School Nutrition Programs Food Service Management Company School Year 2026-2027

Gatesville Independent School District (ISD) in Texas is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure Food Service Management Company (FSMC) services for comprehensive school nutrition program operations during the 2026-2027 school year. The procurement encompasses management of food service operations across five campus locations serving Pre-K through 12th grade students, including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, After-School Care Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, and ancillary non-program activities such as catering and concessions. The successful FSMC must provide self-prep meal preparation at all five sites with breakfast and lunch service during regular school days and summer programming. Required qualifications include demonstrated years of experience in school nutrition programs, financial stability, comprehensive insurance coverage (including $5,000,000 general liability, $1,000,000 automobile liability, and $15,000,000 excess umbrella coverage), compliance with Buy American provisions and federal civil rights requirements, and ability to work within established 21-day menu cycles. Evaluation criteria are weighted at 100 total points, with cost allocation carrying a minimum of 25 points as the primary factor, supplemented by years of experience (10 points), financial guarantee offerings (5 points), service capacity plan (10 points), student engagement promotion (10 points), accounting and reporting systems (10 points), personnel management (10 points), and financial stability/business plan (10 points). A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for February 12, 2026, at 2:00 PM CST at the Gatesville ISD Administrative Office, and proposals are due by 3:00 PM CST on March 3, 2026, submitted as two hardcopies plus one electronic copy to LeighAnn Goodwin, Assistant Superintendent of Finance.

The contract will commence on July 1, 2026, and terminate on June 30, 2027, with renewal options available for up to four additional one-year periods contingent on mutual agreement and Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) approval, with all contracts subject to TDA execution and approval prior to commencement. The Gatesville ISD currently maintains approximately 28 food service positions that will be retained by the district, with the FSMC required to hire only the Food Service Director position, indicating minimal disruption to existing workforce infrastructure. A financial guarantee of $45,000.00 is required for the contract period. Pricing shall be submitted as fixed per-meal rates for each program type calculated without considering USDA Foods value, with meal equivalency factors applied to non-program revenue. The SFA projects total revenues of $2,074,706.00 against estimated expenses of $2,028,642.00 for the 2026-2027 school year based on 169 service days and 2025-2026 reimbursement rates, suggesting a potential award value in this operational budget range. No specific set-aside designations or restrictions on bidder types are identified in the procurement documentation.