SY 27 School Nutrition Grocery Bid

Jones County School District in Georgia issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for grocery products to support the School Nutrition Program serving seven schools within the district. The procurement encompasses 578 line items spanning produce, proteins, dairy, grains, beverages, condiments, snacks, and prepared foods from various manufacturers and brands, with estimated quantities specified for each item to support both breakfast and lunch meal service operations. The contract period runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with options to extend up to three months at the same bid pricing with mutual agreement and potential renewal for up to four additional one-year terms based on vendor performance. All prices must remain firm for 365 days from contract award, with semi-annual escalation or de-escalation requests permitted thereafter based on verifiable third-party market data. Written questions were due by May 7, 2026, with bids due on May 28, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. at 125 Stewart Avenue, Gray, Georgia, and bid opening scheduled for 2:00 p.m. the same day. Successful bidders must comply with the Buy American provision, maintain HACCP plans, track nutritional values for all products, carry liability insurance with minimum coverage of $500,000 per occurrence, provide 24/7 accessibility for food recall procedures, conduct annual mock recalls at vendor expense, be authorized E-Verify users, and comply with federal civil rights laws and USDA non-discrimination requirements. The School District reserves the right to award to a single or multiple vendors based on lowest responsive and responsible bids meeting all specifications, with all pricing to include packing and transportation to designated school locations and payment due within thirty days of invoice receipt following product inspection and acceptance.

The procurement documents do not explicitly identify set-aside designations, disadvantaged business enterprise requirements, or incumbent vendor information. Bids exceeding $100,000 require lobbying certification and debarment verification, while bids over $25,000 require debarment status certification. No specific budget range or award value was disclosed in the available documentation, as the bid specifications contain estimated quantities without quoted prices, indicating vendors were required to submit pricing proposals. The solicitation was posted April 30, 2026, with a closing date of May 29, 2026, though a cancellation notice dated April 30, 2026, indicated the bid event was cancelled due to an incorrect fiscal year designation, suggesting this opportunity may not proceed in its current form or may be reissued with corrected parameters.