Milk Bid Certification

Iredell Statesville Schools School Nutrition Department is seeking bids for a milk supply contract covering the 2025-2026 school year, with a specific procurement for dairy products across multiple milk varieties. The bid solicitation requires vendors to provide 1,250,000 half-pint cartons of chocolate skim milk, 400,000 half-pint cartons of low-fat (1%) milk, 100,000 half-pint cartons of strawberry skim milk, and 4,500 half-pint cartons or bottles of lactose-free milk. Vendors must submit physical sealed bids marked "Milk School Year 25-26" with their company name by April 9, 2025 at 9:00 A.M., to be opened at the Iredell Statesville Schools Cats Building located at 350 Old Murdock Road in Troutman, NC. Electronic bids will not be accepted, and all submissions require a mandatory ink signature on the bid certification form. The contract will run from August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026, with delivery frequencies negotiable between 2-3 deliveries per week based on individual school size and storage capacity. Evaluation criteria will include vendor reputation, product quality, delivery capabilities, past performance, student preferences, and overall best value.

The procurement appears to have no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, though vendors must comply with federal regulations including the "Buy American" provision requiring over 51% of processed food products to be produced and processed in the United States. Vendors must provide comprehensive product specifications, including manufacturer, brand, and portion size, and comply with civil rights laws, energy efficiency standards, and submit necessary certifications regarding debarment, lobbying, and non-collusion. The contract allows for price adjustments up to four times between October 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026, with vendors required to submit market value documentation 15 days prior to any proposed price change. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, the total estimated milk product usage suggests a substantial procurement volume. Vendors must also be prepared to manage facility access, potentially holding keys and resetting alarms for deliveries outside standard hours, and must conduct criminal background checks for employees working on school property.