Active SLED Opportunity · OHIO · COLUMBUS CITY SCHOOLS
AI Summary
Columbus City Schools seeks bids for grocery and food supplies for the 2026-2027 school year. Vendors must submit detailed pricing and product information via Public Purchase, comply with food safety and sourcing regulations, and deliver to multiple school locations within specified timeframes.
Vendors must upload and attach completed excel spread sheet "Food and Supply List" with prices, pack size, unit size, and brand for all items to be considered responsive. Deadline for submitting questions is 12:00PM on April 30, 2026. All questions must be submitted thru Public Purchase - calls or emails are not acceptable for submitting questions for this bid. If you are submitting other than the preferred brand you must provide a sample by April 24, 2026, by 12:00PM. Submit to Sean Rogers 450 E Fulton Rd. Columbus, Ohio 43215 srogers3@columbus.k12.oh.us INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS Bids are only accepted through Public Purchase. All requests for pertinent information contained in this bid package must be supplied with bid at time of submission. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. Vendors must bid on all items requested otherwise bid will be disqualified (see Conditions/Regulations below). The award of this bid will be based on a market basket for all listed items. Conditions/Regulations 1. All vendors submitting quotations shall maintain personnel policies that do not discriminate against applicants or employees because of their race, creed, color, religion, national origin or sex. The vendor shall take affirmative action, where necessary, to correct any inadequacies that might exist in vendor policies with regard to obtaining a fully integrated work-force. 2. The bidder will not discriminate in the hiring of employees for the performance of work under this Contract against any citizen of the state who is qualified and available to perform the work to which this Contract relates on the basis of race, creed, sex, age, disability, as defined in Section 4112.01 of the Ohio Revised Code, or color. 3. The bidder shall not discriminate against, nor intimidate, any employee, independent contractor or subcontractor hired for the performance of work under this Contract on the basis of race, creed, sex, age, disability, as defined in section 4112.01 of the Ohio Revised Code, or color. 4. The Board of Education has established an Outreach Policy to increase participation in contracts and procurement of goods and services from socially and economically disadvantaged businesses. The current CCS Outreach Program established an aspirational goal of 20% participation by socially and economically disadvantaged businesses. The Outreach Program can be found on the CCS Website at: www.columbus.kl2.oh.us. 5. The term of this bid shall be August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027. If agreed by the successful bidder and Columbus City Schools, up to two additional period extensions of 12 months, thus terminating services on either July 31, 2028 or July 31, 2029, depending on the extensions exercised. These extensions shall be automatically exercised unless written notice to the contrary is filed with either party not less than sixty days prior to the expiration of the current period. 6. The Columbus City School's Board of Education reserves the right to reject any or all bids. 7. Quantities shown are for estimation purposes only and do NOT constitute a commitment by Columbus City Schools to purchase in said quantities. 8. Successful bidders must agree to supply all products through the duration of this bid agreement. 9. Termination of the bid agreement may take place without cause. A thirty day notice is required from either the Columbus City Schools, Director of Food Services, or the successful bidder. Termination of this agreement may take place with shorter notice with the common consent of the Columbus City Schools, Director of Food Services, and the successful bidder. 10. Quotations are to be: Net delivered, unit price per item, and totaled for quantities specified. Transportation, storage, etc. costs must be included in bid. Deliveries shall be made: All Charges Prepaid. 11. Successful bids will be awarded based on department nutrition standards, total dollar amount, quality, and service. In the event of tie bids, determination of bid winner will be made by the Columbus City Schools, Director of Food Services. 12. Only brand name products intended for interstate commerce will be accepted. All products must be processed, packaged, and delivered in accordance with regulations established by local, state, and federal regulatory agencies. All requirements set forth by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the USDA, and FDA must be strictly adhered to. 13. Nutritional specifications for all food products bid shall be made available upon the awarding of a successful bid. 14. All bidders must have a written HACCP plan and working HACCP procedures in place at the time of bid submission. Written HACCP plans must be provided to the Columbus City Schools, Director of Food Services, upon request. Unannounced inspection(s) by a representative of Columbus City Schools Food Service of all facilities used by the successful bidder must be permitted. 15. All products bid and delivered must be of current seasons pack. Expiration date should be a minimum of seven days after delivery. 16. Production dates and expiration dates must be clearly printed embossed on all products. Deciphering information must be provided upon request for encrypted dates. 17. All products are to be delivered in sound physical condition. Damaged goods are subject to refusal by person in charge. Replacement of damaged goods must take place within 24 hours of initial delivery. 18. All products bid must be available for delivery to The Food Service Production Center 450 E. Fulton St. Columbus, Ohio and 42 on-site kitchen locations. 19. Upon request by a representative of Columbus City Schools, the successful bidder must provide samples of product(s) bid. 20. Failure of the successful bidder to deliver products in a timely manner may, at the discretion of the Columbus City Schools Director of Food Services, result in the cancellation of part or all of the bid agreement. 21. Time payment discounts will not be considered when awarding bids. 22. All products delivered must be whole grain rich. 23. Successful vendor agrees to provide an ordering system that prohibits managers from requesting non-approved items. 24. Federal regulations require that all foods purchased for Child Nutrition Program be of domestic origin to the maximum extent practicable. While rare, two (2) exceptions may exist when the product is not produced or manufactured in the US in sufficient, reasonable and available quantities of a satisfactory quality, such as bananas and pineapple or competitive proposals reveal the cost of a domestic product is significantly higher than a non-domestic product. A. ALL products that are normally purchased by Distributor as non-domestic and proposed as part of this solicitation must be identified with the country of origin. Distributor shall outline their procedures to notify the SFA when products are purchased as non-domestic. B. Any substitution of a non-domestic product for a domestic product (which was originally part of the solicitation), must be approved, in writing, by the Food Service Director, prior to the delivery of the product to the SFA. C. Any non-domestic product delivered to the SFA, without the prior, written approval of the Food Service Director, will be rejected. 25. Columbus City School District is committed to utilizing locally grown, raised, and/or processed food items whenever possible. Columbus City Schools defines local as products from the state of Ohio. 26. Copies of delivery schedules must be provided before start of service. Columbus City Schools Food Services Department Business Practices 1. Routine microbiological laboratory testing is performed on food products delivered to Columbus City Schools Food Service sites. Failure of delivered products to meet microbial standards will result in rejection, mandatory pickup, and request for credit of all products not found to be within specifications. 2. Successful bidders shall make an attempt to take orders electronically. Timing of the placement of weekly orders shall be mutually agreed upon by the successful bidder and a supervisory representative of Columbus City Schools Food Service. 3. Deliveries will be received from 630am-130pm Monday-Friday only. The successful bidder is responsible to deliver all orders within the delivery window only. Deliveries running late that will not arrive by 130pm must be delivered the following day during the delivery window. Delivery schedules shall be mutually agreed upon between the successful bidder and a supervisory representative of Columbus City Schools Food Services. Successful bidders must have the capability of delivering standard orders within 48 hours. Special orders are not subject to 48 hour time line. 4. At the time of delivery the vendor must move purchased products to storage areas as specified by the Columbus City Schools Food Services person in charge. 5. The vender shall provide an invoice in duplicate at the time of delivery. An original copy signed by the Columbus City Schools person in charge shall be left with said person. Copy of the signed invoice is to accompany a monthly statement submitted to Columbus City Schools Food Service Department. Monthly statements shall be itemized by location.
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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