Guilford County School Nutrition Safety Shoes

GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS
Request for Proposal
Purchasing Department
714 Green Valley Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27408
Direct all inquiries to: Request for Proposals: 6827
Letitia Hines Proposal due date: May 7, 2026
HinesL@gcsnc.com 336.370.3238 Commodity: Kitchen Safety Shoes for
School Nutrition
NOTICE TO PROPOSERS
Proposals, subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received at this office 714 Green
Valley Rd., Greensboro, NC 27408, until 2:00 PM EDT on the day of opening for furnishing and
delivering the commodity as described herein. Proposals submitted via facsimile (FAX) machine
in response to this Request for Proposals will not be accepted.
EXECUTION
In compliance with this Request for Proposal (RFP), and subject to all the conditions herein, the
undersigned vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are
quoted, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein. By executing this
proposal, the undersigned vendor certifies that this proposal is submitted competitively and without
collusion (G.S. 143-54), that none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business
entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities
Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and that it is not an ineligible
vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1. False certification is a Class I felony. Furthermore, by executing
this proposal, the undersigned certifies to the best of the vendor's knowledge and belief, that it and
its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or
voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency. As
required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-contractors
for any contract awarded as a result of this RFP, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of
Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than
25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal
E-Verify system.
Failure to execute/sign bid prior to submittal shall render bid invalid and it WILL BE REJECTED. Late
bids will not be accepted.

NAME OF BIDDER: FEDERAL ID OR SOCIAL SECURITY
NO.:
STREET ADDRESS: N.C. SALES & TAX REGISTRATION
NO.:
CITY & STATE & ZIP: P.O. BOX: ZIP:
TYPE OR PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING: TELEPHONE FAX NUMBER:
NUMBER:
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: TITLE:
CONTRACT LICENSE NO.: E-MAIL:
Offer valid for 90 days from date of opening, unless otherwise stated. After this time, any withdrawal
of offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this RFP.
1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
Guilford County School Nutrition Services is seeking proposals from vendors to provide School
Nutrition employees with the opportunity to purchase quality non-slip safety shoes.
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION
This RFP is comprised of the base bid document, any attachments, and any addenda released
before contract award. All attachments and addenda released for this RFP in advance of any
Contract award are incorporated herein by reference. Bids shall be submitted in accordance with the
terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto.
TAXES
Guilford County Schools is NOT tax-exempt. Unless otherwise indicated, tax must be computed and
added to your bid. Any itemized shipping charges are also subject to tax. When invoiced, tax should
be invoiced as a separate line item.
MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (MWBE)
The Board of Education awards public contracts without regard to race, religion, color, creed,
national origin, sex, age or handicapped condition as defined by North Carolina General Statutes,
168A-3. GCS Board of Education promotes full and equal access to business opportunities with
Guilford County Schools. Minority businesses are encouraged to submit bids for this project. All
vendors shall have a fair and reasonable opportunity to participate in GCS business opportunities.

INSURANCE
Certificate of Insurance
Each vendor shall furnish GCS a certificate of insurance showing that the required workmen's
compensation and public liability insurance are carried by the Contractor. The certificate of
insurance should show that it is issued to or at the request of the Guilford County Board of
Education, Greensboro, North Carolina. All insurance carriers shall be licensed to do business in
North Carolina or approved to issue insurance coverage by the Commission of Insurance of North
Carolina.
The certificate of insurance shall include substantially the following provision: The insurance policies
to which this certificate refers shall not be altered or canceled until after ten (10) days' written notice of
such cancellation or alteration has been sent by certified mail to the Guilford County Board of
Education, Greensboro, North Carolina.
Public Liability Insurance
The vendor shall maintain public liability insurance covering his liability for bodily injury and
property damage which may arise from his operations, contractual obligations, products and
completed operations, as well as operations performed by independent contractors, in not less
than the following amounts:
1.A combined single limit (CSL) of $1,000,000 each occurrence, or
2.A $1,000,000 limit for Bodily Injury Liability, and $1,000,000 limit for Property Damage
Liability.
An occurrence form of policy will be required, and the certificate of insurance submitted by the
Contractor must be personally signed by a resident licensed agent of each of the companies listed on
that form.
Worker's Compensation Insurance
The Contractor shall maintain during the life of his contract all such workmen's compensation
insurance as is or may be required by the laws of North Carolina.
Terms and Conditions
It shall be the vendor's responsibility to read the instructions, terms and conditions, all relevant
exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFP and comply with all
requirements and specifications herein. Vendors also are responsible for obtaining and complying
with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued relating to this RFP.
All vendors are hereby notified that they must have the proper license as required under the North
Carolina laws. The award of a contract under this solicitation may be paid with federal
funding. Funding is contingent upon compliance with all terms and conditions of funding award. All
prospective contractors shall comply with all applicable federal laws, regulations, executive orders,
FEMA requirements and the terms and conditions of the funding award. In addition, contractors
providing submittals shall be responsible for complying with state law and local ordinances.
3.0 SPECIFIC INFORMATION
PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE
There will not be a pre-proposal conference associated with this RFP.

