Active SLED Opportunity · COLORADO · DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT RE-1
AI Summary
Douglas County School District seeks proposals from manufacturers for direct delivery of commercial and commodity foods to support school nutrition programs for the 2026-2027 school year. The RFP emphasizes compliance with federal nutrition standards, Buy American law, HACCP, and delivery requirements.
SPECIFICATIONS/SCOPE OF WORK Background District Profile: DCSD is soliciting proposals from manufacturers to provide direct delivery of commercial and commodity foods to Nutrition Services Central Warehouse as specified in this bid request in accordance with the scope of service specified. Qualified manufacturers that meet all criteria will be considered. This RFP should not be misconstrued as a formal bid. There is absolutely no commitment to purchase or enter into a formal contract. Upon completion of our evaluation of your proposal, we may recommend that a formal contract be established. DCSD is currently the third largest school district in the State of Colorado. DCSD covers a geographical area of approximately 890 square miles. Within these boundaries are 48 elementary schools, 9 middle schools, 9 high schools, 5 alternative schools and 18 charter schools. In addition to the permanent structures, there are multiple modular buildings associated with these sites. Our remaining buildings house administration, alternative programs, and support service functions; 62,000 students and 8,400 staff members occupy these buildings year round, in most cases. Scope: The mission of Nutrition Services is to provide a variety of healthy school meals and other food services at affordable prices in support of the educational goals of students. The District participates in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to reimburse meals that meet federal standards and is allocated USDA commodities for use in school meals through the Food Distribution Program. In accordance with federal Buy American law, the District desires to purchase domestic food products to the maximum extent practicable for school meals. The purpose and intent of this RFP is to maximize direct purchasing discounts and ordering schedules for commercial foods and the utilization of USDA donated food pounds. The District requests proposals in response to this Request for Proposals (RFP) for purchasing commercial and further processed commodity food products for direct delivery to Nutrition Service Warehouse. Manufacturers will be chosen to negotiate with the District under the terms of the proposal in effect for school year 2026-2027 beginning on July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027, with up to four (4) 1-year renewals. District Profile District enrollment 62,000 Current Year Food Budget (SY 2025-2026)$15,000,000 Pricing Method The required method for determining prices in the contract is Delivered Fixed Cost. Delivered Fixed Cost is defined as cost of the food including inbound freight, transportation or other fees minus customer allowance (rebates) and any other “off” invoice allowances. Value Pass through Methods for Commodity Processed Foods DCSD approves the following VPT methods for commodity processed foods to assure credit for the USDA food will be received: Direct Discount/Sale (DD) Fee for Service (FFS) Processor Approval Processors wishing to sell USDA Foods processed products in Colorado must have both a National Processing agreement and an active State of Colorado Participation Agreement. It is the policy of Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), Food Distribution Program (FDP) to sign a State Participation Agreement with any USDA approved multi-State processor wishing to do business in Colorado. Processors submitting bids without a State Participation Agreement will not be considered. Product Pricing Bid pricing should be based on DCSD estimated annual volume Bid pricing requests should be for the calendar dates July 1- June 30 of each contract year. Any exceptions to this should be clearly identified on Exhibit A Price Adjustments- DCSD recognizes that price adjustments may be necessitated by changes in market conditions, including but not limited to fluctuations in raw material costs, labor expenses, transportation charges, or other factors beyond the Supplier's control. In the event that a price adjustment is deemed necessary, the Supplier shall issue a formal written notice to DCSD, with a minimum notice period of 30 days, specifying the revised pricing structure and the proposed effective date of the price increase. The notice shall be sent via certified mail, email, or other agreed-upon means of communication, and shall include a detailed explanation of the factors contributing to the price adjustment. The Supplier shall provide supporting documentation or justification for the proposed price increase upon request by DCSD. Upon receipt of the notice of price increase, DCSD shall have the right to review and assess the proposed adjustments. DCSD shall be deemed to have accepted the proposed price increase unless written objections are submitted to the Supplier within the specified review period. If DCSD accepts the proposed price increase, the revised pricing terms shall take effect on the agreed-upon effective date Price adjustments shall not be applied retroactively to goods or services delivered prior to the effective date of the price increase. Pricing Proposal: Please review the Product Specification and Pricing worksheet (Attachment A) carefully. Specifications are listed by category and specific requirements are provided for each product requested. Pricing worksheets must be typed (no hand written responses will be accepted). Estimated quantities listed in Attachments A are based on current year usage and/or forecasts for the 2026/2027 school year.. Attachment A pricing worksheets are to be completed by all vendors for products and pricing for the items they are submitting. Columns with headers in red font are for required information relating to items that can be further commodity processed. If the item you are submitting