Invitation To Bid for Food Services

HARNETT COUNTY
FINANCE/PURCHASING
INVITATION TO BID
FOOD SERVICES FOR THE
HARNETT COUNTY ELDERLY NUTRITION PROGRAM
SOLICITED BY
HARNETT COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
BIDS FOR FOOD SERVICES CONTRACT
FOR THE PERIOD OF JULY 1, 2026 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2028
DUE DATE: NO LATER THAN 2:00 P.M. MAY 25, 2026
QUESTIONS: RENEA WARREN-FORD
bid@harnett.org
SUBJECT LINE: ELDERLY NUTRITION RFP QUESTION
FAXES OR E-MAILS ARE NOT ACCEPTED FOR THIS INVITATION TO BID
MAILVIA UPS OR FEDEX OR DELIVER ALL BIDS IN A SEALED ENVELOPE
INDICATING "SEALED BID FOR FOOD PREPARATION AND CATERING", YOUR
BUSINESS NAME AND ADDRESS, AND THE OPENING DATE ON THE OUTSIDE OF
THE ENVELOPE
TO: Harnett County Resource Center and Library
Attn: Renea Warren-Ford
Procurement Manager
455 McKinney Parkway
Lillington, NC 27546
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Schedule for bidding Elderly Nutrition Contract 2026
Advertisement Friday, April 24, 2026
Deadline for Questions Monday, May 4, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
County's Responses to be sent to bidders of Tuesday, May 12, 2026 by 5:00 p.m.
record by this date
Deadline for Receipt of Proposals Monday, May 25, 2026 by 2:00 p.m.
Harnett County Finance Office
455 McKinney Pkwy., Lillington, NC 27546
(FedEx or UPS or in person)
Award of Contract Monday, June 1, 2026
Effective date for beginning of new contract Wednesday, July 1, 2026
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INVITATION TO BID
FOR
FOOD SERVICES CONTRACT
The Harnett County Department of Public Health ("Harnett County") hereby solicits sealed bids
for furnishing food services for the Harnett County Elderly Nutrition Program (the "Program")
during the period of July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028, with options to extend, as hereafter explained,
subject to the specifications and provisions set forth herein and attached. Sealed proposals will
be accepted until 2:00 p.m. on May 25, 2026 at the Harnett County Library and Resource
Center, Attn: Renea Warren-Ford, 455 McKinney Pkwy, Lillington, North Carolina 27546.
All proposals shall be sealed indicating "Sealed Bid for Food Preparation and Catering",
your firm name and address, and due date prominently on the front of each sealed proposal
envelope or package. Electronically submitted (e-mail/fax) proposals will not be accepted. Bids
received after the stated time will not be considered.
The purpose of the Program is to meet the nutritional needs of individuals aged sixty and older
by serving them nutritionally sound meals in strategically located community sites in Harnett
County, as listed herein. This bid will be for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028,
subject to appropriation by the Harnett County Board of Commissioners and receipt of additional
government funding, with Harnett County having the unilateral right to extend the agreement
under the same terms and conditions for two additional terms of one year each, upon the
provisions included in the Contract Specifications and Conditions attached hereto.
Each bidder must submit a Bid Submittal Form and Management Information Questionnaire (the
"Submittals") on the forms provided herein. The bidder shall sign the Submittals, and Submittals
may be rejected if they show any omissions, alterations of form, additions not called for,
conditional bid, or any irregularities of any kind. Upon signing, the bidder is automatically
agreeing to all conditions as listed. Bids must be submitted on the forms enclosed and a response
provided to all items as indicated. Bids made otherwise will be subject to rejection. Bidders
may provide additional information on extra pages, which bear the bidder's name and reference
to the item being expanded upon. All attachments requested and required herein must also be
attached and submitted with the bids.
All prices must be based on delivery at the designated locations in Harnett County for Monday
through Friday, each week during the period of this agreement for the Elderly Nutrition Program.
Taxes are to be shown as a separate item within the bid.
Harnett County reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to select the bid, which, in the
County's opinion, is in the best interest of Harnett County. Bids must meet all above
requirements and those set forth in specifications. The catering service bid proposal received
will be submitted to the Harnett County Board of Commissioners for award or rejection of bids.
Any contracts awarded will be directly with Harnett County.
Acceptance of the bid and the contract for services is expressly contingent upon receipt of
sufficient funds by the Program from Harnett County, Mid-Carolina Council of Governments
and other funding sources.
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Proposals will be evaluated on the following points:
* Bidder's qualifications (capability to provide service; financial and technical resources)
* Bidder's history of providing the service and past contract performance
* Completeness and accuracy of bid
* Quality of product
* Service unit cost
Harnett County reserves the right to: request additional information or references; accept or
reject any or all bids; waive technicalities; accept proposals in whole or in part; negotiate
contractual terms with the successful bidder; and to award a contract which, in the opinion of
Harnett County, best serves the interest of the Program.
