EASTCONN FOOD COOPERATIVE

1320 Main Street

Tyler Square

Willimantic, CT 06226

860-455-1584

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

The EASTCONN Food Cooperative will receive bids for Produce for the period of August 1, 2018 through July 31, 2019 for various members throughout Connecticut until 10AM, June18, 2018. The members participating in this bid are committed,a list is attached.

This request for bid does not necessarily contemplate an award based solely on price.

The enclosed bid instructions and specifications detail the requirements we are looking for. Please make sure you read everything very carefully, then sign and return all forms. All bids shall be submitted on the proposal forms furnished with the bid specifications,bid on EVERY item and make sure your bid is clearly PRINTED OR TYPED. Any changes in product and/or packaging sizes MUST be noted on your bid.

Sealed bids are to be delivered or mailed to the office of the EASTCONN Food Cooperative, clearly marked “Produce Bid”. Faxes and/or emails will NOT be accepted.

BID SUBMISSION / BID SUBMISSION
US Mail/Common Carrier / By Hand
EASTCONN Adult Education / EASTCONN Adult Education
1320 Main Street, Tyler Square / 1320 Main Street, Tyler Square
Willimantic, CT 06226 / Willimantic, CT 06226
860-455-1584 / 860-455-1584
By June18, 2018 / By June18, 2018
NO LATER THAN 10AM / NO LATER THAN 10AM

Any questions regarding this bid, please call Sandra Garcia at (860) 455-1584.

Sandra Garcia

EASTCONN Food Cooperative

EASTCONN FOOD COOPERATIVE

1320 Main Street

Tyler Square

Willimantic, CT 06226

(860) 455-1584

2018 – 2019

PRODUCEBID

Instructions to Bidders

Sealed bids for furnishing Produce to the participants of this cooperative, will be received at the time and date stated below.

Bids will be accepted until 10AM on June18, 2018 at the EASTCONN, 1320 Main Street, Tyler Square, Willimantic, CT, 06226. Place your bid in a sealed envelope, PLAINLY MARKED:

PRODUCE BID

June18, 2018

Any bid received after the time and date as specified will not be considered. The EASTCONN Food Cooperative reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids in total or in part as they may deem to be in the best interest of the schools/towns this Cooperative represents.

Bidders are urged to read all documents carefully and fill out all information requested. The specifications must state the kind of products on which the EASTCONN Food Cooperative will accept bids.

You are required to send with your bid nutritional analysis, CN label or signed product formulation statementon all items you are bidding on. If they are not provided, the bid will not be considered for award.

Please refer to the following website, which outlines the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 whole-grains criteria for the whole-wheat and whole-grain items found on the grocery bid:

The EASTCONN Food Cooperative reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of units to be purchased at the quoted unit price. Bidders are instructed that additional school systems may be added or deleted at the pleasure of the cooperative.

TERMS ANDCONDITIONS

PRICING FOR PRODUCE BID

We are requesting FIXED PRICES on all items for the period of August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019.

The EASTCONN Food Cooperative reserves the right to audit the awarded vendors’ books with reasonable notice being given to those vendors on a regular basis throughout the life of the contract.

An audit may be required by the Cooperative during the bid period. Up to twenty (20) items will be selected from a most recent school delivery invoice. You will be notified as to the items chosen along with the dates of the invoice(s). Within three (3) weeks, the EASTCONN Food Cooperative is to receive a copy of your suppliers’ bill used to arrive at the prices on the delivery invoice, along with any freight charge that is also applied to any items price.

ORDERS

Each EASTCONN Food Cooperative member will be solely responsible for ordering their items, arranging the delivery of these items, and payment of their invoices.

AWARDING

Bids will be awarded on or before July31, 2018. The EASTCONN Food Cooperative reserves the right to choose more than one (1) vendor, and has the right to choose a vendor(s) that might not be the lowest bidder, as deemed to be in the bestinterest of the EASTCONN Food Cooperative. The vendor(s) chosen is to supply 100% of all items bid during the duration of the bid. This bid will be in effect from August 1, 2018 through July 31, 2019.