PROPOSAL QUESTIONS
Upon review of the RFP documents, vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP to
submit the best bid possible. To accommodate the bid questions process, vendors shall submit any
such questions by April 30, 2026 at 11:00AM EDT.
Instructions:
Written questions shall be emailed to Letitia Hines at HinesL@gcsnc.com by the date and time
specified above. Vendors will enter "RFP # 6827 - Questions" as the subject for the email. Question
submittals will include a reference to the applicable RFP section and be submitted in a format shown
below:
Reference Vendor Question
RFP Section, Page Number Vendor question...?
Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, GCS's response, and any additional terms
deemed necessary by GCS will be posted in the form of an addendum. No information, instruction
or advice provided orally or informally by any GCS personnel, whether made in response to a
question or otherwise regarding this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall
be entitled to rely only on written material contained in an addendum to this RFP.
PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL
Sealed proposals, subject to the conditions made a part hereof and the receipt requirements
described below, shall be received at the address indicated below, as described herein. Two (2)
Originals & one (1) digital copy should be addressed in an envelope with the RFP number as
shown below: It is the responsibility of the Vendor to have the proposal in the Guilford County
Schools Purchasing office by the specified time and date of opening. Proposals shall be marked on
the outside of the sealed envelope with the Vendor's name, proposal number and date and time of
opening. If Vendor is submitting more than one proposal, each proposal shall be submitted in
separate sealed envelopes and marked accordingly. For delivery purposes, separate sealed
proposals from a single Vendor may be included in the same outer package.
Attempts to submit a proposal via facsimile (FAX) machine, telephone or electronic means, including
but not limited to email, in response to this Request for Proposals will not be accepted. Proposals
are subject to rejection unless submitted with the information above included on the outside of the
sealed proposal package.
MAILING INSTRUCTIONS
DELIVERED BY US POSTAL SERVICE OR ANY OTHER MEANS:
RFP No. 6827
Letitia Hines, Purchasing Manager
Guilford County Schools
Purchasing Department
714 Green Valley Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27408

BRAND NAME
Unless otherwise indicated, manufacturer names and model numbers specified are used for
purposes of identifying and establishing general quality level desired. Such references are not
intended to be restrictive and comparable products of other manufacturers will be considered.
The specifications following are the minimum acceptable by Guilford County Schools. Any
deviations from the specifications shall be so stated in writing in the bidder's response. Please
include in your response manufacturers' model numbers along with prices of items offered. Submit
complete descriptive literature and specifications on all items offered. Bids which fail to comply
may be subject to rejection.
REFERENCES
Guilford County Schools reserves the right to require upon request a list of references from other
school districts or similar service agencies for which the company has provided the services or
goods solicited in this RFP. GCS may contact these users to determine quality level. Such
information may be considered in the evaluation of the proposal.
WARRANTY
The vendor warrants to the owner that all equipment furnished under these specifications will be
new, of good material and workmanship, and agrees to replace promptly any part or parts which by
reason of defective material or workmanship shall fail under normal use, free of negligence or
accident, for a minimum period of 12 months from date put in operation. Such replacement shall
include all parts, labor, and transportation cost to the location where equipment is down, free of
any charge to the owner or his representative.
If applicable, please be sure to describe your best warranty offering, any special training or special
benefits at no charge that may be available, and any unique benefits you may offer. Award may
be determined by best value analysis-not necessarily the lowest price received.
TRANSPORTATION CHARGES
Free on board (FOB) to designated sites in Guilford County, NC, with all transportation charges
prepaid and included in the bid price.
CONTRACT TERM
The contract will be for a period of one year, with the option to renew for four (4) additional one-year
periods. If pricing and terms are satisfactory to both parties.
4.0 PROPOSAL EVALUATION
EVALUATION
It is the intent of Guilford County Schools (GCS) to award this Request for Proposals to the
responsible Vendor(s) who best matches the needs of Guilford County Schools Maintenance
Department. Guilford County Schools reserves the right to reject any or all proposals presented and
to waive any informalities and irregularities. Award of this proposal may be in whole or in part as
deemed to be in the best interest of GCS. All projects are awarded contingent upon funding. No
proposal may be withdrawn after the scheduled closing time for the receipt of proposals for a period
of 60 days. One or more GCS review teams will evaluate Vendor's proposal based on the specific
requirements defined in the RFP as well as cost and effectiveness considerations. GCS reserves
the right to communicate with individual Vendors as necessary to clarify its understanding of the
Vendor's response. In its evaluation, GCS will consider each proposal, any additional materials it

