Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Snacks

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is conducting a Request for Bid (RFB) #4150 to procure fresh, local produce snacks for elementary students participating in the USDA Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program. The solicitation seeks a vendor to provide approximately 5,900 servings of fresh, local produce weekly from September 1, 2025, through November 30, 2025, with potential renewal options for two additional three-month periods. All produce must be sourced within 400 miles of Madison, Wisconsin, with vendors required to submit documentation of product origin and traceability. The bid evaluation will be comprehensive, with scoring distributed across multiple criteria: 40% cost, 15% geographic preference, 10% distance documentation, 15% traceability documentation, 5% diverse-owned business status, and 15% references. Vendors must submit both hardcopy and electronic bid responses, focusing on local, ready-to-eat produce that varies weekly and meets specific packaging and labeling requirements. The bid is due on August 1, 2025, at 2:00 PM CST, with the contract contingent upon receiving federal grant funds from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) in August.

The RFB demonstrates a preference for organic produce, offering a $0.20 per pound scoring advantage for organic options. While specific set-aside designations are not explicitly detailed, the bid does allocate 5% of scoring to diverse-owned business status, suggesting some consideration for minority or disadvantaged business enterprises. No incumbent vendors are mentioned in the documentation. The solicitation requires vendors to provide pricing per pound for both conventional and organic produce, indicating flexibility in product sourcing. The contract appears designed to support local agricultural producers within a 400-mile radius of Madison, with a strong emphasis on product quality, traceability, and local economic impact. Although a specific budget range is not provided, the requirement for 5,900 weekly servings suggests a substantial procurement volume. The potential for two additional three-month renewal periods indicates the possibility of a long-term, stable contracting opportunity for the selected vendor.