RFP - Food Service Management Company for South Umpqua SD #19

South Umpqua School District (SUSD) in Oregon is soliciting proposals from Food Service Management Companies (FSMCs) to operate and manage food service operations for the 2026-2027 school year with potential renewal for four additional one-year terms through June 30, 2031. The district serves approximately 1,366 children across five schools (one K-8, two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school) and prepares approximately 261,969 meals annually through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP), and Special Milk Program (SMP). The FSMC must operate under a fixed-price agreement with compensation based on a fixed rate per meal, with the district retaining full value of USDA Foods through credits or reductions. Proposals are evaluated on seven criteria totaling 150 points: Financial Pro Forma (40 points), Proposed Food, Nutrition and Wellness Programs (25 points), Employee Training and Development Plan (15 points), Community Involvement and Communications Plan (15 points), Depth of Resident Director and Management Resources (20 points), Child Nutrition Experience with Comparable Districts (15 points), and Professional Standards for All School Nutrition Program Employees (20 points). The non-mandatory pre-proposal conference and site visit is scheduled for March 18, 2026 (rescheduled from 8:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. by Addendum No. 1 issued March 11, 2026), RFP questions are due by March 23, 2026, and proposals must be submitted by April 9, 2026, with scoring conducted April 10-17, 2026. Critical requirements include submission of a comprehensive financial pro forma using exact district-provided program information and compliance with Oregon Senate Bill 155 background check requirements; non-management food service employees shall be employees of SUSD with the FSMC responsible for training and employing a qualified, on-site Food Service Supervisor subject to district approval.

The RFP documents do not identify specific set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or incumbent vendor information. The FSMC must guarantee that food service operations achieve financial break-even with generated program revenues covering fixed price per meal costs plus the district's direct and indirect costs; the current district indirect cost rate is 4.92% for fiscal year 2025-26. No specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the RFP materials. The anticipated timeline includes notification of the apparent successful proposer on April 20, 2026, a post-selection review period ending April 27, 2026, school board approval on June 3, 2026, state agency approval by June 10, 2026, and contract execution by June 18, 2026. Interested parties should contact Shy Chapman, Director of Fiscal Services at South Umpqua School District, at Shy.Chapman@susd.k12.or.us or 541-863-3115 ext. 56019 for further information.