Milk and Dairy

Mohave Educational Services Cooperative, Inc., an Arizona-based consortium, is soliciting a Request for Proposal (RFP 26C-0320) for milk and dairy products to serve approximately 480 public agencies statewide, including school districts, cities, counties, state agencies, community colleges, universities, and qualifying nonprofits. The solicitation seeks comprehensive milk and dairy product sourcing, including half-pint cartons, gallons, half-gallons, cream products, cottage cheese, protein beverages, frozen treats, and ice cream sandwiches, with historical usage data provided ranging from single units to over 19 million units for high-volume items. All products must comply with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025, and Arizona Revised Statutes 15-242.01, meeting applicable grade level caloric, sodium, saturated fat, and trans-fat nutritional standards. Milk must be Grade A, homogenized, pasteurized, and vitamin fortified, with deliveries in temperature-controlled vehicles between 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and "Use By" dates of at least ten days from delivery. Pricing shall be based on Federal Market Order #131 for Class I milk at 3.5% butterfat for February 2026, with monthly adjustments tied to USDA Federal Market Order publications. Proposals must be submitted electronically via OpenGov Procurement by March 20, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Arizona time, with a deadline for questions on March 13, 2026, and a pre-proposal conference held on February 20, 2026. Evaluation criteria include pricing (30 points), offer and acceptance documents and terms (25 points), vendor qualifications and experience (20 points), supporting documents (15 points), and additional information demonstrating ability to follow instructions (10 points). Vendors must demonstrate three years of experience in the product category, maintain appropriate licenses and permits, and provide evidence of current insurance coverage with minimum general liability aggregate limits of $2,000,000, financial information demonstrating business stability, and past performance references from at least three Arizona public agencies.

The contract will be awarded to responsive and responsible offerors for an initial one-year term with four potential one-year extension options, allowing for up to five years of contract duration, contingent upon satisfactory performance, continued competitive pricing, and adequate usage by members. All milk and dairy products must be domestically grown and processed in accordance with the William F. Goodling Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998, and vendors must comply with Buy American provisions requiring domestic agricultural commodities comprising at least 51 percent of processed products. Federal compliance obligations apply to all contracts, including equal employment opportunity requirements, E-Verify employment verification compliance, debarment and suspension certifications for contracts exceeding $25,000, and anti-lobbying certifications for contracts exceeding $100,000. Pricing must include Mohave's mandatory 1% administration fee and delivery to member locations statewide, with all prices submitted as firm fixed prices in an unlocked Excel format, though economic price adjustments may be included for unforeseen circumstances beyond the vendor's control and must be approved by Mohave. Vendors must provide comprehensive supporting documentation, including current W-9 forms, USDA Form AD-1048, EDGAR certification, anti-lobbying certifications, and vendor contact information forms. No incumbent vendors or existing contract information is referenced in the solicitation materials, and contract award values are not explicitly stated; pricing is to be determined through the competitive bidding process based on submitted proposals and historical usage data provided for each product category.