The purpose of this Request For Proposal (RFP) is to cover the specific processing required to turn donated USDA food commodities into the products listed. The processed products are needed for the period beginning July 1, 2022 and ending June 30, 2023. Since this RFP is for processing donated commodities, each commodity item will be awarded to one vendor by donated product category, with the award going to the vendor with the aggregate low price for all items offered in that category. Vendors must be on the State of Florida approved USDA Food Processor list in order to submit a proposal. Proposals will not be accepted, nor will commodity processing orders be placed with any proposing firm not listed on the State of Florida approved USDA Food Processor’s list. Proposals will not be accepted from any third party on behalf of a processor. All terms and conditions, excluding pricing, shall remain in effect for the entire term of this agreement. Refer to Section VIII – Specifications and Pricing regarding price adjustments.
If offering a brand and/or product OTHER THAN ONE OF THE PREAPPROVED BRANDS LISTED, make a notation in the comments section for that item. If you offer a product that is not preapproved in this RFP, you must send a sample for review by Wednesday, December 15, 2021, 12:00 PM, CST. Failure to send a full case quantity sample size in its original packaging and the required documentation when offering an alternate product may result in your proposal being determined “non-responsive” for that item. Unmarked boxes or bags containing loose samples are not accepted. Samples should be clearly labeled “SAMPLE FOR RFP NUMBER #221102”. If planning to send samples, the necessary form and instructions will be posted on the Purchasing website at http://ecsd-fl.schoolloop.com/purchasing/bids. This form must be completed prior to samples being sent. All food samples should be delivered to the Escambia County School District Central Warehouse, 51 East Texar Drive, Pensacola, FL 32503. Refer to Section II, Paragraph T – Samples and Brand Names on page 5. **The District will be closed from December 18, 2021 through January 3, 2022 for the holidays.**
QUESTIONS: Due to time constraints, it is recommended that vendors send questions by a manner that can be tracked (email, certified mail, or overnight courier); email is preferred. Deadline for questions will be Thursday, December 2, 2021 12:00 PM, Central Standard Time. Any changes in the specifications contained in this RFP will be made by Addenda. Any Addenda issued concerning this RFP will be posted on the Purchasing Department’s web pages. PRIOR TO SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL, it shall be the sole responsibility of each Responder to contact the Purchasing Agent or visit the Purchasing Department’s Web pages to determine if an Addendum has been issued and to obtain such Addendum. Any Addendum and answers to any questions received will be posted by close of business Monday, December 6, 2021. The direct link to the Bid Activity Section of the District website is listed below:
http://ecsd-fl.schoolloop.com/purchasing/bids
