S. A. M. CO-OP 2026-2027

The Southern Appalachian Mountains Food Buying Co-Op (SAM CO-OP), a consortium comprising 19 Virginia school districts, one Tennessee school district, and the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail System, is soliciting sealed bids for the procurement of cafeteria food and supplies to serve 155 facilities with a combined population of 61,421 individuals. The procurement covers the contract period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with options for up to four successive one-year renewals by mutual written agreement. The co-op currently serves approximately 29,136 breakfast meals, 40,826 lunch meals, and 4,699 dinner meals daily, requiring comprehensive frozen food offerings including chicken products, beef items, pork and turkey products, fish, frozen pizzas, breakfast items, potato products, grain items, vegetables, frozen juices, and dairy products. All products must comply with federal nutrition standards under the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, maintain zero grams of trans-fat per serving, meet Virginia's color additive restrictions effective July 1, 2027, and be domestic in origin per Buy American provisions with limited exceptions requiring documentation. Delivery requirements mandate Monday through Friday service between 6:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., with a minimum of one delivery per week for most facilities and two weekly deliveries for Bristol Virginia City Schools and Regional Jails, with products delivered directly to cafeteria and food preparation areas. Sealed bids must be received by Tracy Webster at 1570 West Reservoir Street, Wytheville, VA 24382, by May 6, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., at which time bids will be publicly opened. Bidders must submit firm unit prices for each item that remain constant for one-year periods, with subsequent adjustments based on the Producer Price Index for All Finished Consumer Foods not exceeding the PPI percentage change plus 5 percent, and award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.

The SAM CO-OP may exercise discretionary award authority to select reasonably priced DSBSD-certified small business or minority-owned business bidders other than the lowest priced bidder. All bidders must submit required certifications including Independent Price Determination/Non-Collusion, Debarment and Suspension, Lobbying, Buy American Exceptions documentation where applicable, State Corporation Commission documentation, Sex Offender Statements, Clean Air and Water Certificates, and Civil Rights Assurance Statements, along with proof of appropriate insurance coverage and nutrition facts panels for all food products. No specific incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents. The detailed bid specifications document identifies multiple pre-approved equivalent brands for each line item, allowing bidders flexibility in sourcing while maintaining established nutritional and quality standards. No specific budget range or estimated award value is provided in the posted materials; however, estimated annual quantities for individual line items range from 200 to over 300,000 servings or cases depending on the product category. Interested bidders should direct inquiries to Tracy Webster at 276-228-5411 or twebster@wythek12.org, or to Kathy Hicks, SNS SAM Co-Op Administrator, at 276-492-9743 or samcoop2024@gmail.com prior to the May 6, 2026, bid deadline.