180902 - Direct Delivery of Frozen Breakfast and Lunch Entrees to School Cafeterias

The purpose of this Request For Proposal (RFP) is to solicit sealed proposals for the direct delivery of frozen breakfast and lunch entrees to the school cafeterias in the Escambia County School District (ECSD). The initial term shall be effective from August 1, 2018 through April 30, 2019 with two (2) one-year renewal periods upon mutual consent of both parties and School Board approval. The initial one (1) year renewal period shall be in effect for the period of May 1, 2019 through April 30, 2020. Either party can cancel the agreement without reason at the end of each contract year. Cancellation must be in writing and received ninety (90) calendar days prior to the end of each contract year.  The awarded Responder must be able to provide and deliver a minimum of 85% of all the products listed in Section VII – Pricing and Specifications. All items in bold type and marked with an asterisk (*) must have a price offer for your proposal to be considered. The quantities listed herein are estimates based on prior and projected usage. The District will make every attempt to adhere as closely as possible to the estimated quantities. However, the District reserves the right to reduce the quantities and/or purchase additional quantities at the contract price at any time during the agreement.

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 solicitation, you must send a sample for review by Friday, March 16, 2018, 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 will result in your bid being determined “non-responsive” for that item. Unmarked boxes or bags containing loose samples are not acceptable. Samples should be clearly labeled “SAMPLE FOR  RFP NUMBER#180902.” If you plan to send samples, the required 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 T – Samples and Brand Name on page 5.

QUESTIONS: Due to time constraints, it is recommended that vendors send questions regarding this RFP in a manner that can be tracked (email, certified mail, or overnight courier); email is preferred. Deadline for questions will be Friday, March 9, 2018, 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 Responder 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 RFP will be posted by the close of business on Wednesday, March 14, 2018. The direct link to the Bid/RFP Activity Section of the District website is listed below: