Food Service Management Company

KIPP Texas Public Schools, a School Food Authority operating charter schools across Houston, Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio, is soliciting proposals from food service management companies (FSMCs) to operate the U.S. Department of Agriculture School Nutrition Programs for the 2026-2027 school year through Request for Proposal RFP-2526-003. The procurement encompasses management of the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and related nutrition services across multiple school sites. The contract term runs July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with options to renew for up to four additional one-year periods subject to Texas Department of Agriculture approval and satisfactory contract performance. Proposals are due April 9, 2026, at 11:00 AM CST, with mandatory pre-proposal meetings scheduled for March 12, 2026, in Houston and San Antonio, and March 16, 2026, in Dallas. The fixed-price contract evaluation allocates 25 points to cost, 10 points to years of experience in school nutrition programs, 5-15 points to financial guarantee offerings, 15 points to taste testing presentation and results, 10 points to references, and remaining points to financial stability, business plan quality, personnel management capability, and Child Nutrition Program promotion. FSMCs must provide a $150,000 financial guarantee to ensure the Nonprofit School Food Service Account maintains breakeven status and must comply with all federal and state nutrition program regulations, menu requirements, sanitation and health certifications, USDA Foods management, and specified employee staffing levels.

All prospective FSMCs must be registered with the Texas Department of Agriculture and included on the approved FSMC Vendor List prior to proposal submission. Proposals must be submitted through the Bonfire procurement system or via hardcopy delivery to KIPP Texas at the specified address, and all submissions must include completed exhibits, certifications, and a signed cover letter following specified formatting requirements. No cost-plus-percentage contracts are permitted, and all revenue from meal sales, federal and state reimbursements, USDA Foods credits, and other sources must accrue exclusively to the School Food Service Account with no offsetting to the FSMC. Vendors responding to this opportunity must also complete KIPP Texas's comprehensive vendor packet, which includes nine required documents addressing federal compliance certifications, debarment and suspension checks, anti-lobbying certifications, background checks for service personnel with student contact, equal employment opportunity commitments, and other federal requirements applicable to expenditure of federal funds. The RFP does not specify an award value or budget range, though the contract's financial structure centers on the $150,000 guarantee requirement and the allocation of all meal revenues to the nonprofit account. Prospective vendors should contact vendor.info@kipptexas.org for questions regarding the procurement or vendor onboarding process.