Paper Products - Student Nutrition Services (SNS)

Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) on behalf of The School Board of Hillsborough County, Florida, is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors to establish an annual cost-plus fixed delivery fee contract for the delivery of paper products to approximately 219 school sites supporting the National School Breakfast and National School Lunch programs administered by Student Nutrition Services (SNS). The procurement encompasses a comprehensive range of food service paper products including food storage bags, containers, trays, cups, lids, wraps, utensils, gloves, cleaning supplies, hairnets, and related items, with estimated annual quantities spanning from 10 units for specialized items to 52,500 units for lunch trays and a total estimated annual extended cost of $193,221 across 114 line items. The selected vendor must provide weekly deliveries to school sites during the regular school year with delivery timeframes varying by site type between 6:00 AM and 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday, and must offer inside delivery, electronic ordering capability, monthly price and usage reports, and maintain product quality standards aligned with USDA guidelines. Additional requirements include accepting proprietary and logo products at cost from the incumbent vendor without additional pick-up fees by June 22, 2026, and maintaining at least two designated delivery drivers with permanent MacDill Air Force Base passes for the Tinker K-8 School location with all associated pass fees paid by the contractor. The RFP was broadcast on January 16, 2026, with the final deadline for technical questions on January 30, 2026, at 12:00 PM, proposals are due February 27, 2026, at 5:00 PM via www.myvendorlink.com, review is scheduled for March 2, 2026, and the estimated award date is June 2, 2026, with contract commencement on July 1, 2026. The initial contract term extends through the end of the first anniversary month with options to automatically renew for up to four additional one-year periods contingent upon appropriations, contractor performance, and continued need for services, and a temporary renewal period not to exceed 180 days may be negotiated if needed; initial cost prices remain firm through December 30, 2026, after which prices may adjust every six months effective July 1 and January 1 with SNS District Office approval.

The contract is funded entirely by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) federal funds with an estimated annual budget of $5,800,000 and zero percent state, local, or non-federal funding, with the incumbent contract (RFP 20126-DST-IV) expiring June 30, 2026, with no renewals available. All proposers must comply with extensive federal compliance requirements including USDA certifications regarding lobbying activities, drug-free workplace requirements, non-collusion affidavits, debarment verifications, Buy American provisions mandating domestic product preference with non-domestic food purchases capped at ten percent beginning in fiscal year 2025-26, and compliance with multiple federal statutes addressing civil rights, environmental standards, and equal employment opportunity. Vendors must complete vendor registration with HCPS, provide a Substitute W-9 for tax reporting, and certify that they are not debarred from federal contracting; small business enterprises and minority-owned businesses may qualify for enhanced payment terms of net 45 days or "pay upon approval" options, and service-disabled veterans, small or small local business enterprises, and minority-owned businesses are encouraged to apply. Vendors must demonstrate capability to manage deliveries across the geographically dispersed 219-school district spanning multiple municipalities within Hillsborough County and must be prepared to integrate with existing HCPS equipment and dispensers, with certain manufacturers required to provide replacement dispensers at no charge to all school sites where equivalent brands are proposed for items with existing equipment compatibility requirements. The contract includes standard payment terms of net 45 days under Florida's Prompt Payment Act with a 120-day deadline for final invoice submission, and contractors must disclose all discounts, rebates, and credits, which reduce net costs billed to HCPS; failure to comply with federal funding requirements and contractual obligations may result in contract termination, financial penalties, deduction of excess costs, and prohibition from future HCPS business for a minimum of two years.