RFP #FY26-923 Food Service Mgmt

The North Middlesex Regional School District in Massachusetts (Middlesex County, West Concord CDP) is seeking proposals from qualified food service management companies through Request for Proposal #FY26-923 for fiscal year 2026. The procuring district seeks a food service management contractor to operate dining services across six schools: Squannacook, Spaulding, Varnum Brook, Hawthorne Brook, Nissitissit, and North Middlesex High School. Key deliverables include comprehensive food service operation and management services, with the contractor responsible for meal preparation, service delivery, and cafeteria operations while the district retains responsibility for equipment repairs, pest control, and capital improvements. The contractor must accommodate the existing special education Gateway Program, which operates a limited student-run cafe approximately once weekly, without treating it as competitive with the contracted food service. Critical operational requirements include managing varying tray specifications across schools (reusable trays at three schools and compostable trays at three schools), accounting for approximately 25-30 senior students who may leave campus daily under Open Campus privileges, and ensuring seven full-time employees with healthcare and dental benefits are maintained at district-specified compensation levels. Sealed price and non-price proposals are required pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30B Section 6, with proposals due by 1:00 p.m. local time on Monday, March 23, 2026, submitted to the district office at 19 Main Street, Townsend, MA 01469, addressed to Nancy Haines. A mandatory pre-bid meeting occurred on February 25, 2026 at 1:00 p.m., with an optional building tour following; RFP documents became available February 23, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. from Kevin Cormier (kcormier@nmrsd.org), and written questions were required to be submitted by March 4, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Multiple amendments were issued to clarify procurement terms and requirements, which bidders must acknowledge and incorporate into their proposals. The contract will be awarded to the responsible and responsive vendor offering the most advantageous proposal.

The RFP documents do not specify set-aside designations, minority-owned business enterprise (MBE) requirements, women-owned business enterprise (WBE) requirements, or restrictions limiting responses to particular organizational types. The incumbent contractor information is not disclosed in the available documentation, though the current food service structure has been in place since August 31, 2010. The contract term is one year with four renewal options, providing a potential five-year contract opportunity subject to satisfactory performance and mutual agreement. No specific contract value or funding amount is detailed in the legal notice or available documents; however, bidders must include the cost of healthcare and dental benefits for seven full-time employees in their financial proposals as specified in the RFP. The district does not own food service-related vehicles, though district vehicles may be used for equipment transportation. The district accepts electronic signatures on documents under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 110G, Section 7, allowing for flexible document execution methods.