Foods: Staple grocery and canned fruits & vegetables.

The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) issued Invitation for Bid (IFB) #7829 for the procurement of staple grocery items and canned fruits and vegetables to support food service operations across six correctional facilities located in Canon City, Buena Vista, Arkansas Valley, Limon, Denver, and Sterling, Colorado. This sealed bid solicitation encompasses 96 line items across multiple food categories including dairy products, baking ingredients, cereals, beverages, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta products, seasonings, spices, sugars, and condiments, with total quantities ranging from 7 to 4,390 cases depending on the item. All food products must comply with the latest United States Department of Agriculture standards for specified grades, be properly labeled with identity and origin information, and meet specific packaging and shelf-life requirements; numerous items require Kosher certification with designated symbols displayed on cases or individual packets. Bids will be evaluated based on price competitiveness and bidder responsibility, with awards made to the vendor offering the most advantageous proposal to the department; items #1 and #2 will be awarded on an all/none basis, as will items #81, #82, and #83. Sealed bids must be received by September 23, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. at the CDOC Office of the Purchasing Agent in Canon City, with all samples for items marked with an asterisk in the specification sheets submitted by the same deadline to the Central Warehouse at 57500 East Highway 50 & Evans Road, Canon City, Colorado 81212. A proposal for food delivery is required prior to November 20, 2015, and pricing must be submitted on attached bid forms with unit prices clearly stated for each item on an F.O.B. destination basis with goods properly palletized; drop shipments are accepted.

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) firms officially registered with the Center for Veteran Enterprise may claim a 3 percent preference in bid evaluation. The CDOC is exempt from sales and use taxes, which should not be included in pricing submissions. Bids may be awarded item by item unless the bidder takes exception to this award method, and low tie bids will be awarded according to Colorado Procurement Rule procedures. All bidders must complete vendor information sections, including VSS number or Federal Identification Number, and sign their bids; unsigned or incomplete bids may be rejected, and vendor offset intercept procedures apply regarding unpaid debts to state agencies, including child support obligations, tax arrearages, student loans, and unemployment compensation amounts. The state reserves the right to reject any and all bids, and failure to adhere to stated requirements and regulations will result in bid rejection. The department encourages environmentally preferable products in accordance with Colorado Procurement Code CRS 24-103-207.5. No specific budget range or award value was disclosed in the solicitation documents; contact Mario Burciago at 719-269-5961 for inquiries regarding this procurement opportunity.