Packaging materials for summer program and the 2026-2027 school year

The Buffalo Public School District is issuing a competitive bid solicitation for packaging materials to support the Child Nutrition Program during the 2026 Summer Program and throughout the 2026-2027 school year, serving all district schools. The procurement includes multiple packaging items: heat-sealing film for containerized meals (approximately 70 units), plastic box lunch trays (approximately 170,000 units), various cardboard shipping and meal containerization boxes (ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 units monthly), expanded polystyrene insulation sets (approximately 12,000 sets), BOPP ovenable film rolls (approximately 100-150 rolls), paper-based compostable trays (ranging from 400,000 to 800,000 units), and heat-seal lidding film (approximately 1,205 rolls total). All deliveries must be made FOB destination to the Child Nutrition facility at 1055 East Delavan Avenue, Buffalo, New York, and bidders must submit samples of each item with their proposals. Bidders are required to provide lead times and have the option to submit dual pricing for certain tray items, including pricing for the tray only and pricing that includes the tray, lidding machine, machine delivery, and one year of machine maintenance. The bid was released on February 16, 2026, with written questions due by March 2, 2026, answers posted by March 6, 2026, and the solicitation closing on March 13, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT. Bids must be submitted through the BPS Bonfire portal at https://buffaloschools.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/221923 with two required bid tables (26/27 School Year BidTable BT-18BX and Summer Program BidTable BT-01HM) in Excel format, along with a Non-Collusive Bidding Certification, insurance certificates, an Equal Opportunity Form, references, and supporting documentation. The initial contract term runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 with no extension options, with a tentative award date of April 15, 2026. Evaluation will be conducted on a lowest-cost basis with the ability to split awards among multiple respondents.

The Buffalo Public School District encourages Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) participation and requires all respondents to complete the Subcontractor Listing and MWBE Utilization Plan form documenting all subcontractors and their MWBE certifications. All vendors must comply with New York State Finance Law restrictions on vendor communication (Article 139-j and 139-k), provide workers' compensation insurance, and maintain public liability and property damage liability insurance with minimum limits of $500,000 per person and $1,000,000 per accident for bodily injury and $300,000 for property damage with contractual liability endorsements covering BPS and the City of Buffalo. No bid bond or performance bond is required, though insurance is mandatory. Prior awardees under the previous contract (BID 25-0626-083) included Buckeye Corrugated, Inc., Oliver Packaging & Equip., Plastic Connections, and Preferred Packaging, indicating these vendors' familiarity with the district's requirements. Respondents must also comply with data sharing and confidentiality requirements for any handling of student data under New York Education Law Section 2-d and federal regulations including FERPA, HIPAA, and IDEA. The procurement documents do not specify a total contract value or budget range, though respondents should note that quoted quantities are estimates and not guaranteed, allowing the district flexibility in actual volume orders throughout the contract period. All submissions must adhere to the district's standard terms and conditions, and the district reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, cancel the offering, negotiate with vendors, award to multiple respondents, or waive non-material requirements.