contains, any clarifying information GCS obtains from the Vendor, any previous contract history GCS
has with the Vendor, any reliable outside references provided by the Vendor or sought out by GCS
and any information that is publicly available.
This space is intentionally left blank

GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Introduction and Background:
The purpose of this document is to provide interested parties with information to enable them to prepare
and submit a proposal for a kitchen safety shoe program. Guilford County Schools (GCS) School Nutrition
Services (SNS) does not require that all its employees purchase shoes from the awarded vendor. GCS SNS
does require all employees to wear non-slip, slip resistant, all black, closed toe and heel work safety shoes
while at work. Employees are issued a $60.00 shoe voucher upon hire date and/or at the start of the new
school year in August. Each employee is expected to redeem their issued voucher for work safety shoes at
their choice of vendor within 6 weeks of issuance. A majority of the safety shoe disbursements occur during
the first six weeks of the school year. The awarded vendor will be given the opportunity to set up accessible
mobile units for fitting and distribution during our staff Back to School Training dates in August of each
school year. Employees may spend more than issued shoe vouchers and are responsible for difference.
Employees may spend less than the shoe vouchers issued, and no refund is due to employees. As this is a
proposal and not a bid, the only information available at opening will be the names of the responding
vendors.
Guilford County Schools' School Nutrition Department includes approximately 119 school sites with
approximately 700 permanent employees. Characteristics of winning bid should include (but not be limited
to):
1- Broad selection of safety shoes with excellent slip resistance as rated by independent laboratories.
2- Broad selection of slip resistant shoes at affordable prices to employee.
3- Capacity to collect orders and ship directly to employee at home or work address.
4- A variety of options for employees to order directly from vendor, including on-line or U.S. Mail.
5-Warranty against defects.
6- Satisfaction Guarantee for fit and comfort.
7- Safety posters highlighting slips and falls for all kitchens.
8- Administrative support staff to implement coupon/voucher programs for employees and ability to take
direct payment from employee for any amount in excess of shoe allowance and for any additional
purchases.
Scope of Project:
The School Nutrition Services Department intends to enter into an agreement with a Contractor who will be
designated as the primary vendor for slip-resistant safety shoe purchases. SNS provides a $60.00
allowance per employee with a voucher.
Procuring and Administration Responsibility:
The RFP is issued by Guilford County Schools, School Nutrition Services Department. The person
responsible for managing the procurement process and contract administration is Letitia Hines,
HinesL@gcsnc.com.
Clarifications:
SNS Contract Manager: Kim Best, Bestk@gcsnc.com 336.370.3254
Any questions concerning this RFP must be submitted via e-mail to Letitia Hines no later than 11:00 AM
EDT on April 30, 2026.
Vendors are expected to raise any questions, exceptions, or additions they have concerning the RFP
document at this point of the RFP process. If vendor discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict,
discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in this RFP, the vendor should immediately notify the above-
named individual of such error and request modification or clarification of the RFP document.
In the event it becomes necessary to provide additional clarifying data or information all parties invited to bid
and all others who notify Letitia Hines of their interest will be notified by e-mail and/or addenda posted to the
GCS purchasing bid site.

