Food, Food Distribution, and Related Supplies

Mohave Educational Services Cooperative, Inc. (Mohave) is soliciting proposals under RFP 26W-1204 on behalf of ASPIN/Mohave to establish cooperative contracts with food, food distribution, and related supplies distributors, with questions due November 25, 2026 and proposals due December 4, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Arizona time. Awards serve eligible ASPIN members, including Arizona public school districts, cities, counties, state agencies, community colleges, universities, political subdivisions, and qualifying non-profit educational and public health organizations. The consortium includes approximately 150 current members, and awarded distributors must deliver statewide to more than 770 member locations. Members added during the term must determine whether their purchases would materially increase volume provided in the original solicitation.

Scope covers a complete line of food products, USDA Foods end products, fresh produce, dairy, and operating supplies for USDA Child Nutrition Programs, including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, Special Milk Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, and Seamless Summer Option. Vendors must deliver between 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, using temperature-controlled vehicles and original manufacturer cases. Required capabilities include Buy American compliance, nutritional information and CN labels, online ordering, daily transaction reports, and E-Verify workforce verification. Vendors must carry general liability coverage with a $2.0 million minimum aggregate. Offerors must complete two pricing workbooks, "26W ASPIN Food-Supplies.xlsx" and "26W ASPIN USDA Foods End Products.xlsx," and failure to submit them renders a proposal non-responsive. Specifications are based on known acceptable manufacturers but are not exclusive; offerors may propose alternates, and ASPIN/Mohave is the final judge of acceptance.

Pricing for most products is fixed from manufacturers for December 4, 2026 through May 4, 2027, while butter, cheese, and produce are priced from distributor invoices dated November 14–21, 2026. USDA Foods end products pricing must be held for the first term, July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028. Fresh produce, shell eggs, dairy, and market-based products may be updated before the contract effective date. Delivery fees are fixed per case, except potato products, which carry a fixed percentage of case cost.

Contracts run an initial one-year term from July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028, with up to four additional one-year extensions by mutual written agreement. A pre-proposal conference is dated November 10, 2026. Award goes to the responsive and responsible offeror or offerors whose proposal is most advantageous under weighted criteria: pricing (40 points), offer and acceptance, terms and conditions, and specifications (25 points), primary vendor information (25 points), supporting contract documents (5 points), and additional information (5 points).