Milk, Dairy and Juice Products

The State of Delaware, Office of Management and Budget, Government Support Services is procuring milk, dairy products, and assorted juice items for delivery to state agencies, schools, political subdivisions, volunteer fire companies, and eligible non-profit food program sponsors through Invitation to Bid GSS26036-MILK_DAIRY. The procurement encompasses Grade A pasteurized homogenized fluid milk in multiple varieties (whole, lowfat, and nonfat), chocolate milk options, and dairy products including butter, buttermilk, cream products, lactose-free milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and string cheese, along with shelf-stable juices and tea drinks. All products must meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards and State of Delaware Food Code requirements, with vendors responsible for ensuring proper temperature control (delivery at or below 41 degrees Fahrenheit), freshness (minimum eight days remaining before expiration), safe labeling, and timely delivery by 8:30 a.m. to schools unless otherwise arranged. Vendors must submit State Board of Health plant inspection reports, provide HACCP program certification, supply nutritional data sheets for all items, comply with USDA nutrition standards including limits on added sugars in yogurt and flavored milk effective July 1, 2025, and carry Commercial General Liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate and Product Liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate. The Invitation to Bid was released March 18, 2026, with written questions due by March 25, 2026 at 4:30 p.m., written answers to be posted by April 8, 2026, and bids due April 16, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time through the online portal at https://gss.bonfirehub.com/, with public bid opening occurring April 16, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. and contract award anticipated within 30 days.

The contract contains no guaranteed minimum quantities or values, and past usage shall not be considered a guarantee of future volume, with pricing to remain firm for the initial contract term through July 31, 2027, though vendors may offer lower pricing at any time. Monthly milk product pricing may adjust based on the USDA Class I bulk milk price for the Northeast Marketing Area, while other products may adjust quarterly based on the Producer Price Index for Farm Products, subject to submission windows and approval by Government Support Services. All prices must be quoted F.O.B. destination with freight pre-paid in U.S. dollars, with no service fees, minimum order charges, or return fees permitted. The solicitation requires submission of completed vendor forms including a notarized non-collusion statement, vendor information sheets, business references demonstrating similar experience, confidentiality forms for proprietary information, and exceptions forms for any proposed deviations from terms and conditions, with successful vendors required to report monthly usage details and quarterly subcontracting information for diversity supplier participation and establish eMarketplace catalog functionality. Three optional one-year renewal periods are available through negotiation initiated at least 90 days prior to contract expiration, and successful vendors must maintain local or toll-free phone service and comply with all applicable federal and state procurement regulations including prevailing wage determinations and environmental compliance standards. No bid bonds or performance bonds are required, and no specific award value range is listed in the solicitation materials.