Food, Water, and Ice for Emergency Operations (23-93131800-RFP)

The State of Florida, Department of Management Services, is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a statewide Food, Water, and Ice for Emergency Operations State Term Contract. The procurement seeks vendors to provide shelf-stable meals, potable water, and food-grade ice that can be delivered in truckload quantities within 24 hours of a customer's purchase order. The contract has a primary focus on emergency response, and the selected contractor(s) must demonstrate experience providing these critical supplies in the aftermath of disasters. The RFP outlines detailed requirements for timely delivery, coordination with emergency operations centers, packaging and labeling, invoicing, product returns, and recalled products. Pricing will account for 400 of the 1,000 total evaluation points, with the remaining 600 points allocated to the technical proposal covering areas such as experience, emergency operations coordination, order management, transportation, and supply chain. The contract term is expected to begin on November 1, 2023, with an anticipated start date of December 8, 2023. Interested vendors must submit proposals through the state's Business Network, and any protests must be filed with the Agency Clerk within the prescribed timeframes.

The RFP does not specify any set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond. However, the state will apply a preference to respondents that have certified implementation of a drug-free workplace program in accordance with Florida Statutes. The historical annual spend for the previous contract was $2,853,019 for Fiscal Year 2020-2021 and $55,488 for Fiscal Year 2021-2022, but the actual award value for this new contract is not provided.