MPA 533 OE Food Products Spot Opportunity Buy Program

The State of Rhode Island Division of Purchases has issued an Open Enrollment Vendor Assessment (OEV) solicitation (OEV22000713) to establish a Master Price Agreement (MPA) for food products through a Spot Buy Opportunity Buy Program for the Rhode Island Department of Corrections Central Distribution Center. This procurement seeks to create a qualified vendor list for food product purchases on an as-needed basis, with vendors evaluated on a pass/fail basis and selected for specific projects based on factors such as price, expertise, and availability. The solicitation is open from August 24, 2021, to September 30, 2021, with a vendor Q&A period running from August 24 to September 7, 2021. All submissions must be made electronically through the Ocean State Procures system, and vendors must provide pricing information, complete vendor certification forms, and meet specific qualifications. The contract terms include delivery on a Free On Board Destination basis, with payment terms specified by individual vendors. Vendors will be required to respond to mini-bid requests for specific food product purchases, with no guaranteed minimum purchasing activity.

The solicitation includes a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, mandating that a minimum of 10% of the total procurement dollar value must be awarded to certified Minority-Owned (MBE), Women-Owned (WBE), and Veteran-Owned (VBE) Business Enterprises. Vendors must maintain specific insurance coverage, including $1 million in liability coverage, workers compensation, $1 million in automobile liability, and $2 million in professional liability coverage. The contract will be subject to a 1% administrative fee on all purchase orders, effective January 1, 2020, which will support the state's eProcurement system. The MPA has statewide applicability and can be utilized by political subdivisions, including municipalities, higher education institutions, schools, and quasi-public agencies. While no specific contract value is provided, the open-ended nature of the agreement allows for flexibility in purchasing. The Division of Purchases reserves the right to review vendor qualifications continuously, renew the agreement annually, or cancel it at their discretion, with the ability to remove vendors from the qualified list if they are non-responsive.