RFP Food

The Polk School District Nutrition Services in Peach County, Georgia is seeking qualified vendors to provide commercial food supply and distribution services through RFP #2026-4. The procurement covers food products for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program across ten school sites, including six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools located in Cedartown and Rockmart, Georgia. Deliverables include a comprehensive range of food products across multiple categories including meats, dairy, grains, fruits, vegetables, beverages, condiments, and specialty items, all of which must meet strict USDA compliance standards, Child Nutrition labeling requirements, and Buy American provisions requiring domestic products comprising over 51% of U.S. agricultural commodities by weight or volume. Required qualifications include demonstrated K-12 food service experience, HACCP plan maintenance, food recall procedures, biosecurity protocols compliant with FDA and USDA standards, and the ability to provide nutritional information, allergen documentation, and CN labels. Key objectives include ensuring consistent Monday through Friday delivery from 6:00 AM to 1:30 PM EST with F.O.B. arrangements, maintaining firm pricing throughout the contract period (with potential annual escalation capped at 5% supported by third-party documentation), and supporting USDA Foods utilization. Evaluation criteria total 200 possible points, divided among experience and capabilities (30 points), services provided and operational procedures (50 points), exceptions and proposed alternatives (50 points), and price (70 points). Critical deadlines include a final written questions deadline of April 3, 2026, sealed proposals due April 14, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST, an evaluation period from April 14 through May 11, 2026, and an award recommendation to the Board of Education scheduled for May 12, 2026. The contract period runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with optional extension of up to three months at the same pricing and potential renewal for up to four additional one-year terms contingent on vendor performance.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting response eligibility to disadvantaged enterprises or other specific organization types. Current awarded vendors identified in the procurement documents include Samples Foods, Osborn, and CM Tanner, which appear to have held previous contracts for school nutrition services. The existing infrastructure requires successful integration with the district's ordering processes, including web-based accessibility for vendors to manage orders and lead times, and compatibility with real-time reporting capabilities for inventory management and invoice reconciliation. Vendors must also demonstrate capability to support USDA Foods utilization and provide value-added services such as menu planning assistance, product demonstrations, culinary support, and farm-to-school initiative assistance. The procurement documents do not specify an explicit budget range or award value; however, proposals exceeding $25,000 must include debarment and suspension verification, and those exceeding $100,000 must include lobbying certification, suggesting the contract value may exceed these thresholds. The SFA reserves the right to award one or multiple vendors and may terminate contracts for cause with thirty days' notice or for convenience with sixty days' notice.