(IFB) Number 25C037002 entitled, CHP Employee Health & Wellness Section - Meal Provision Services.

The California Department of Highway Patrol (CHP) issued Invitation for Bids (IFB) Number 25C037002 for Employee Health & Wellness Section Meal Provision Services, a procurement for healthy meal delivery and vending machine operations at three CHP area offices. The contractor will install and operate vending machines at the Modesto Area office (70 employees), Oceanside Area office (75 employees), and East Los Angeles Area office (90 employees), providing fresh, microwave-ready meals during a six-month evaluation period beginning September 1, 2026, and continuing through March 31, 2029, with potential extensions at CHP's discretion. Meals must be individually packaged, labeled with nutrition information and expiration dates, and comply with specified nutritional guidelines including a minimum of 15 grams of protein per serving; the contractor must accommodate common food allergies and offer standard, vegetarian, dairy-free, vegan, halal, kosher, gluten-free, and allergen-sensitive meal options. Services include weekly meal restocking on weekdays only with appropriate temperature maintenance, monthly vending machine servicing, dietary preference surveys at each site, and operation of an ADA-accessible Point of Sale system for individual employee purchases. The bidder must waive all service fees—including labor, installation, removal, maintenance, and stocking costs—during the evaluation period at no cost to the department, with pricing evaluated on a low-bid basis across three meal categories. Key deadlines include a question submission deadline of May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., with bids due May 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., followed by bid opening at 10:30 a.m.; no walk-through inspection or bidders' meeting is scheduled. Required qualifications include valid business licenses, specified liability insurance coverage, clearance from driver license checks, and client references demonstrating past performance on similar meal provision services; vendor personnel will require escort while on CHP premises but do not need background checks, security clearances, or badges.

This procurement includes mandatory Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation set-aside at a minimum of 5 percent, with eligible bidders receiving preference or incentive adjustments up to 5 percent depending on certification status; small business and micro-business certifications also qualify for preference adjustments. There is no incumbent contractor currently providing meal provision services, and no historical contract usage, spend information, or existing infrastructure requiring integration has been identified. The solicitation requires bidders to complete all mandatory attachments and forms, including DVBE declarations, payee data records, and client references, with protests subject to filing with both CHP and the Department of General Services prior to contract award. No guaranteed minimum order quantities are specified for the six-month evaluation period, as employees will pay for meals individually at the point of purchase using the vending machine's Point of Sale system; consequently, no invoicing procedures, electronic invoicing systems, or reporting formats are required. No volume increases, optional service expansions, or emergency response and after-hours meal services are anticipated during the agreement term. While no specific contract value or budget range is listed in the solicitation documents, the award will be determined on a competitive low-bid basis for the three meal categories across the three delivery locations.