The awarded vendor(s) MUST guarantee to keep the EASTCONN Food Cooperative’s bid pricing exclusive to EASTCONN Cooperative members. The awarded vendor(s) may refer food service directors who do not appear on the EASTCONN Cooperative’s participating membership list, to the EASTCONN Food Cooperative coordinator to become members in order to receive our exclusive pricing. Charging the EASTCONN Food Cooperative bid prices to non-member school districts will be in violation of this bid and the EASTCONN Food Cooperative will terminate their business with the vendor immediately. Also, it could further disqualify that vendor from the next bid.

NOTE:

EASTCONN Cooperative Purchasing reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of units to be purchased at the quoted unit price.

Bidders are instructed that additional members may be added or deleted at the pleasure of the cooperative. Our current committed membership is attached.

The considerations that will be looked at when choosing our vendor(s) for our bid are:

  1. Price - 70 points
  2. Service – 25 points
  3. Vendor Credentials (references & capability statement) – 10 points
  4. Sales & Service (i.e delivery changes, product shortages, recalls) – 10 points
  5. Ordering Procedures/Protocol – 5 points
  6. Service Areas (delivery to all members will receive 5 points) – 5 points

EVAULATION CRITERIA

Solicitations will be evaluated based on price; service; and service areas, as described above.

Vendor Name:

Criteria / Points Given / Total Points
Price / 70
Service
Vendor Credentials / 10
Sales & Service / 10
Ordering Procedures/Protocol / 5
Service Areas / 5
TOTAL POINTS / 100 TOTAL AVAILABLE POINTS

CONTRACT TERMINATION

The EASTCONN Food Cooperative reserves the right to cancel this bid at any time the vendor’s performance is, in the opinion of the Cooperative, deemed unsatisfactory. In such event, the Cooperative, in writing, shall notify the vendor of such unsatisfactory performance and the vendor shall be given thirty (30) days to remedy the problem(s). If conditions do not meet the Cooperative’s approval, the vendor will then be given, in writing, an additional thirty (30) days notice of termination. The Cooperative members will be responsible for goods delivered and services rendered and accepted prior to the effective date of a termination.

Members of the cooperative may terminate the contract at any point for convenience with a 60 days’ notice in writing.

A district may cancel a contract due to lack of appropriated funds.

BIDSPECIFICATIONS

LOCATION

EASTCONN Food Cooperative members will communicate with the winning bidder in reference to actual names and address of schools within their district if not provided. Please note that all schools have security protocols and you will need to meet each schools’ rules and regulations.

INTENT

It is the intention of these specifications to cover all labor, material, tools, equipment, other appliances or services, and fuel costs required to complete work herein specified and/or described in the accompanying agenda.

BID SUBMISSION

  1. Any questions by bidders must be submitted in writing, not orally. Submission can be done via email to or mail to EASTCONN, ATTN: Sandra Garcia, 1320 Main Street, Willimantic, CT 06226.

AWARD OF BID

  1. Bids will be awarded on or beforeJuly30, 2018. The EASTCONN Food Cooperative reserves the right to choose more than one (1) bidder, as deemed to be in the best interest of the Cooperative.
  1. Nutritional Analysis, CN label and signed product formulation statement, MUST be submitted to the EASTCONN Cooperative Coordinator with all items that appear on this bid at the time of the bid opening and on every item ordered throughout the year. Nutritional Analysis, CN label and singed product formulation statement, MUST be provided at the request of any individual school district.Examples are attached.

a) Must be submitted with the bid

b)Must be updated every 6 months, and re-sent to the EASTCONN Cooperative Coordinator

  1. This bid requests prices which are to be held firm for the period of August 1, 2018 through July 31, 2019.
  1. Awarding vendor(s) MUST honor those items bid on. No substitutes are to be made withoutprior agreement/notification with the EASTCONN Food Cooperative members, or the item(s) will be returned, OR the substituted item will be billed at the original ordered items’ bid price.
  1. The EASTCONN Food Cooperative reserves the right not to award this bid to any of the bidders.
  1. Vendors must submit a capability statement with the bid proposal.
  1. Cooperative reserves the right to request and purchase new products not originally on the bid to initiate taste tests or trials. The awarded vendor shall charge the Cooperative a cost plus fixed fee for the new products requested by the cooperative.
  1. EASTCONN will award the contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder or bid/offer most advantageous to the program with price and other factors considered. {2 CFR Part 200.320©(2)(iv) or (d)(4)/7 CFR 3016.36(d)(2)}
  1. This proposal shall become part of any contract signed with the awarded vendor.