is commercial only, N/A must be put in these columns. Cost information must be available for audit upon request by the District. Rewards Program: DCSD Food & Nutrition Services participates in rewards programs similar to Cool School Café points, or an equivalent, to benefit the foodservice program Forecasting The District will provide manufacturers with a system of forecasting purchases with sufficient lead-time to ensure successful fill rates. Manufacturers will outline forecasting requirements, such as lead times. This is a “demand usage contract”, and the estimated quantities listed on the proposal pricing schedule are an approximate amount based on the current year’s usage and no guarantee is given or implied as to the amount that will be purchased. Quantities may increase or decrease as needs change, such as participation changes, menu changes, etc. In some instances the District may have under or overestimated the quantities, all pricing shall be furnished and held firm at the awarded prices until the last order. Estimated quantities may be affected by amounts of USDA commodities received by the District. The District reserves the right to change, remove, or add products as necessary with sufficient notice to the manufacturer. Ordering Procedures The District will work with selected manufacturers to determine forecasting procedures and will expect the manufacturers to fulfill all orders in a time period that is efficient for the District. Manufacturers must communicate lead time required for each product to ensure the District provides orders in time for products to arrive at DCSD for scheduled meal service. Order guides shall be made available by the manufacturer to DCSD and should include at minimum the following information: Current items being used with product codes (current items may include those that are on the Colorado USDA Foods Processing Bid) If applicable, option to indicate if items are being purchased as commercial or commodity Date order is being placed and requested delivery date/week Total cases of each item being ordered Total cases of all items on order and total pallets on order Unless otherwise agreed on, orders will be emailed to the Designated Manufacturer Representative. Upon receipt of the order, confirmation and estimated time of arrival will be sent to the Nutrition Services Designated Representative. Shortages and Substitutions The District will work with manufacturers to determine forecasts and will expect manufacturers to fulfill all of the orders. Substitutions and shortages should be on a very limited basis. Any substitutions or shortages will not be more than 5% and should be communicated to DCSD at least one week before delivery. Substitutions require prior approval from the Nutrition Services Designated Representative before delivery. If a manufacturer is temporarily out of stock or short on a particular item, an equal (or superior) product may be delivered only with prior approval from the Nutrition Services Designated Representative. Substitutions may not be made with higher priced products without prior approval from the Nutrition Services Designated Representative In no instance shall an item critical to operation be shorted. Any substitutions or shortages must be labeled clearly as such on each invoice with a separate item code. Delivery All shipments shall be delivered FOB: Destination – Nutrition Warehouse 2812 N. Highway 85, Castle Rock, CO. Delivery shall be made only as called for on duly signed Purchase Orders. Purchase Order Number must appear on all invoices. Deliveries will only be accepted by appointment only Monday-Friday between the hours of 7:30am-2:00pm. Manufacturers and/or carriers must contact the Nutrition Services Designated Representative to schedule delivery. The manufacturer must take all necessary steps to ensure that their warehouse facilities/vehicles or designated carriers can safely and securely store and transport the products. It is the manufacturer’s responsibility to hold the frozen product at a uniform temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower and cooler/dry products at 36‐38 degrees Fahrenheit until the time of delivery. At the time of delivery, the product should show no evidence of defrosting ,or refreezing, Presence of products showing deviations from the requirements will cause rejection of the involved product or delivery. The successful manufacturer’s delivery trucks or contracted carriers must have temperature logs when transporting freezer/refrigerated products to the Nutrition Services’ warehouse. If the temperature log is not computerized and automatically records temperatures during the route, the driver must record at the beginning of the route, at least two (2) additional stops during the route and at the last stop of the route. The District may request a copy of a specific delivery route’s temperature log if an issue occurs. All delivery trucks must be clean, sanitary and free from dirt and debris. The Warehouse Receiver/Foreman may refuse a delivery if the truck is not clean and sanitary. Describe safety and security procedures that are in place at the distribution center and in the transportation of products to protect the food supply. HACCP: The District expects a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan to be in place by the manufacturer. Prior to awarding the bid, the District may require documentation verifying that a written HACCP plan is followed Delivery of Commodity Processed End Product USDA value is an expense to our program and will be taken into consideration with manufacturers’ quote when calculating the base value cost. The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) has approved Direct Discount/Sale and Fee for Service the Value Pass Through methods and the awarded manufacturers must be capable of participating. It is the manufacturer’s responsibility to ensure that the items submitted by the manufacturer in Attachment A, have an approved Summary End Product Data Schedule (SEPDS), and are approved USDA commodity foods for processing with CDHS. DCSD takes title of the product once the manufacturer