Milk for Middletown Public Schools

Middletown Public Schools in Middlesex County, Connecticut is seeking proposals through Request for Proposals RFPCAFE 2026-02 for milk products to support school meal programs across ten school sites over a two-year contract period from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, with optional mutual extension provisions. The procurement includes specific milk product deliverables consisting of 1/2-pint 1% milk (2,700 cases), 1/2-pint skim fat-free milk (450 cases), 1/2-pint chocolate fat-free milk (4,000 cases), Lactaid fat-free in 27-count packages (320 cases), 1% milk in gallons (50 cases), half and half (100 quarts), and heavy cream (100 quarts) to support approximately 3,100 lunches, 500 dinners, and 1,800 breakfasts daily. All products must comply with Connecticut Nutrition Standards for Child Nutrition Programs, including specified sodium and sugar limits and whole grain criteria, and must meet Buy American requirements mandating domestic sourcing or substantial processing in the United States using at least 51 percent domestically-grown agricultural commodities. Vendors must provide three references from similarly-sized school districts within the past five years and maintain and repair milk coolers in schools as needed, with a Certificate of Insurance naming the City of Middletown and Middletown Board of Education as additional insureds. Evaluation criteria include price (80%) and customer service (20%), with the option for the Board to conduct presentations or interviews with selected vendors. Proposals must be submitted online through the e-Procurement Portal at https://mpsct.bonfirehub.com by 11:00 AM EST on April 24, 2026, with written questions due by 12:00 PM EST on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, to Christopher Puorro, Purchasing Agent, at puorroc@mpsct.org.

No set-aside designations or disadvantaged enterprise restrictions have been identified in the available solicitation materials, and the procurement is open to all qualified vendors with no incumbent restrictions noted. Deliveries must occur on Mondays and Wednesdays, though alternate days may be considered based on operational needs and incentives, with all deliveries scheduled between 6:30 AM and 2:00 PM and off-loaded by 2:30 PM. Prices must be fixed for one year with the opportunity to refresh pricing in April 2027, provided any increases remain reasonable or the Board reserves the right to re-bid; fuel surcharges are not permitted. The City of Middletown is exempt from federal excise taxes and Connecticut sales and use taxes, which should not be included in proposal prices, and payment terms are established at Net 30 Days. While specific estimated contract values are not provided in the solicitation materials, the scale of the procurement involving multiple milk product types and daily delivery to ten school sites serving approximately 5,400 meals daily indicates a substantial annual commitment over the two-year contract period.