QUALITY

  1. Product Specifications
  1. Brand: When brand is specified (i.e.: Dole, Tyson, Clorox) that exact brand name must be the fill product as bid item.
  2. Grade: The USDA Grade specification (i.e.: Fancy Grade A, ChoiceGrade A) must be bid
  3. Codes:
  1. National Brand Codes: Bids must match the code (manufacture code) for the product (i.e.: Tyson brand unbreaded teriyaki chicken tender code number) to be sure all vendors bid the same product.
  2. Private Label Brand Codes: If a vendor bids a private label item (i.e.: Lugi’s tomato sauce) the code needs to specify the specification and all grades as seen above.
  1. All items on bid need to follow the nutrition standards for school meals based on the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010.
  1. Substitutions:Under the following circumstances, substitutions will be considered on a product by product basis if a product is awarded for bid to a vendor.
  1. Fill Rate: It is expected that items are in stock for the entire duration of the school contract (school year – August – July).
  2. Notification
  1. Short term: When a product is out of stock and there is a comparable product of higher quality that may be substituted in the short term at no additional expense to the school district if this is acceptable upon immediate notification of the school district.
  2. Long term: When a product is consistently out of stock a new product of higher or equalquality that is approved by the cooperative must be provided at the awarded bid price (i.e.: Pillsbury pancakes).
  1. Recalls:
  1. Vendor is responsible to notify EASTCONN Food Cooperative members of any product recalls.
  2. Vendor is responsible to provide verification that a product is released as safe to consume once the product has been categorized in a recall.
  3. Vendor is responsible for pickup, disposal and replacement of all recalled products.
  1. Health and Safety:
  1. Vendor to have HACCP practice plans.
  2. Vendor to practice safe food handling.
  3. Vendor to provide Federal and/or State Health Inspection Reports upon request.

BID PERIOD

The bid period is August 1, 2018 through July 31, 2019.

Successful bids will be awarded by email on or before July 30, 2018.

DELIVERY EQUIPMENT

The EASTCONN Food Cooperative reserves the right to reject the use of any equipment by a carrier if it is not in clean, sanitary condition and suitable for hauling of all goods.

Each carrier shall furnish a certificate of insurance issued by an insurance company showing that the Boards of Education will be protected from loss or damage to the Board of Education’s commodities, and injury or death of third persons or to carrier’s employees. Carrier will assume full common liability for all shipments.

Carrier shall utilize only properly insulated mechanical or thermostatic temperature controlled refrigeration equipment. Such equipment must be capable of maintaining temperature to protect the product. If frozen, products must be delivered in a hard frozen state.

ORDERS

All orders will be placed directly with awardees by telephone, FAX, computer devices, or sales appointments at locations, by the individual qualified purchasing official who in some cases may be the individual lunchroom manager. Emergency deliveries will be delivered within a 24 hour period.

DELIVERY CRITERIA

Deliveries shall be made to the receiving area of individual schools (inside) between the hours of 7AM and 1PM UNLESS previously negotiated with the EASTCONN Food Cooperative members.

Any product delivered in an UNACCEPTABLE condition (dented can or box, ripped container, etc.) MUST be picked up within 48 hours or another time that is agreed upon by the member, since items received in this condition could result in contaminated food.

TAX EXEMPT STATUS

  1. Most of our members are exempt from the payment of Federal, State, or Local taxes, and enjoy such status under Section 12-412 of the General Statues of the State of Connecticut. Bid submissions should not include tax applications, unless there is a member that is not tax exempt, nor should any subsequent billings for items furnished.

