SLED Opportunity · COLORADO · CHERRY CREEK SCHOOL DISTRICT #5
AI Summary
Cherry Creek School District #5 issues an RFP for general food products for school year 2026-2027. Products must be USDA commodity processable and comply with Buy American provisions. Proposals require insurance proof and adherence to submission format. Due date is April 9, 2026.
Cherry Creek School District #5 Food and Nutrition Services is issuing an RFP for General Foods. Any products that are commodity processable MUST be commodity processable through a USDA approved manufacturer that holds a National Processing Agreement (NPA) and a State Processing Agreement (SPA) with the state of Colorado for School Year 2025-2026. These commodity processable products will be purchased to be commodity processed for service in the school year 2026-2027. **Solicitation Type**: RFP - Request for Proposal (Formal) **Source ID**: PU.AG.USA.1247.C15607126 **Piggyback Contract**: No **Questions are submitted online**: Yes **Bid Submission Type**: Electronic Bid Submission **Additional Bidding Instructions**: Review CCSD Insurance Requirements closely. Proposer must provide proof of insurance through a Certificate of Insurance (COI) and CCSD must be named as an additional insured by endorsement on the policy. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: 1. Format: The provided Excel Spreadsheet must be completed with all cells fully populated. Do not change the column headers or the general format of the spreadsheet. 2. Product Response: Indicate “NO BID” in the Vendor Brand column for any line item to which you are not responding. 3. Approved Equals: If an “Alternate” product is submitted (any product other than the "District Standard" listed), the Proposer must complete all cells for that row. CCSD reserves the sole right to determine if a product is an acceptable equal through internal evaluation. 4. Limited Time Offer Items: For items marked "As Needed" or "LTO" with no annual usage listed, please provide your best price based on a standard delivery of 75 cases. 5. Buy American Provision: All food products must comply with the Buy American Provision (7 CFR 210.21(d)). All items must be domestic commodities or products as defined by the USDA. By bidding, the Proposer certifies that the product meets these requirements. Attachment A Checklist on page 32 of RFP: All items on checklist must be included in bid submission and all attachments B through I must be filled out completely or bid may be rejected. **Owner Organization**: Food and Nutrition Services **Solicitation Number**: 26-018 **Reference Number**: 0000413923 **Pricing**: In attached document **Bid Documents List**: | Item Name | Description | Mandatory | Limited to 1 file | |---|---|---|---| | Bid Documents | Documents defining the proposal | Yes | No | **Questions and Answers**: - Q1 Arrow Right Question: Samples Needed? In the bid document you state: If you are providing submission for a specified product, no samples are needed. On Attachment A: Checklist One of the items to check off is Samples of equal products of each product bid Do we have to submit samples for a specified product or not? Answer: Answered in Addendum 1 02/23/2026 12:21 PM EST 02/23/2026 04:30 PM EST - Q2 Arrow Right Question: Electronic Signature Are electronic signatures valid to use? Answer: Answered in Addendum 1 02/23/2026 12:31 PM EST 02/23/2026 04:30 PM EST - Q3 Arrow Right Question: Renewal Increase Will renewal years allow for CPI or PPI Increases? Answer: Answered in Addendum 2 02/24/2026 10:36 AM EST 02/24/2026 02:08 PM EST - Q4 Arrow Right Question: Direct or Distributor Will purchases/deliveries be through distributor or direct? Answer: Answered in Addendum 2 02/24/2026 10:38 AM EST 02/24/2026 02:08 PM EST - Q5 Arrow Right Question: Verify section of Bid Page 17 section 3.32: Each CEPC member using a contract resulting from this RFP will establish its own contract, place its own orders, issue its own purchase orders, be invoiced there from and make its own payments, and issue its own exemption certificates as required by the suppliers(s). Can you explain in more detail how this will work? Answer: Answered in Addendum 2 02/24/2026 10:40 AM EST 02/24/2026 02:08 PM EST - Q6 Arrow Right Question: Pallet Restriction I don't see any pallet restrictions mentioned in the bid. Are there any pallet restrictions? Answer: Answered in Addendum 2 02/24/2026 10:42 AM EST 02/24/2026 02:08 PM EST - Q7 Arrow Right Question: prior RFP Term What was the prior RFP Award Term of Contract for General Foods...Initial