Pudding Mix, Pudding Ready to Serve, Gelatin

The State of California Department of General Services Procurement Division is issuing an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for the establishment of statewide contracts to supply instant pudding mix, gelatin dessert powder, and ready-to-serve pudding products to California state departments and institutions. The procurement encompasses three distinct product groups: Group 1 (Pudding Mix) with an estimated annual spending of $300,562.52; Group 2 (Gelatin, Non-chill Vegetarian) with estimated annual spending of $195,993.00; and Group 3 (Pudding Ready to Serve) with estimated annual spending of $478,122.97. Pudding mix must be available in minimum flavors of chocolate, vanilla, lemon, and butterscotch, sized to mix with one or two gallons of milk producing at least thirty-two four-ounce servings per gallon, with less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving and only FDA-approved natural color additives permitted. Gelatin products must be vegetarian, non-chill powder desserts available in at least four of six specified flavors (cherry, lemon, lime, orange, raspberry, strawberry) in both regular and sugar-free options, capable of producing no less than one gallon of finished product and setting within three hours at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Ready-to-serve pudding must be shelf-stable, processed in sealed cans or plastic containers in flavors of banana, butterscotch, chocolate, lemon, tapioca, and vanilla, offered in both #10 bulk cans and 3.5-ounce individual serving containers with minimum 120-day shelf life post-delivery. All products must comply with Current Good Manufacturing Practice standards (21 CFR 110), Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requirements, and applicable USDA or CDFA food safety regulations. Bids are due by May 14, 2026, at 2:00 PM PT via email to CMU@dgs.ca.gov, with a mandatory Bidders' Conference scheduled for May 6, 2026, at 2:00 PM PT via Microsoft Teams, and a public cost opening on May 14, 2026, at 2:15 PM PT via Microsoft Teams. The resulting contracts will have an initial term of two years with two optional one-year extension periods, with firm fixed pricing for the entire contract term and no price adjustments allowed, quoted on the State's Pricing Worksheet with F.O.B. destination terms and freight prepaid by the contractor.

The solicitation includes optional socioeconomic set-asides and preferences, including a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) incentive program, a five percent small business preference, a five percent non-small business subcontractor preference requiring 25 percent certified small business participation, and Target Area Contract Preference Act (TACPA) preference eligibility for qualified bidders. Bidders must comply with California food safety certification requirements, provide manufacturer agreement letters if not the manufacturer, hold appropriate state licenses or USDA certifications, and submit product literature with nutrition facts labels and food safety information for all companies in the distribution chain including manufacturers, warehouses, and the bidder. Contractors must provide customer service with office and personnel resources available weekdays 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PT, accept orders via email, facsimile, and mail, and maintain minimum delivery quantities of 30 cases for Group 1, 10 cases for Group 2, and $250 for Group 3. Award will be made by individual group, with bidders required to bid all line items within a group to be considered for that group's award, and the State reserves the right to conduct random sample compliance reviews post-award and may eliminate specific line items. Contractors must submit monthly reporting on contract usage, small business and DVBE participation, and aging debt, with the State retaining the right to inspect and test products at delivery and requiring suppliers to bear all costs associated with third-party laboratory testing and replacement of non-conforming merchandise if products fail to meet specifications or appear substandard.