Purchase of School Nutrition Food Items and Distribution Services

Fulton County Schools in Georgia, the fourth-largest school system in the nation serving approximately 88,000 students across 104 schools, seeks qualified vendors through Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 180-26 to supply school nutrition food items and distribution services to approximately 93-94 schools within the district. The procurement encompasses delivery of a wide range of food products including main entrees, beverages, and grocery/staple items, with deliveries restricted to 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and required within 30 workdays from the purchase order date. This is a Requirements Contract with no guaranteed minimum purchase quantities, structured with a base contract period followed by four optional one-year renewal periods at FCS's sole discretion. Prospective vendors must submit sealed digital proposals through Euna Procurement (Bonfire) by 2:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 5, 2026, with an optional pre-proposal conference scheduled for Monday, February 9, 2026, and questions due by 4:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Successful vendors must provide pricing that remains firm for each contract year on an F.O.B. destination basis (including all delivery, unloading, and drayage costs), comply with Buy American provisions requiring domestic commodities or products processed in the United States using over 51 percent domestic agricultural commodities, obtain comprehensive insurance coverage including Workers' Compensation and Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 each occurrence, and adhere to federal USDA regulations, HACCP standards, food recall procedures, and the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act.

There are no identified set-asides or restrictions limiting vendor participation based on disadvantaged enterprise status or organization type; however, all prospective vendors must complete extensive compliance documentation including notarized Immigration and Security Forms with E-Verify registration, Debarment and Suspension Certification, Lobbying Certification (required for contracts exceeding $100,000 in federal funds), Civil Rights Assurance, and Buy American Justification Forms. Vendors may propose modifications or exceptions to RFP terms using prescribed forms, though substantive modifications that materially deviate from the RFP terms may result in point deductions during evaluation and could render proposals nonresponsive. The RFP documentation does not identify any incumbent vendor or current contractor, nor does it specify estimated contract values or budget ranges; payment will be made within 30 days of satisfactory delivery and invoice receipt, with monthly invoicing to the FCS Accounting Office. Pricing must support an annual contract with only one price increase permitted per item during the contract period, contingent upon manufacturer documentation confirming discontinuation and uniform price increases across all customers. All subcontractors must comply with identical federal work authorization, debarment, civil rights, and security requirements, with notarized subcontractor affidavits required within five business days of contract execution.