RFP for Fresh Milk Products

Alamance Burlington Schools (ABSS) in Alamance County, North Carolina, is issuing a Request for Proposals for the procurement of fresh milk products to support daily delivery to 33 K-12 school sites for the 2026-2027 school year, commencing August 15, 2026, and continuing through August 14, 2027, with summer feeding program deliveries required during June, July, and August. The procurement encompasses approximately 2,354,000 units of milk products in eight-ounce carton format, including 1% unflavored milk (400,000 units), skim fat-free milk (27,000 units), skim fat-free chocolate milk (1,700,000 units), skim fat-free strawberry milk (220,000 units), 1% lowfat buttermilk (1,000 units in gallon size), and lactose-free 1% lowfat milk (7,000 units). Daily deliveries are mandatory Monday through Friday between 6:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., with four specific schools requiring deliveries between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. only, and all products must comply with the Nutritional Standards for all Foods Sold in Schools as required by the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Vendors must submit pricing on a per-unit basis with all delivery costs, taxes (except North Carolina sales tax), and discounts included, with prices remaining firm for 30 days after contract start and subject to monthly adjustments based on Class 1 raw milk prices capped at $0.001 per half-pint for each full $0.015 change in raw milk per hundredweight. Required qualifications include proof of insurance covering product liability, general liability, automobile liability, and worker's compensation with ABSS named as additional insured; submission of fourteen required attachments including HACCP plan summaries, debarment certifications, Lunsford Act compliance certifications, food recall procedures, and Iran Divestment Act certifications; criminal background checks on all employees and agents prior to school site access; and processing plant approval ratings from state and local health boards. Award will be based on best value considering purchase price, vendor location and delivery capabilities, past performance, product quality, and successful bid completion rather than lowest price alone. The RFP was issued on April 28, 2026, with a deadline for submitting questions by May 12, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., and proposals due electronically by May 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., with an initial contract term of one year and options to extend for up to four additional one-year increments through mutual agreement.

The RFP documents do not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular types of organizations such as disadvantaged enterprises or Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs), though vendors must provide HUB status documentation as part of their bid submission. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents provided. All bids must comply with federal regulations including 7 CFR Parts 210, 220, 225, and 250, as well as 2 CFR 200 and applicable OMB cost circulars, and vendors must certify compliance with civil rights laws, Buy American provisions, and the Lunsford Act. The procurement documents do not disclose a specific award value or budget range; however, the estimated quantities of approximately 2,354,000 units provide a basis for vendors to calculate potential contract value based on their proposed unit pricing. The school district retains the right to reject any proposal based on deviations from specifications or terms and conditions, to purchase items on the open market not included in the bid, and to disqualify any bid that fails to comply with all submission requirements or includes unauthorized changes to RFP language.