IFB-GCS-2026-DAIRY

Gaston County Schools' School Nutrition Department is issuing an Invitation for Bid (IFB-GCS-2026-DAIRY) to procure milk and fresh 100% orange juice for delivery to 54 school cafeterias and one Central Kitchen Production Site throughout Gaston County, North Carolina. The procurement encompasses six product categories: fat-free chocolate milk in half-pint containers (1,579,000 units), skim milk in half-pint containers (91,000 units), 1% milk in half-pint containers (628,000 units), lactose-free milk options in half-pint containers (5,800 units), 100% orange juice in 4-ounce containers (600,000 units), and seasonal flavored fat-free milk in half-pint containers (700,000 units). Sealed proposals must be submitted by 8:45 a.m. on May 5, 2026, with public bid opening at 9:00 a.m. the same day. The contract period runs one year from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2027, with four optional one-year renewal periods available. Bidders must demonstrate compliance with federal National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program regulations, including Buy American provisions requiring products to be produced in the United States with at least 51 percent domestically grown agricultural commodities. Delivery requirements mandate service to all 54 school sites on weekdays when school is in session prior to 12:00 p.m., with most schools requiring at least two deliveries per week and the Central Kitchen requiring one delivery weekly. Milk pricing shall escalate or de-escalate based on Federal Milk Order Class I raw milk price changes, with adjustments submitted no later than the 25th of the month prior to implementation, while orange juice pricing remains firm throughout the contract term.

All bidders must provide criminal background checks and comply with North Carolina's Lunsford Act regarding sex offenders, along with comprehensive insurance coverage including Worker's Compensation, Automobile Liability ($1,000,000 minimum per occurrence), Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Sexual Abuse and Molestation Coverage ($1,000,000), Environmental and Pollution Liability ($1,000,000), and Umbrella Excess Liability ($1,000,000). Bidders must comply with E-Verification requirements and USDA civil rights regulations, and shall provide proposer references for evaluation. All freight, delivery, and handling charges remain the vendor's responsibility, and the district reserves the right to award the contract to a single bidder or reject any or all proposals. Contract award determination will be made by Gaston County School Nutrition following approval by the Gaston County Board of Education at least ten working days after bid opening. No specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises, incumbent vendors, or budget ranges are identified in the solicitation documents provided.