Milk Bid, School Food Service

The Washtenaw and Livingston Schools Cooperative Milk Purchasing Program is soliciting sealed bids for the supply and delivery of half-pint cartons of milk to 38 participating school locations across Washtenaw and Livingston counties in Michigan. The cooperative seeks quotations for seven milk varieties: 1% low-fat white, 1% low-fat chocolate, 1% low-fat strawberry, fat-free vanilla, fat-free chocolate, fat-free strawberry, and fat-free white milk. All milk must be Grade A pasteurized and homogenized with specified vitamin fortification levels, with an estimated annual volume of approximately 1.4 million 8-ounce units across all varieties. Deliveries are required at least twice weekly before 10:00 a.m. to all school locations. Sealed bids were due May 15, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. EST, with public opening and reading scheduled immediately thereafter at 11:05 a.m. The contract period runs from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, with the milk bid committee reserving the right to extend the contract through June 30, 2020. Bidders may submit standard fixed pricing or adjustable pricing based on Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) raw milk price fluctuations, with restrictions that no price increases unrelated to MMPA announcements are permitted during the bid period; vendors must provide at least 21 days' written notice for increases and 10 days' notice for decreases. The cooperative welcomes pricing that excludes refrigeration costs as well as alternative pricing that includes refrigeration lease or rental options, with each school to be billed separately and delivery slips required to show total price per school.

The bid documents do not identify any set-aside designations or restrictions specific to disadvantaged enterprises or particular organization types. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the provided bid specifications. The milk bid committee reserves the right to award the contract to other than the low bidder in the interests of the school district, indicating that evaluation criteria extend beyond price alone. Bids must be submitted on the provided bid form without modifications, though comments or conditions that exceed minimum specifications are acceptable; however, any conditions that reduce specifications will render the bid non-responsive. The specific budget allocation or award value is not disclosed in the procurement documents provided. Any cooperating school may terminate its agreement with 30 days' written notice for unsatisfactory price, service, or other related problems, providing flexibility for participating districts should performance issues arise.