For further information regarding bidding procedures contact:
Renea Warren-Ford
bids@harnett.org
Subject Line: Elderly Nutrition RFP Question
Enclosures:
Food Contract Specifications and Conditions
Schedule A-Scope of Services
Schedule B-Special Conditions
Schedule C-Holiday Schedule
Schedule D-Elderly Nutrition Program Meal Pattern Standards
Schedule E-Food Procurement and Preparation Standards
Schedule F-Elderly Nutrition Program's Standards
Schedule G - Elderly Nutrition Program's Official Menu for Fiscal Year 2026-2027
Management Information Questionnaire
Bid Submittal Form
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FOOD SERVICE CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS
The purpose of the Nutrition Program for the Elderly (Title III-C of the Older Americans Act)
(the Program") is to meet the nutritional needs of individuals aged sixty and older, by serving
them nutritionally sound meals at strategically located community sites in Harnett County. The
Food Service Provider shall be called "Caterer," or "Provider" and the County will be considered
to be the "Purchaser."
This bid will be to provide services for the period from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028,
subject to appropriation by the Harnett County Board of Commissioners. Should the funds for
the contract not be appropriated by the Harnett County Board of Commissioners, the contract
shall be terminated by Purchaser upon ten (10) days written notice to Caterer. Purchaser shall
have the unilateral right to extend the agreement awarded to the successful bidder under the same
terms and conditions for two additional terms of one year each upon provision of written notice
to Caterer not later than thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of the then-current term. In the
event the Harnett County extends this agreement for either or both of the additional terms, the
unit price paid by Harnett County to Caterer for such additional term shall be adjusted in amount
equal to the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index Table 1-Food Away From Home for
all urban consumers, U.S. city average, provided that the unit price shall not increase more than
5% in any given year. The adjusted unit price shall be calculated in accordance with the
following computation:
Step 1: CPI for Food Away From Home Feb of Current Calendar Year Minus CPI-Food Away
From Home for Feb. of Previous Calendar Year Equals Index Point Difference
Step 2: Index Point Difference divided by CPI Food Away From Home for Feb. of Previous
Calendar Year Multiplied by 100 Equals Percentage Change
Step 3: Percentage Change Multiplied by Unit Price Equals Unit price change
Step 4: Unit Price plus Unit Price Change Equals Adjusted Unit Price
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The Program will order meals for Monday through Friday with the exception of approximately
ten (10) holidays as outlined in Schedule C attached hereto and hereby incorporated herein, or in
the case of shelf stable meals for inclement weather.
Caterer's employees will be provided with applicable policies and procedures pertaining to the
operation of the Program and will be expected to follow these procedures as indicated.
A directory of the Program's meal sites, the estimated total number of Program meals, and the
estimated daily number of meals for each site are detailed in the attached Schedule A - Scope of
Services. Schedule A is considered part of these specifications and conditions and will be a basis
for all bids. Additional meals and/or additional sites may be added by the Purchaser, depending
upon existing utilization and/or availability of funds, under this same bid. These changes will
take effect upon notice to the Caterer by the Purchaser.
The Caterer will be flexible regarding the number of daily meals to be prepared and delivered.
Caterer acknowledges that the number of meals indicated in Schedule A represents Purchaser's
best estimate of meals required. Purchasers reserve the right to increase or decrease the number
of meals depending on demand and available funds. Caterer shall provide any additional meals
at the unit price in Caterer's bid. (The Purchaser will notify the Caterer by phone by 2:00 p.m. of
each serving day of the number of meals required for the next serving day.) The number of
meals requested daily will constitute a purchase order, which will cover the maximum billing for
that order. Only the Program Supervisor, Agency Director, or the Director's designee has the
authority to make a change in the number of daily meals.
Billing for the program meals shall be conducted as follows:
Caterer will bill Purchaser monthly for meals provided. Caterer's monthly invoice will be
provided to Purchaser by the fifth (5th) day of each month. After verification of proper billing,
Purchaser will pay such invoice within fifteen (15) days of the receipt of the invoice by
Purchaser's Finance Office. Any such payment will be conditioned upon receipt of sufficient
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funds from Mid-Carolina Council of Governments and other funding sources. Invoices
presented to the Purchaser by the Caterer each month must include the following information:
1. daily accounting of the number of meals delivered to each site and the original signed
delivery ticket organized by site and then consecutively by date;
2. the amount of USDA credit applied in accordance with this agreement;
3. the total number of meals delivered;
4. the total cost for meals delivered excluding tax (a subtotal must be listed on the
invoice);
5. the amount of discount, if any;
6. tax figured on the total cost for meals less any discount; and
7. the amount of total billing
A sample of the form that will be used for billing must be included with the bid.
To afford the best possible meals for the recipients, the time schedule for deliveries shall be as
set forth in Schedule B attached hereto and hereby incorporated herein. In the event of late
delivery of twenty (20) minutes or more from the times established in Schedule B due to failure
by the Caterer or its employees, the cost of such meals so accepted by Purchaser will incur a
$1.00 per meal administrative penalty.
Meals ordered for the Program will be packaged in bulk containers. Food shall be packaged so
there is minimum spillage in the hot and cold food carriers (e.g. with plastic film secured over lip
of pan before lid is placed on it). If Caterer fails to deliver adequate amounts of food as ordered,
the Purchaser may request that any omissions in delivery be provided by the Caterer. If there is
insufficient time for Caterer to deliver the omissions on the same day before serving time, then
the Purchaser will have the right, but not the duty, to purchase comparable food items from
another source and to receive reimbursement from Caterer equal to the Purchaser's expense for
obtaining these food items.
