Henderson Collegiate Milk/Juice Bid SY 2026-2027

Henderson Collegiate School Nutrition Services in Henderson, North Carolina, is soliciting competitive bids for the supply of milk and juice products to support its child nutrition program for the school year 2026-2027 (July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027). The procurement requires vendors to supply specific quantities of milk products including 40,000 pint cartons of 1% unflavored low-fat milk, 105,000 pint cartons of fat-free chocolate milk, and 10,000 pint cartons of 1% strawberry milk, as well as juice products comprising 14,000 units of apple juice, 7,000 units of orange juice, 5,000 units of fruit punch, and additional juice products as needed, with all items provided in can or box format. All deliveries must be completed by 6:00 AM on designated days to the Henderson Collegiate Middle School Cafeteria, with delivery schedules requiring prior approval from the School Nutrition Director. Vendors must submit sealed proposals by 11:00 AM EST on June 5, 2026, with the public bid opening scheduled for 1:00 PM EST the same day at 1071 Old Epsom Road, Henderson, NC 27536; questions and discrepancies must be submitted by May 22, 2026. Henderson Collegiate will evaluate proposals based on best value considerations including price, vendor reputation, service capability, past performance, student preferences, warranty terms, product availability, and compliance with applicable laws, rather than lowest bid alone. Required certifications include Independent Price Determination, Debarment and Suspension, and Lobbying Disclosure forms, with pricing submitted as fixed unit costs with all transportation and delivery charges fully prepaid and included in the bid price. Award notification will be provided to all participating vendors on June 16, 2026, following approval by the Henderson Collegiate Board of Directors.

The procurement allows for a geographic preference credit of 2% to bid pricing for vendors providing locally grown or locally raised products within a 100-mile radius of the school district when such products are available in-season and cost-competitive (within 5% of non-local products). The contract is structured as a Bottom Line Bid with Escalation/De-escalation Clause, permitting vendors to escalate prices up to four times annually based on changes in Federal Milk Order Class I raw milk prices, with unlimited de-escalation opportunities; price changes must be submitted in writing by the fifteenth of the month prior to implementation, with the first allowable escalation occurring no earlier than September 1, 2026. All bidders must submit a signed Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters, certifying they are not debarred or suspended from federal transactions and have not been convicted of fraud, criminal offenses, antitrust violations, or specified offenses within the preceding three years. Payment will be issued within 30 days following the month of delivery, and the contract is governed by North Carolina law with venue in Vance County. The contract provides for an initial one-year term with an option for the School Nutrition Services (SFA) to extend annually for up to four additional years through mutual written agreement, provided no cost increases exceed the annual Consumer Price Index cap. No incumbent vendor information, specific budget amounts, or set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises have been identified in the procurement documents.