and contract commencement July 1, 2017.

The RFP does not specify set-asides or incumbent preferences, and no restrictions on organization type or disadvantaged enterprise designations are identified in the solicitation documents. All USDA commodities must be of 100 percent domestic origin, with processed products containing at least 51 percent domestically grown or raised agricultural commodities; all transportation and delivery charges must be fully prepaid by the bidder and included in bid pricing. Four pricing options are available: Fee for Service (FFS), Modified Fee for Service (MFFS), Net Off Invoice (NOI), and Cash Rebate contracts, with pricing remaining effective for 180 calendar days following award and payment terms at a minimum of 30 calendar days. The State reserves the right to award multiple contracts per food grouping. Vendors must register with Colorado VSS by the proposal submission deadline and confirm registration with Colorado CORE-VSS when submitting proposals. Funding derives from USDA commodity allocations to Colorado school districts participating in the National School Lunch Program, and the contract is contingent upon State Controller approval and federal fund availability. No specific budget or award value is stated in the solicitation documents; instead, pricing is determined competitively based on submitted bids for processing services using authorized commodity distributors including Andrews Foodservice, Foodservices of America, Shamrock, Sysco, US Foods, and Labatt Foodservices.