Fruit, Berries

The Oregon Department of Corrections (ODOC) Purchasing/Contracts Division issued an Invitation to Bid (ITB) for the procurement of frozen fruit berries to support institutional operations. The solicitation seeks one full truckload estimated at 40,000 pounds of unsweetened, Grade A or B individually quick frozen (IQF) berries, which may include blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, Marion berries, or other varieties meeting FDA/USDA standards. The berries must be packaged in plastic-lined cardboard or FDA/USDA approved materials in cases ranging from 10 to 60 pounds and must maintain a minimum of six months shelf life from delivery, with compliance to all FDA/USDA food safety standards including HACCP requirements and Current Good Manufacturing Practice standards. Bidders may respond for 50 to 100 percent of the requested quantity, with pricing submitted per unit on a FOB Destination basis that includes all transportation, fuel surcharges, and delivery charges. The ITB was released on April 9, 2026, with a deadline for submitting clarifications or changes by April 16, 2026 at 9:00 AM Pacific Standard Time, and bids are due by April 23, 2026 at 9:00 AM PST. All bids must be submitted through the OREGONBUYS system, with email submissions deemed non-responsive, and delivery is required to ODOC's Central Distribution Center in Salem, Oregon with a 30-day lead time after receipt of order.

ODOC offers a five percent preference for Oregon-fabricated or processed goods and an additional five percent preference for bidders headquartered in Oregon, for a maximum combined ten percent preference applied for evaluation purposes only. The previous contractor for this procurement was Pueblo Trading Company, which was awarded a contract in February 2024 at $0.89 per pound, providing a historical pricing benchmark. ODOC reserves the right to request samples, nutritional facts labels, product identification, and FDA/USDA import documentation and may reject any bid as non-responsive based on unacceptable samples or non-conformity to specifications. No protests are permitted under this solicitation per ORS 421.438(2) and OAR 291-164-0120(1)(a)(F). Based on historical pricing of $0.89 per pound and the estimated 40,000-pound volume, the anticipated contract value would range approximately $35,600, though final award value will depend on the winning bidder's pricing and the quantity awarded.