RFP 026-48 Fresh Bakery Products

Meriden Public Schools in Connecticut (New Haven County) issued RFP 026-48 on March 25, 2026, seeking qualified vendors to supply and distribute fresh bakery products to 13 school sites serving 8,200 students across the district. Fresh bakery products are defined as items that have not been previously frozen, are held under 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and are baked within 48 hours of delivery. Deliveries are required up to two days per week (Mondays and Wednesdays, subject to menu cycles) between 6:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at individual school receiving areas, which include nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. Vendors must submit a Technical Proposal Workbook addressing qualifications and service delivery approach, a Cost Proposal Workbook with complete pricing for inside delivery to all school sites, and three compliance documents: a notarized Non-Collusive Bid Statement, a Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension, and a Certification Regarding Lobbying. The evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: Qualifications, Experience and Capacity (15 percent), Service Delivery Approach (25 percent), Cost Proposal (45 percent), and Responsible and Responsive Bidder documentation (15 percent). Key dates include a question submission deadline of March 31, 2026, a proposal due date of April 14, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. EST, and an anticipated contract award date of April 24, 2026. All proposals must be submitted electronically through the City eProcurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/meridenct.

The contract is a fixed-price agreement with no identified set-asides or restrictions on organizational types; however, vendors must comply with USDA Buy American requirements, ensuring that products are either grown and processed in the United States or contain over 51 percent domestically grown agricultural commodities. Vendors must maintain a written HACCP-based Food Safety Program, provide nutrition labels for all products, and maintain an electronic ordering system capable of tracking nutritional information and inventory management. The resulting contract will commence on August 24, 2026, and conclude on June 30, 2027, with an option for renewal through four additional one-year terms, not to exceed five years total. The anticipated contract value for the school year 2026-2027 is approximately $60,000, and pricing must remain valid for 90 days following the proposal due date. Payment will be made by purchase order within 30 days of invoice, with the vendor responsible for all costs including inside delivery to all school sites.