Supply, Delivery, Installation, and Commissioning of School Kitchen Equipment

LEAD Public Schools is requesting proposals for supply, delivery, installation, and commissioning of commercial kitchen equipment for a new Southeast Elementary School campus in Nashville, Tennessee, with proposals due November 6, 2026, and a virtual pre-proposal conference on October 20, 2026.

The scope encompasses a complete turnkey school kitchen serving approximately 500 students in an 860–1,290 square-foot footprint, including primary cooking equipment (convection ovens, combination steam oven, tilting braising pan, commercial microwave, ventilation hood), cold storage (walk-in cooler/freezer, display refrigerators, milk coolers, transport cabinets), food-preparation equipment (industrial processor, mixer, slicer, work tables), cafeteria serving stations (steam tables, salad bar, point-of-sale terminals), and warewashing equipment (commercial dishwasher, three-compartment sink, handwashing stations, fire-suppression system). All equipment must be new, unused, commercial-grade, and compliant with federal, state, and local codes, health requirements, and manufacturer specifications. The contractor is responsible for kitchen layout development, site verification, utility connections, complete installation, mandatory commissioning with testing and documentation, staff training, and all closeout documentation including warranties and manuals. The critical deadline is Day 1 Readiness—all equipment and systems must be fully installed, commissioned, tested, operational, and ready for use by the first instructional day of the 2027–2028 school year.

Evaluation uses a 100-point rubric across six categories: Technical Approach and Understanding (20 points), Relevant Experience and Qualifications (15 points), Equipment Quality and Compliance (20 points), Project Schedule and Day 1 Readiness (15 points), Installation/Commissioning/Training/Support (15 points), and Cost/Pricing (15 points). Proposers must provide references for at least three comparable projects completed within the past five years and demonstrate supply-chain capabilities and lead-time management. Questions are due October 23, 2026, with LEAD's responses by October 27, 2026. Proposal evaluation is scheduled for November 9–13, 2026, with vendor interviews potentially scheduled November 16–18, 2026. Contractors must obtain Commercial General Liability ($1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate), Automobile Liability ($1 million Combined Single Limit), Workers' Compensation per Tennessee statute, and Umbrella Liability ($2 million per occurrence/aggregate) with LEAD named as Additional Insured on a primary, non-contributory basis.