delivers the product. The manufacturer must have the technology in place to meet the reporting requirements of the processors for commodity processed items, K12 Foodservice or Processor Link. How to do business with Douglas County School District - Nutrition Services Orders will be created for any items to be delivered to the warehouse. Shipments will not be accepted without an invoice number. Any pricing discrepancies need to be addressed within 24 hours as decided upon both parties Order will be submitted to the manufacturer as product is needed. If the order can not be filled by the requested delivery date, advise the Nutrition Services Designated Representative when the product will be scheduled for delivery. Upon delivery, the vendor must provide a pack slip/invoice or itemized Bill of Lading noting what is being delivered and what has been backordered. The backordered items should be reflected on the delivery documentation or through other agreed upon formats. Warehouse personnel will match the shipment quantities with the received quantities. Any discrepancies will be noted on the packing slip, invoice or Bill of Lading Actual receiving is done based on actual quantities received. If there is a variance between the order line item and the physical receipt, it is noted on the delivery document. Once product has been counted and reconciled with the pack slip/invoice, DCSD warehouse will receive the product into the Inventory System. A Bill of Lading or invoice should be provided at the time of delivery. This will be used to receive in the product and confirm what was received. If a Bill of Lading was used, an official invoice should be provided to the Nutrition Services contact within 48 hours of delivery. The district cannot pay off a Bill of Lading. DCSD will pay each invoice in full. All errors must be corrected by debits and credits within 10 business days. Suppliers must provide their process for submitting credit and debit requests. Perishable Products All perishable refrigerated and dry storage products delivered to the Nutrition Services Warehouse must arrive with a minimum of 15 day shelf life. Any items in this category that arrive with shelf life less than 15 days, will be returned to the manufacturer with credit or replacement provided. Buy American The District participates in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program and is required to use the nonprofit food service funds, to the maximum extent practicable, to buy domestic commodities or products for Program meals. A domestic commodity or product is defined as one that is either produced in the U.S or is processed in the U.S substantially using agricultural commodities that are produced in the U.S as provided in 7 CFR 210.21(d). Exceptions to the Buy American provision are very limited; however, an alternative or exception may be approved upon request. To be considered for an alternative or exception, the request must be submitted in writing to the Nutrition Services Inventory Specialist, a minimum of 2 days in advance of delivery. The request must include the: Alternative substitute(s) that are domestic and meet the required specifications: Price of Domestic food alternative substitute and Availability of domestic alternative substitute in relation to quantity ordered Reason for Exception: limited/lack of availability or price (include price) Price of Domestic food product and Price of non-domestic food product that meets the same specification of the domestic product. Communication The manufacturer shall designate one key individual to work with the District. General Product Specifications DCSD prefers products to be natural and may not award items unless they are free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives and have minimal ingredients and processing. DCSD purchases only trans‐fat free products, except for naturally occurring small amounts of trans‐fat that may be present in animal proteins. It is the preference of DCSDs that all “center‐of‐the‐plate” items contain no more the 600mg of sodium per serving, that calories from “total fat” be below 35% (excluding nuts, seeds, nut butters and reduced‐fat cheese) and calories from “saturated fat” be below 10%. Reduced‐fat cheese is exempt. Grain products should be Whole‐Grain Rich unless otherwise requested by DCSD. Whole‐Grain Rich is defined as a product that contains greater than or equal to 50% whole grain ingredients by weight. DCSD reserves the right to determine whether or not the manufacturer has complied with product specifications and to choose which product best suits the needs of the district. This proposal provides a list of products DCSD is requesting for the evaluation of the cost portion of the proposals. (Items are provided on the Attachment A- Product Specifications and Pricing Worksheets. Item descriptions are intended to illustrate the types of products and the quantities that DCSD intends to use. They are not meant to be limitations for the awarded manufacturer when competitively bidding products. All quantities shown are based on the year to date purchase history and/or forecasts for SY 2026/2027 and are to be considered estimates only for bidding purposes. Product Information An acceptable product is one that meets or surpasses the specification. DCSD will approve or reject all products and pricing. DCSD shall be the sole determinants of products acceptability. During the contract period, DCSD reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to add new items to the contract as long as the cost of the new products does not create a material change (no more than 10% of the contract value). Substitutions for unavailable products are not considered new products. New items will be purchased according to the following procedure: DCSD will submit product requests to the awarded manufacturer. Manufacturer shall provide costs for the approved product that meets the intended specifications. If requested, samples for testing shall be provided at no cost to DCSD. Each sample should include the product nutrition information, allergy information, and preparation instructions. DCSD