ICE cream bid certification

Iredell-Statesville Schools' School Nutrition Department is seeking sealed bids for ice cream products for the 2025-2026 school year. The procurement covers a comprehensive range of ice cream items, including low-fat ice cream cups in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors, ice cream cones, ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches, fruit bars, and frozen yogurt beads. All products must be Smart Snack approved, with consistent serving sizes of 3-4 ounces. The bid requires vendors to submit detailed product information, including case counts, flavors, and nutritional specifications. Sealed bids must be received by April 9, 2025, at 9:30 A.M. at the Iredell Statesville Schools Cats Building located at 350 Old Murdock Road, Troutman, NC 28166, with electronic submissions explicitly prohibited. Evaluation criteria will include product quality, student preferences, service capabilities, vendor reputation, and past performance, with the school district reserving the right to award contracts partially or in full.

No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are explicitly mentioned in the bid documents. The procurement appears open to all qualified ice cream vendors capable of meeting the district's specifications. Vendors must comply with several key requirements, including the "Buy American" provision mandating domestic product sourcing and submitting to background checks for employees who may work on school premises. While no specific budget range is provided, the bid documents suggest potential contract extensions up to four additional years, subject to mutual agreement and price escalations tied to the Consumer Price Index for Food Away from Home. Vendors must be prepared to provide comprehensive documentation, including a complete listing of products with pricing and nutritional information. The contract period is set for August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026, with estimated usage quantities ranging from 3,753 to 27,108 servings across different product categories.