Pre-qualification of vendors for "food"

Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners' Purchasing Department issued Request for Pre-Qualification #17-012/KP on December 15, 2016, for the supply of perishable and non-perishable food items to establish a pre-qualified vendor list for an anticipated 60-month term contract. The procurement encompasses fresh, frozen, and canned goods, bread and bakery items, milk and dairy products, produce, meats, poultry, seafood, and miscellaneous grocery items, with vendors able to indicate capability to supply in bulk, non-bulk, or retail formats. Pre-qualified vendors will be notified on an as-needed basis to submit written price quotes for individual projects, with awards made on a project-by-project basis to the lowest responsive and responsible vendor. Required qualifications include current Business Tax Receipts, registration in Palm Beach County's Vendor Self Service system, Commercial General Liability Insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence, Business Auto Liability Insurance of $500,000 combined single limit, and Workers' Compensation Insurance in accordance with Florida Statute Chapter 440. All deliveries must be accompanied by current Health Department inspection reports and USDA grading certificates for applicable food items, with specific temperature requirements for frozen items (0-5 degrees Fahrenheit), refrigerated items (35-45 degrees Fahrenheit), and dry goods (70-75 degrees Fahrenheit), and must occur within five business days of order receipt. The submission deadline for pre-qualification responses was January 12, 2017, at 4:00 p.m., with no site visits or bidder conferences mentioned. Pricing must be fixed and firm for ten days from quotation submittal, with all costs including supervision, equipment, materials, transportation, and delivery included in the quoted price on an F.O.B. destination basis.

The procurement includes Small Business Enterprise (SBE) preference provisions allowing certified SBE vendors within 10% of the lowest bid to receive award consideration, and Local Preference provisions providing 5% price adjustments to local vendors or Glades businesses. Individual projects under this term contract cannot exceed $99,999, with projects at or above $100,000 requiring separate formal competitive sealed bid solicitation. The estimated total funding value for the anticipated 60-month term contract is $1,750,000. No incumbent vendors or current contractors were identified in the solicitation documents. Vendors assume all transportation responsibility and liability, with all deliveries designated as F.O.B. destination, requiring proper temperature-controlled delivery to maintain food safety and quality standards established by regulatory agencies.