INVOICES AND STATEMENTS:

Invoices for the purchases of groceries made by schools are paid for by the Food Service Department or Boards of Education. In order to facilitate the handling of these invoices, all vendors must adhere to the following instructions:

  1. Name of school must be listed on each invoice
  2. All items on delivery tickets must be billed according to description of item quoted.
  3. All vendors must issue delivery tickets and credit memos in duplicate and both copies must be signed by qualified purchasing official.
  4. All vendors shall forward monthly statements directly to the School Lunch Director or school food authority.
  5. All delivery tickets supporting monthly statements must be exact in agreement with copy of delivery tickets left with manager. If, for any reason, it is necessary to make a change on the delivery ticket (an additional charge or credit), a credit or debit memo shall be issued .
  6. All cancellations or merchandise returns must be recorded by the driver on both copies of delivery tickets or pick-up tickets.
  7. Do not mail statements to individual schools. All bills will be paid within forty-five (45) days of date of invoice.
  8. A monthly statement for each school in each School District should be sent to the Food Service Director of that particular district by the fifth (5) working day of each month following date of purchase.

CREDITS:

Credit slips MUST be sent with invoices for when products are being picked up.

REPORTING:

  1. Quarterly reporting needs to be sent to the EASTCONN Food Cooperative coordinator by the 10th of the following month. Reports need to consist of:
  1. Itemized volume by product in descending order
  2. Bid item numbers need to be listed on report to match bid
  1. A final year-end cumulative report needs to be sent to the EASTCONN Food Cooperative coordinator by the 15th of the following month ending the bid period.

A Certificate of Disbarment and Suspension, which is attached, must be filled out and returned with bid.

Please submit three (3) reference letters with your bid along with a capability statement.

Please submit a bid price on EVERY item. If you are not bidding on an item please indict with a “no bid” in the price field.

EASTCONN FOOD PURCHASE

PRODUCE BID

2018 - 2019

National School Lunch Act (NSLA) and School Breakfast Programs

“BUY AMERICAN”

The Vendor must supply to the maximum extent practicable, domestic commodities or products which are either an agricultural commodity produced in the United States (U.S.) or a food product processed in the U.S. substantially using agricultural commodities produced in the U.S. for use in meals served in the SFA’s Child Nutrition Programs in compliance with the Buy American Provision under 7 CFR § 210.21(d)(2) and 7 CFR § 250.

Exceptions to the Buy American Provision should be used as a last resort; however, an alternative or exception may be approved upon request. To be considered for the alternative or exception, the request made by the Vendor must be submitted in writing to a designated official, a minimum of 3 ofday(s) in advance of delivery. A request made by the SFA must be submitted in writing to a designated official a minimum 3 ofday(s) in advance of delivery.The request must include:

  1. Alternative substitute (s) that are domestic and meet the required specifications:
  2. Price of the domestic food alternative substitution (s); and
  3. Availability of the domestic alternative substitute (s) in relation to the quantity ordered.
  4. Reason for exception: limited/lack of availability or price (include price);
  5. Price of the domestic food product; and
  6. Price of non-domestic product that meets the required specification of the domestic product.

EASTCONN FOOD PURCHASE

PRODUCE BID

2018 - 2019

Our members would like to use moreConnecticut and Regionally grown products, especially produce items.On your letterhead, please list any Connecticut and regionallygrownproducts you currently carry, along with your current prices,and address how you would help our Cooperative achieve their goal.

Written Code of Conduct

EASTCONN Cooperative

Regulations: 2 CFR Part 200.318, formerly 7 CFR Part 3016.36(b)(3) and EASTCONN’s Cooperative local purchasing requirements.

Procedures: The EASTCONN Cooperative seeks to conduct all procurement procedures:

  • in compliance with stated regulations; and
  • to prohibit conflicts of interest and actions of employees engaged in the selection, award and administration of contracts.

No employee, officer, or agent may participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by a federal, state, or local award if he or she has a real or apparent conflict of interest. Such a conflict of interest would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from a firm considered for a contract.