Invitation To Bid for Food Services

The Harnett County Department of Public Health is soliciting sealed bids for food service provision to support the Harnett County Elderly Nutrition Program, serving individuals aged sixty and older through congregate and home-delivered meals across nine nutrition sites located in Dunn, Erwin, Coats, Angier, Lillington, Shawtown, Anderson Creek, Johnsonville, and Mamers. The selected food service provider (caterer) will be responsible for preparing and delivering approximately 212 daily meals (48 congregate and 164 home-delivered) Monday through Friday, excluding approximately ten designated holidays, with meals meeting one-third of daily recommended dietary allowances and adhering to detailed nutritional standards established under Title III-C of the Older Americans Act. The contract period runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, with Harnett County retaining the unilateral right to extend the agreement for two additional one-year terms under identical conditions. Bidders must submit sealed bids by 2:00 p.m. on May 29, 2026 (extended from May 25, 2026, to accommodate the Memorial Day holiday) to the Harnett County Resource Center and Library, and must provide unit pricing separately for congregate and home-delivered meals with taxes shown as a separate line item. Required qualifications include maintenance of a Grade A sanitation rating from the local Health Department, comprehensive insurance coverage including commercial general liability of $2 million per occurrence and $3 million aggregate, automobile liability of $1 million combined single limit, and workers' compensation with statutory amounts, along with submission of a performance bond equal to 100 percent of the estimated two-year project cost. The caterer must comply with strict delivery schedules to nine designated sites with penalties of $1.00 per meal for deliveries delayed twenty minutes or more, maintain proper food temperatures (135 degrees Fahrenheit or above for hot foods, 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below for cold foods), utilize only USDA-inspected meats and approved produce, supply all food carriers and serving equipment, and maintain detailed records documenting raw food purchases of U.S.-grown or produced food equivalent to current NSIP rates for five years.

The bid packet does not identify any specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular types of organizations, disadvantaged enterprises, or minority-owned businesses, nor does it reference any incumbent vendors or current contractors. No existing infrastructure or technology integration requirements are specified in the procurement documents. The contract is contingent upon receipt of sufficient funds from Harnett County, Mid-Carolina Council of Governments, and other funding sources, with the North Carolina Division of Aging responsible for menu approval and compliance oversight. The specific award value or budget range for this procurement is not disclosed in the available bid documents; however, the solicitation requires bidders to submit a performance bond equal to 100 percent of the estimated two-year project cost, which would reflect the total contract value. Interested vendors should note that Harnett County reserves the right to increase or decrease meal quantities based on demand and available funds, with notification provided by 2:00 p.m. each serving day, indicating budget flexibility throughout the contract term.