Request for Bid for Fruit and Vegetable Program

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) has issued Request for Bid 3395 for the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, seeking fresh, local produce snacks for elementary students. The procurement aims to provide approximately 4,700 weekly servings of cut and packaged produce, including sweet potatoes, kohlrabi, carrots, spinach, radishes, cabbage, beets, spring mix lettuce, sweet pepper strips, snap peas, and grape or cherry tomatoes. All products must be sourced within 150 miles of Madison and within Wisconsin, with vendors required to provide detailed documentation on product origin and traceability. The bid submission deadline is November 9, 2017, at 2:00 PM CST, with bids to be submitted in one original plus two copies via mail or delivery service. Evaluation criteria will include 40% cost, 30% geographic preference, 10% product specifications, 10% distance documentation, and 10% traceability documentation. The contract term runs from December 1, 2017, through February 28, 2018, with weekly deliveries scheduled for Thursdays when classes are in session.

The procurement offers additional preference points for diverse-owned businesses certified by the Wisconsin Supplier Diversity Program or participating in the Wisconsin Diversity Procurement Network, potentially receiving an extra 5% scoring advantage. Bidders must comply with affirmative action requirements and provide debarment certifications. Insurance requirements include worker's compensation and commercial liability coverage with minimum limits of $1,000,000. MMSD reserves the right to award the bid in whole or in part and maintains tax-exempt status from Federal Excise Tax and State Sales Tax. The bid allows for both conventional and organic produce pricing, with organic options receiving a $0.20 per pound discount in scoring calculations. While specific budget ranges are not explicitly stated, the comprehensive produce requirements and weekly serving volume suggest a substantial contract value for the selected vendor. All products must be professionally inspected, cleaned, processed, and labeled with delivery date, farm of origin, and a "best by" date to ensure quality and compliance.