eClearance # 1715487, 2018 NSLP IFB

The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) Food Distribution Program issued Invitation for Bid (IFB) 2018000153 to procure commercial food processing services for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National School Lunch Program (NSLP) across Denver County and Denver City jurisdictions. This solicitation seeks qualified vendors to further process raw and bulk USDA commodity foods into convenient, ready-to-use end products for distribution to 240 recipient agencies across 227 delivery sites throughout Colorado, including school districts and Child and Adult Care Food Program facilities. The state historically processed approximately 6.7 million pounds of USDA foods during 2016-2017, with significant volumes of chicken, potatoes, beef, cheese, and turkey products, and the pricing sheet identifies numerous processed food products including breaded portions, patties, nuggets, burritos, pizzas, and various prepared entrees with detailed specifications for whole grain content and Child Nutrition meal pattern compliance. All USDA commodities and substitutions must be 100 percent domestic origin, with processed products containing at least 51 percent domestically grown or raised agricultural commodities, and awarded vendors must be USDA-approved processors complying with 7 CFR Part 250.30 regulations. Required qualifications include maintaining worker's compensation, general liability, and automobile liability insurance throughout the contract term, submitting monthly and quarterly performance reports, providing Summary End Product Data Schedules with USDA approval, and participating in the annual Commodity Food Show. The state evaluates bids primarily on unit price but also considers administrative costs, payment terms, delivery conditions, and exceptions to requirements, with sealed bids required to be hand-delivered to the Department of Human Services Procurement Office in Denver by February 23, 2018, at 2:00 PM Mountain Time, in Microsoft Excel format on a flash drive using the state's specified pricing template. The initial contract award period is 12 months, effective July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, with four optional one-year renewal terms available at the state's sole discretion for a potential total contract term of five years.

This solicitation represents an annual renewal of the existing 2017 RFP (RFP2017000139) rather than a complete new procurement, with no specific set-aside designations or restrictions on organizational types identified in the available documentation. Vendors currently holding CDHS contracts from NSLP RFP 2017000139 are not required to resubmit all required documents, as the CDHS FDP will contact these existing contractors to request only necessary updated documentation, while new vendors or those without prior contracts must submit all required forms, certifications, and documents including a Certificate of Insurance. The contract structure utilizes a fee-for-service model with a maximum contract amount of $0.00, indicating contractor compensation is derived from pricing set by the contractor and paid directly by recipient agencies rather than by the state; pricing options available include Fee for Service (FFS), Modified Fee for Service (MFFS), Net Off Invoice (NOI), and Rebate programs. All pricing must be net and include transportation and delivery charges fully prepaid by the contractor, with products required to be delivered directly to recipient agencies or a state warehouse within a seven-day window of the requested delivery date. The state reserves the right to award single or multiple vendors per food grouping and may assess penalties of $1,000 per day for delayed deliveries exceeding six weeks or late payment of credits to districts, and upon exercise of extension options, the state may unilaterally adjust pricing to maintain statewide consistency.