School Nutrition - Supply Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) in Virginia is issuing a Request for Proposal to solicit sealed proposals from qualified contractors to supply fresh fruits and vegetables for the school division's nutrition program across 10 schools (6 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high schools). The scope of work requires contractors to furnish all labor, equipment, and supervision necessary for inside delivery of fresh produce on an as-needed basis, with weekly deliveries required between 7:00 AM and 2:00 PM and no deliveries permitted on weekends or during HCPS holidays. Pricing must be submitted on the required Price List (Attachment M) on an FOB destination basis, with all prices remaining firm throughout the initial contract term and including all charges for fulfillment. Contractors must provide weekly price lists identifying items as locally grown and noting any Virginia-grown produce. The procurement is for an initial one-year term beginning July 1, 2026, with four optional one-year renewal periods, and the proposal closing date is May 12, 2026, at 12:00 PM (noon), with the final day for questions set at May 5, 2026. Evaluation criteria include pricing (15 points), years of experience (5 points), references (10 points), HACCP plan (10 points), Virginia farm usage (10 points), computerized pricing lists (5 points), product and market updates (5 points), invoicing capability (5 points), delivery schedule compliance (15 points), delivery handling (15 points), and prior HCPS experience (5 points). HCPS emphasizes preference for pesticide and herbicide-free products and local Virginia produce, with the ability to provide local sourcing noted as an evaluation criterion, and reserves the right to obtain comparative pricing from full-service food distributors, purchase from local suppliers outside the contract, obtain items from approved Department of Defense suppliers, and make on-site visits to assess contractor capabilities.

The procurement is subject to Virginia Public Procurement Act requirements and includes special terms and conditions for contracts using state and federal funds, including Buy American provisions requiring domestic products to comprise over 51 percent of food products, with non-domestic purchases capped at 10 percent of total annual commercial food costs by July 1, 2025. Payment terms require monthly billing statements submitted no later than the fifth of each month detailing contract numbers, delivery tickets, order numbers, and costs by school location. No mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled, and no incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available documentation. The specific award value or budget range is not disclosed in the RFP summary provided. Interested contractors should be prepared to demonstrate their capability to meet HCPS's requirements for consistent, timely delivery of quality produce while prioritizing locally sourced and Virginia-grown products that comply with the Buy American provisions applicable to federally and state-funded school nutrition programs.