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If the shortage or omissions cannot be made up by the Caterer by serving time on the same day
and if the Purchaser is not able to purchase the needed food items then the shortage or omission
of the specific food item (meat, vegetables/fruits, carbohydrates, dessert, or calcium source) will
constitute a shortage of entire meals and the unit cost of these meals will be deducted from the
Caterer's bill accordingly. The unit cost of these meals is the Program's total cost (cost of meals
plus administrative costs of $1.00 per meal) to provide one meal per participant.
Should the Caterer fail to deliver meals for a meal session or should any person eating meals
prepared under this contract become ill as a result of food poisoning attributable to the
negligence of the Caterer, as determined by Public Health Officials, then such action shall be
deemed non-performance of the contract and shall be justification for immediate cancellation of
the contract.
Caterer must assure sufficient staffing for meal preparation at all times during the contract
period.
Upon delivery of meals to designated Elderly Nutrition sites, a receipt form, in duplicate, must
be provided by the Caterer to be signed by the Purchaser's representative. This form (meal
delivery ticket) must include:
* specific foods delivered
* end of production time
* number of meals delivered
* signature of food production manager
* blank for arrival time of meals and signature of site manager
* blank for serving time of meals and signature of site manager
* date and name of site
A sample of the form that will be used as meal delivery ticket must be included with the bid.
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If Caterer is notified by 6:00 a.m. not to prepare meals due to inclement weather, no charges will
be on the account of Purchaser for that day. If Purchaser provides Caterer with notification after
6:00 a.m., all charges will be made at a pro-rated cost for preparations that have actually been
performed by Caterer.
Caterer must assure that a qualified person is in charge of meal preparation and delivery and can
be contacted by telephone at any time during normal business hours. The name and title of that
individual and the name and title of two alternate individuals to be contacted must be provided to
the Purchaser.
Each meal provided by the Caterer must furnish one third (1/3) of the current Daily
Recommended Dietary Allowances as established by the Food and Nutrition Board, National
Academy of Sciences-National Research Council as detailed in Schedule D attached hereto and
hereby incorporated, and must conform to the meal pattern described in the North Carolina
Division of Aging Definitions and Service Standards attached hereto as Schedule F and hereby
incorporated herein.
Attached menus for the contract period are a part of the bid specifications. These menus should
be the basis for costing the bid. See attached Schedule G - Official Bid Menu. In the event the
Purchaser invokes its unilateral right to extend this agreement for two additional terms of one
year each, the Schedule of Meals for 2026 - 2028 shall repeat for the additional term(s).
All foods shall be prepared on the day to be served and the Caterer will provide meals to the
Purchaser as specified in the approved menus. Any deviation from the approved menus must be
approved by the Program Supervisor at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the serving time, and
must be documented by a menu change form with the specific food substitutions listed. The
menu change form, which will be provided by Program Supervisor, must be dated and signed by
the person authorizing the change. Food substitutions shall be approved by the person identified
by the Purchaser's Agency on Aging to be responsible for menu review to ensure meals meet
one-third (1/3) of the Recommended Dietary Allowances.
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Caterer will supply to each Elderly Nutrition Site ("Site") written serving instructions for each
serving day, specifying the utensils to be used and the amount of each food item on that day's
menu to be served to each Program participant in order to ensure that proper portions are
provided (hereinafter referred to as the "Serving Guides"). These Serving Guides will cover
each twelve week menu cycle, and will be provided for July/August/September (first half of
summer/spring cycle); then, for October through March (fall/winter cycles); then again for
April/May/June (second half of summer/spring cycles). Caterer will provide two copies of the
Serving Guides to the Program Supervisor. The serving guides for July/August/September must
be provided no later than June 15, 2026.
Caterer will furnish one decorated birthday cake per month for each Site; cake will be of
sufficient size to be served as the dessert for that day. Serving dates are specified on the official
menus.
The Program Supervisor or a person designated by the Program Supervisor will examine one
meal selected at random from meals supplied by the Caterer each day. This examination will
include measurement of component weight, as well as visual examination for color and
appearance and a taste testing for texture, and flavor/absence or flavor defects. In addition, the
Program Supervisor shall have the option of periodically drawing samples for more detailed
analysis in a qualified laboratory.
Caterer will be expected to provide a shelf staple product meal if requested by the Purchaser for
use as an emergency meal for inclement weather days and/or the scheduled holidays at the Sites,
as listed on Attachment C. A nutritional analysis approved by a certified dietitian will
accompany all shelf meal menus.
Each Caterer wishing to be listed among those eligible to submit a bid shall submit his current
food preparation facilities to inspection by the local Health Department's Environmental Health
Specialists, on behalf of the Nutrition Program. The Caterer must maintain a Grade "A"
sanitation rating from the local Health Department. If the ranking drops below Grade "A" the
Purchaser must be notified by the Caterer of the rating change before 5:00 p.m. on the same day
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