T0303 - Food Storage Facilities: Department of Agriculture

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Division of Food and Nutrition, is requesting proposals for food storage and warehousing services under solicitation 26DPP01313, with quotes due October 29, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. The state intends to award up to two contracts, one per zone (Zone A serving Southern Jersey and Zone B serving Northern Jersey), covering storage of USDA donated foods under the National School Lunch Program, Child and Adult Care Feeding Program, and Summer Food Service Program across approximately 700 participating school districts managing over 584,000 cases of USDA foods valued at approximately $20 million annually. This procurement is exempt from small business enterprise and disabled veteran-owned business set-aside requirements.

Bidders may submit proposals for one or both zones and must provide pricing for all 16 price lines within each zone. Facilities must accommodate dry, cooler, and frozen storage with minimum truck siding capacity of three inbound and six outbound daily deliveries, operating Monday through Friday with outbound hours 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and inbound hours 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. All pricing uses firm-fixed rates across three contract years on a state-supplied price sheet; units of measure include hundredweight for storage and handling, pallets for restacking, and cases for reworking and disposal. Work must comply with 7 CFR Part 250 and USDA Food Distribution Program regulations, including annual physical inventory reconciliation, first-in-first-out management, background checks, facility security, and entry of goods receipts into the USDA Web-Based Supply Chain Management system within two business days of receipt. The contractor bears all costs for receiving, unloading, inspecting, and maintaining state or local health certifications.

An optional pre-quote conference is scheduled for September 2, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. The electronic Q&A period closes September 10, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. All quotes must be submitted exclusively through NJSTART; the state-supplied price sheet must be submitted in original Excel format without modifications. Bidders must complete the Bidder Data Sheet disclosing prior similar contracts and any terminations for cause within five years, and must submit a Bidder Quote Overview Form addressing their approach and contract management strategy.