Calendar of Events:
April 24, 2026...............Date of issue of the RFP
April 30, 2026...............Last date for submitting questions and noting discrepancies
May 7, 2026.............. Proposals due from vendors by 2:00 PM, EST
June 10, 2026...............Notification of intent to award bid sent to all participating vendors.
Contract Term:
The initial contract term shall be one year starting July 01, 2026, with an option by mutual agreement of
GCS School Nutrition Department and contractor to renew for up to four (4) additional one-year periods
unless amended, cancelled or re-bid.
The School Nutrition Services Department has the right to cancel contract if contractor fails to perform. The
cancellation will provide thirty (30) days' notice during which time both parties will continue to uphold the
terms of the contract.
The School Nutrition Services Department has the right to cancel the contract without cause if deemed in
the best interest of the Department. The cancellation will provide sixty (60) days notice during which time
both parties will continue to uphold the terms of the contract.
Preparing and Submitting a Proposal:
General Instructions:
The evaluation and selection of a contractor will be based upon the vendor's proposal, products, and
references. Failure to respond to each of the requirements in the RFP may be the basis for rejecting the
proposal. Elaborate proposals (e.g. expensive artwork) beyond that sufficient to present a complete and
effective proposal are not necessary or desired.
Proprietary Information:
Informal bids received under N.C. G.S. 143-131 are confidential, and not subject to public inspection until
the purchase order is awarded.
Incurring Costs:
School Nutrition Services is not liable for any cost incurred by proposers in replying to this RFP.
Submitting the Proposal:
Proposers must submit proposals by 2:00 PM EDT on May 20, 2026. Please use the address format shown
on page 4 and include the bid number (6827) on the package.
Proposal Organization and Format:
Proposals should be typed and submitted on 8.5 X 11-inch portrait format. Proposals should be organized
and presented in the order and by the number assigned in the RFP. The RFP sections which should be
submitted or responded are:
-Response to general requirements
Introduction
Organizational qualifications
Staff qualifications
Description of current business operation
Evidence of experience demonstrating capacity to provide service
Proposer References
Methodology to meet requirements of RFP

-Response to technical requirements
Documentation of Safety Shoe Performance
Order and Delivery Procedures
Shipping Costs
Warranty and Refund Policy
-Product Selection and Pricing
Product photographs, specifications, safety ratings, and price sheet
Proposal Scoring:
Accepted proposals will be reviewed by an evaluation committee and scored against the stated criteria.
The committee may review references or request additional information from vendor and use the results in
scoring the proposals. After completion of the paper screen of proposals, the highest scoring proposer will
be notified to submit samples of shoes being offered for further evaluation. Samples may be provided with
the bid prior to opening but are not required.
Right to Reject Proposals and Negotiate Contract Terms
GCS reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive minor irregularities and technicalities.
The judgment of GCS on such matters shall be final. GCS further retains the right to negotiate the terms of
the contract, including the award amount, with the selected proposer prior to entering into a contract. If
contract negotiations cannot be concluded successfully with the highest scoring proposer, the Department
may negotiate a contract with the next highest scoring proposer.
Evaluation Criteria
The proposals will be scored using the following criteria:
Introduction (15 points)
Organizational qualifications
Staff qualifications
Description of current business operation
Evidence of experience demonstrating capacity to provide service
Proposer References
Methodology to meet requirements of RFP
Response to technical requirements (25 points)
Documentation of Safety Shoe Performance
Order and Delivery Procedures and Shipping Costs
Warranty and Refund Policies
Product availability
Accessible location/s to purchase products (15 points)
Shoe truck present for use by GCS staff (15 points)
Product Selection and Pricing (30 points)
TOTAL 100 points

Organization Capabilities:
Provide a brief history of the company and the present organizational structure of the firm describing the
management organization and this project's coordination structure
Staff Qualifications
Provide a brief description for each of the key staff who would be assigned to the project with years of
experience with your company. Indicate who will be the company's primary contacts.
Proposer References
Proposers must include in their RFPs a list of three organizations, including points of contact (name,
address, e-mail, and telephone number), which can be used as references for work performed in the area of
service required. A brief description of the services provided shall accompany each reference. Selected
organizations may be contacted to determine the quality of work performed and personnel assigned to the
project. The results of the references will be used in scoring the written proposals.
Methodology
The vendor shall describe in detail the methodology and procedures that will be used to meet the
requirements of the RFP. This should include planning, coordination, problem solving, and technical
assistance support.
Technical Requirements:
Documentation of Safety Shoe Performance
Provide independent laboratory evaluations of your product indicating slip resistance ratings.
Product Availability
Do you have an accessible retail location for staff to purchase products? ___ Yes _____No
Do you have a shoe truck that can be available in Guilford County, NC for 2 days or more in mid to late
August? ______Yes ______No
Order, Delivery Procedures, and Shipping Costs:
Provide overview of process and clarify costs.
Warranty and Refund Policies
Explain warranty against product defects and describe process for customer returns, credits and refunds.
Product Categories & Pricing
Provide detailed information on your line of slip resistant shoes and their cost to our employees.
Award and Final Offers
If awarded, the intent of GCS is to award to the highest scoring responsive and responsible proposer. GCS
reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.
Notification of Intent to Award:
As a courtesy, the District may send a notification of award memo to respond to vendors at the time of the
award.