reserves the right to change products as needed throughout this contract. DCSD reserves the right to remove items from this contract if the product is no longer needed. Included in proposal submissions, manufacturers will need to provide product data sheets for all items listed within this RFP. Data sheets should include, but are not limited to, manufacturer ingredient and nutrition fact panel, allergy information, pack sizes, instructions for preparation and serving. The manufacturer must notify DCSD whenever there is a change of sources. DCSD must be notified by the manufacturer of any ingredient or nutritional changes or preparation process changes as soon as they are made. Random sampling and testing of products received may be performed. Should any item fail to meet specifications, quality or condition as sampled, DCSD shall require the manufacturer to remove them from our warehouse, and full credit shall be given for the total amount of product removed. A manufacturer may not change from one approved product to another without prior written approval from DCSD during the course of the contract period. If a product is discontinued, a written explanation from the manufacturer stating that the product is no longer being manufactured must be sent to DCSD’s respective authorized representatives. The explanation shall include a complete description of the item offered to replace the discontinued awarded item. Letters from brokers are not acceptable in lieu of a manufacturer’s letter. The process of substituting one product for another is STRONGLY discouraged as each item is strategically placed on the menus to meet the components of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. All substitutions MUST be approved by DCSD’s respective authorized representatives before delivery can take place. Substitutions without prior approval will not receive payment. Payment for approved substitutions will be made based on contracted pricing. The information concerning the specifications, manufacturer’s name, product code number, or pack size is based on the latest available information that DCSD has. If the information listed concerning the specifications, manufacturer, product code number, or pack size is incorrect, please note it on the item in question when quoting. DCSD may decide that the item needs to be re‐bid if an error has occurred in the product specified. Recalls Manufacturers must notify DCSD’s respective authorized representatives of any manufacturer’s recalls regarding items under this contract. Upon notification of a recall, the manufacturer should contact the District via telephone or email and then follow up in writing within 24 hours. Upon award of the contract(s), specific contact information will be provided for the main contact and back up contact. All products, lot numbers or other pertinent information available must be given to Nutrition Services in writing within 24 hours. Failure to comply with this requirement may be cause for termination of this contract. Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements Manufacturer will provide monthly product purchase reports as requested, and summary information at the end of the contract period. All parties involved in the USDA Foods processing program are required to retain their records relating to transactions and requirements for USDA Foods processing pounds for a period of three years from the close of the fiscal or RAs year to which they pertain. However, records pertaining to unresolved claims or audits must be retained until they have been resolved. Payment Terms The District will pay within 30 days from receipt of the weekly/monthly invoice or statement, for delivered and accepted products only. Manufacturer will provide information on any early pay discounts available to the District. Scoring Rubric (All bids will be scored by using the below scorecard.) CategoryPossible Points Experience and Past Performance (References): Using Attachment B – Vendor References, list names, addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers/email addresses of two business references for which work has been accomplished and briefly describe the type of service provided for them. By submitting a proposal in application to this RFP, the Vendor and team members grant permission to DCSD to contact these references and others, who from DCSD’s perspective, may have pertinent information. DCSD may or may not, at DCSD’s discretion, contact these references or others. Do not include current DCSD staff as references. 10 Technical Requirements Minimum quantity for delivery and lead times. Policies on returns, replacements, and restocking fees. HACCP plan Procedures for recalls or substitutions Buy American Provision Requirements 15 Product Specification and Nutritional Standards Information Products specification information must be submitted for every item you are proposing. Nutritionals must meet specific standards if listed in the item specification. 25 Pricing Proposal Attachment A and: Submit detailed information as requested in Attachment A. All columns of Attachment A must be filled out with pricing or “N/A”. Evaluation points will be factored by line item from Commercial Price per serving. FAILURE to fill these attachments completely may be cause for the proposal to be deemed, non-responsive by the Buyer 40 Offerors Submission Offerors follow RFP instructions for submission and comply with the solicitation format explicitly. 10 Total Possible Points100 **Solicitation Type**: RFP - Request for Proposal (Informal) **Source ID**: PU.AG.USA.1323.C19965801 **Piggyback Contract**: No **Question Acceptance Deadline**: 06/12/2026 02:00 AM EDT **Questions are submitted online**: Yes **Bid Submission Type**: Electronic Bid Submission **Solicitation Number**: 018-26 **Reference Number**: 0000425632 **Pricing**: In attached document **Bid Documents List**: | Item Name | Description | Mandatory | Limited to 1 file | |---|---|---|---| | Bid Documents | Documents defining the proposal | Yes | No |
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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