FS Ice Cream Products

Klein Independent School District (Klein ISD) in Harris County, Texas is soliciting electronic competitive sealed proposals for Ice Cream Products through its Bonfire electronic bidding system to supply all 50 campuses within the district for the 2026-2027 school year. The procurement requires vendors to provide ice cream products delivered a minimum of once per week in temperature-controlled trucks between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., with orders placed electronically at least three days prior to delivery. All ice cream products must comply with current federal procurement standards, contain zero added trans-fat, comply with Texas Senate Bill 314 (ban on synthetic dyes and preservatives), be of domestic origin as required under 7 CFR Part 210.21(d) for the National School Lunch Program, and include current HACCP certification and nutrition analysis with ingredient lists and trans fat information prior to bid opening. Qualified vendors must hold business licensing in Texas and Harris County, maintain current worker's compensation and general liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000, and provide three references from similar work performed. The evaluation criteria for proposal selection are weighted as follows: purchase price (70 points), vendor reputation and quality of goods (10 points each), extent to which goods meet district needs (5 points), and long-term cost considerations (5 points), with student acceptability and taste testing also considered in the award decision. The solicitation was posted on April 3, 2026, with a deadline for submitting questions by April 14, 2026, proposal submission deadline at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2026, and an award recommendation by June 8, 2026, with contract commencement on July 1, 2026. The initial contract term runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with four optional one-year renewal periods extending through June 30, 2031, structured as a firm fixed-price agreement with prices remaining fixed during the initial one-year period.

No specific set-asides or disadvantaged enterprise designations are detailed in the solicitation documents, nor are incumbent vendors or current contractors identified. The Klein ISD procurement is structured on an all-or-none basis, with the District reserving the right to award the contract to one or multiple vendors as determined in its best interest and to cancel the entire contract with ten days' written notice. All bid prices must be firm and fixed for the specified contract period, quoted by the unit specified in the bid documents, with any price increases requested after the initial contract period requiring submission in writing at least 60 days prior to implementation and subject to District approval. The District is exempt from federal excise, state sales, and transportation taxes, which must not be included in proposal pricing. No specific budget range or award value is provided in the solicitation documents; however, the District emphasizes that award of the proposal does not guarantee any minimum quantity of services or compensation, as vendors are approved for use on an as-needed basis only, with services performed only upon issuance of a valid Klein ISD purchase order. Prospective bidders must submit all mandatory bid documents electronically through the Bonfire system, with faxed, emailed, and paper proposals not accepted, and are strongly encouraged to allow adequate time to complete the electronic submission process and contact the Purchasing Department for system assistance.