Friends and Family Package Program

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) is seeking a responsible vendor to provide a comprehensive Friends and Family Package (FFP) Program for inmates across all State Correctional Institutions (SCIs) in Pennsylvania. The procurement focuses specifically on food and shoe products, with vendors required to bid on the entire product mix and unable to submit partial responses. The electronic bid solicitation (IFB 6100058711) was originally posted on May 19, 2023, with an initial bid response deadline of June 28, 2023, at 1:01 PM EST. Vendors must be registered on the Pennsylvania Supplier Portal (pasupplierportal.state.pa.us) to submit an electronic bid response. Key deliverables include a product catalog of food and athletic footwear items, with the vendor expected to provide manufacturer letters for proprietary items. Evaluation criteria appear to center on pricing, with the contract to be awarded to the lowest responsive bidder.

The procurement does not explicitly mention set-aside designations or specific restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. The current solicitation indicates a potential annual revenue of approximately $3.6 million, with the successful vendor required to provide a quarterly commission of 20% of gross quarterly sales to the DOC/PCI, which should be incorporated into item pricing. While an incumbent vendor (Keefe Group) is referenced in the addendum, no definitive information about their current contract status is provided. The contract covers multiple jurisdictions, including Cumberland County and Camp Hill Borough, and spans all Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions. Notably, Addendum 3 indicates that the original solicitation has been cancelled in the best interest of the Commonwealth, which may impact the procurement process and future bidding opportunities.