award term and renewal or term extensions? Answer: Answered in Addendum 3 02/25/2026 08:45 AM EST 03/02/2026 12:21 PM EST - Q8 Arrow Right Question: Approx RFP Sales Volume What is the approximate sales volume in dollars for the current RFP annually? What is the approximate number of school districts/SFA's that have "piggy backed" the current program and their sales volume in dollars? Answer: Answered in Addendum 3 02/25/2026 08:51 AM EST 03/02/2026 12:21 PM EST - Q9 Arrow Right Question: Current awarded vendor Who is the current awarded mainline food distribution vendor? Answer: Answered in Addendum 3 02/25/2026 08:54 AM EST 03/02/2026 12:21 PM EST - Q10 Arrow Right Question: Direct Manufacturer Deliveries & Volume Do you have any items you currently purchasing directly from manufacturers and have delivered directly to you school warehouse...or are the delivered through your mainline food distributor? How many items, if any, are you purchasing in the above manner along with projected annual sales volume? Answer: Answered in Addendum 3 02/25/2026 08:55 AM EST 03/02/2026 12:21 PM EST - Q11 Arrow Right Question: Samples Verify For Question 1 you state: If product is different then the specified product list, then a sample is required. On page 28 of the bid it states: Samples of equal products and all supporting documentation must be received by March 19, 2026. Can you please verify if samples are needed or not for products that are specified on the product excel list. Answer: Answered in Addendum 3 02/25/2026 09:27 AM EST 03/02/2026 12:21 PM EST - Q12 Arrow Right Question: Expiration Dating and Minimum Remaining Shelf-Life Requirements You don’t specifically call out a minimum shelf-life requirements. Do you have a specific “day” or percentage you require? Answer: Answered in Addendum 3 02/26/2026 03:19 PM EST 03/02/2026 12:21 PM EST - Q13 Arrow Right Question: Required samples for similar line items Do you need full case of samples for each item Answer: Answered in Addendum 3 02/27/2026 02:05 PM EST 03/02/2026 12:21 PM EST - Q14 Arrow Right Question: samples of different flavors Can we send a full case of mixed flavors for one line item instead of full case of each flavor Answer: Answered in Addendum 3 02/27/2026 02:30 PM EST 03/02/2026 12:21 PM EST - Q15 Arrow Right Question: Competitive Pricing Can the distributor utilize GPO pricing to source the most competitive outcome for the district? Answer: Answered in Addendum 4 03/03/2026 07:57 AM EST 03/03/2026 11:49 AM EST - Q16 Arrow Right Question: GPO Pricing The RFP specifies Firm Pricing for the contract term. In Addendum 4, CCSD has indicated that GPO pricing is acceptable. If the GPO structure consists of a fixed fee per case plus a delivered cost that may vary due to manufacturer price changes, allowances, or market conditions, please clarify: Does the District consider GPO pricing compliant with the Firm Price requirement when the fixed fee per case is firm, but the delivered product cost may fluctuate? Answer: Answered in Addendum 6 03/05/2026 11:52 AM EST 03/06/2026 02:50 PM EST - Q17 Arrow Right Question: GPO Pricing Price Date If a GPO pricing structure utilizing a fixed fee per case plus delivered cost methodology is permitted, please identify the specific price date within the solicitation period on or before the April 2, 2026 proposal deadline that must be used for RFP market basket pricing and evaluation purposes. Answer: Answered in Addendum 6 03/05/2026 11:53 AM EST 03/06/2026 02:50 PM EST - Q18 Arrow Right Question: Dock appointments for delivery Does CCSD consider a standing, pre approved delivery day and time window to satisfy the dock appointment scheduling requirement, or is a separate dock appointment confirmation required for each individual delivery? Please also confirm whether CCSD uses a centralized dock scheduling contact or system for appointment coordination? Answer: Answered in Addendum 6 03/05/2026 11:54 AM EST 03/06/2026 02:50 PM EST - Q19 Arrow Right Question: Shelf life requirements Please confirm whether CCSD’s minimum remaining shelf-life requirements are based on manufacturer-established dating and specifications. If CCSD requires minimum remaining shelf-life thresholds that differ from manufacturer standards, please specify the exact percentage or number of days remaining at delivery for each applicable product category. Answer: Answered in Addendum 6 03/05/2026 11:56 AM EST 03/06/2026 02:50 PM EST
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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