Receipt, Handling, and Storage of USDA Foods For The National School Lunch Program-Service Area 2

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is requesting sealed bids for receipt, handling, storage, and delivery of USDA foods to Recipient Agencies in Service Area 2 under the National School Lunch Program, with bids due June 10, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET and public bid opening on June 11, 2026 at 9:45 a.m. ET.

The contractor will manage inbound freight acceptance, warehouse storage operations with precise temperature controls (ambient/below 80°F for dry items; 50–70°F at 50% humidity for special dry items; 35–41°F for refrigerated items; 0 to –10°F for frozen foods), daily temperature monitoring 365 days per year, inventory management with monthly reporting to FDACS and Recipient Agencies, and outbound delivery Monday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. EST. The contractor must provide adequate delivery vehicles (van trucks, refrigerated trucks, dual-compartment trucks, or frozen food trucks) and maintain 24/7 emergency response availability. USDA foods must be stored separately from non-USDA foods, and the contractor must comply with USDA regulations, state and local food safety codes, and fire safety inspections.

The contractor must hold a current food establishment permit from FDACS Division of Food Safety or equivalent from another state, and maintain commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate, automobile liability insurance of $300,000 any automobile, and workers' compensation insurance with $100,000 minimums per accident and per person. The contractor bears financial responsibility for losses, shortages, damages, and theft exceeding $100 in value after offsets.

Pricing is on a fixed price per case basis for dry items, special dry items, refrigerated items, and frozen items, with separate rates for weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly deliveries, lump sum deliveries, and pick-up by Recipient Agencies. A monthly fuel surcharge adjustment based on the U.S. Department of Energy Weekly Petroleum Status Report applies only to delivered cases.

The contract term is effective upon execution through June 30, 2027, with an option for three one-year renewals at FDACS's sole discretion. Award goes to the responsive and responsible bidder with the lowest Case Price Grand Total. Vendor questions are due May 21, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET. The contractor must submit three references from similar projects completed within the last five years.