Older Californians Nutrition Program

San Bernardino County Department of Aging and Adult Services-Public Guardian (DAAS-PG) issued Request for Proposal HS 25-07 on December 22, 2025, seeking qualified contractors to provide Older Americans Act Title III C – Older Californians Nutrition Program services across six regional service areas: East Valley, Morongo Basin, San Bernardino Mountains, Northwestern Desert, Victor Valley, and West Valley. The procurement encompasses both Congregate Nutrition Services (C-1) and Home-Delivered Nutrition Services (C-2) for eligible individuals aged 60 and older, with deliverables including meal procurement, preparation, transportation, nutrition education, and screening services. Contractors must achieve at least 95% of budgeted unduplicated clients and meals served, provide meals at least five days per week with a minimum of one meal per day per individual, hire a Registered Dietitian, maintain comprehensive food safety and sanitation practices compliant with California Retail Food Code and HACCP standards, provide minimum annual staff training of four hours, and conduct nutrition education at least four times annually. Additional requirements include client intake documentation, nutrition screening, annual client satisfaction surveys, outreach and marketing activities, and full compliance with federal and state requirements including HIPAA, HITECH, and California Department of Aging regulations. Proposals will be evaluated based on qualifications and experience (25%), financial review (10%), technical review (25%), cost/revenue (30%), and references (10%). Critical deadlines include a non-mandatory bidders' conference on January 7, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. via Microsoft Teams, question submission by January 14, 2026 at 4:00 p.m., Letter of Intent submission by January 21, 2026 at 4:00 p.m., and proposal submission by February 2, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. electronically through ePro and via hard copy. Award and denial letters are tentatively scheduled for March 4, 2026, with a tentative contract award date of March 21, 2026.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrict the types of organizations eligible to respond, though prospective contractors must meet specific qualifying criteria including a record of satisfactory performance, minimum three continuous years of experience providing nutrition program services, ability to maintain adequate files and records for statistical reporting, administrative and fiscal capability to manage services with proper audit trail, DUNS number possession, and registration capability on the County's Electronic Procurement Network (ePro). Current contractors must submit proposals to continue services after June 30, 2026. Contractors are required to maintain proof of insurance including General Liability ($1,000,000), Automobile Liability ($1,000,000-$2,000,000 depending on passenger transport), Workers' Compensation, Professional Liability or Errors and Omissions ($1,000,000), Abuse/Molestation Insurance ($1,000,000), and Cyber Liability Insurance ($1,000,000). The contract period runs one year from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with options to extend for three additional one-year periods by mutual agreement, contingent on fund availability and contractor performance. The estimated total budget is $10,200,000 under a cost-reimbursement payment structure, with current average unit rates for home-delivered meals (inclusive of delivery) ranging from $8 to $10 per meal. The program requires an 11.11% match that may be generated through donations, cash contributions, and volunteer time recognized as in-kind.