Summary of Specifications:
The purpose of this RFP is to secure the best competitive prices for fresh, high-quality, seasonal and local produce and to establish a cost plus fixed fee per carton/case/unit contract for the direct delivery of fresh produce to Escambia County School District Cafeterias. Refer to Attachment A - School Addresses. Pricing periods are established in this document and while cost for the fresh produce may vary from price period to price period, the fixed fee is to remain the same. “Cost” is defined as the vendor’s actual cost (less rebates, discounts and allowances) for the produce delivered to their warehouse, including freight, verifiable by vendor’s supplier invoice(s). Refer to page 13. Upon acceptance of your proposal by the Escambia County School District, this document becomes the contract for these services. It is the District’s intention to award and utilize two (2) vendors as needed to perform the services requested in this RFP. The Food Services Dept. Central Office is located at 30 E. Texar, Pensacola, FL 32503, main phone number - (850) 469-5625. This is the office of the Director of School Food Services and is referred to in this RFP as “School Food Services Office.” FARM-TO-SCHOOL Definition: Collaborative projects that connect schools and local farms to serve locally grown, healthy foods in K-12 school settings, improve student nutrition, educate students about food and health, and support local and regional farmers. Locally grown produce shall be identified and featured on the menu as often as economically and seasonally feasible. The Food Services Department participates in the Farm-to-School program to encourage consumption of locally grown produce, to enhance the freshness and nutritional value of the fresh produce, decrease the transport time (food miles) and fuel costs, and to support the local economy. Locally grown produce is defined as “seasonal produce grown in the State of Florida.” Due to the geographic position of the Escambia County School District in the Northwest Section of Florida, the Department of Agriculture may accept adjacent counties in Alabama as local for Escambia County, Florida. The awarded distributor is to assure that GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) letters are available and on file from all farmers and suppliers, and that all Farm-to-School documents and requirements are met. QUESTIONS: Due to time constraints, it is recommended that vendors send questions in a manner that can be tracked (email, certified mail, or overnight courier); email is preferred. Deadline for questions will be Wednesday, April 20, 2016, 12:00 p.m., Central Standard Time. 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 proposer to contact the Purchasing Agent or visit the Purchasing Department’s Web pages to determine if any Addenda has been issued and to obtain such Addendum. Any addendum and answers to any questions received concerning this proposal will be posted by the close of business on Friday, April 22, 2016. The direct link to the Bid/RFP Activity Section of the District website is listed below: http://ecsd-fl.schoolloop.com/purchasing/bids All inquiries should be sent to: Allison Watson, Senior Purchasing Agent Purchasing Department Escambia County School District 75 N. Pace Blvd. Pensacola, FL 32505 Email: awatson@escambia.k12.fl.us Fax: 850-469-6271 For the Escambia County School District (ECSD) to ensure equal treatment of all participating vendors, the above named individual is ECSD’s only designated representative for this RFP. Vendors are expected to utilize this representative for ALL Information regarding this RFP. Vendors who contact any other District employee regarding the subject of this RFP are subject to disqualification from participating in this solicitation.
