RFP - INMATE FOOD SERVICE 03-26/27

RFP - INMATE FOOD SERVICE ID NO. 03-26/27
BID DUE: Monday, September 21, 2026 at 12:00 pm
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Proposal ID: 3-26/27 Inmate Food Service Proposal
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
The County of Chesterfield will accept bids for the provision of furnishing food service to
include inmate feeding based on the specifications provided with this Request for Proposal.
Bids will be received at the County Council Office, Administration Building located at 178 Mill
Street, Chesterfield, South Carolina, 29709, until 12:00 Noon Local time, as indicated by personal
timepiece of the County Administrator, on Monday, September 21, 2026 12:00 pm. The proposal
ID as shown on the proposal must be clearly visible on the proposal submitted. Please contact Mr.
Weldon Gainey, Interim Detention Center Administrator, at 843-623-2261 if you have any
additional questions regarding the attached specifications.
SPECIFICATIONS
A. GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
1. Scope of Work
The contractor shall furnish all management, labor, food, materials and supplies
necessary to provide food service for the Chesterfield County Detention Center for
inmates, including special diet meals, seven days a week, for a period of one (1) year.
The contractor shall prepare at least 2 (two) hot meals a day. The Sheriff has requested
the hot meals be given at breakfast and dinner. This contract may be extended annually,
as agreed by both parties. Contractor shall include in its proposal the method by which it
expects to adjust the price per meal after the first year.
2. Contracting Officer
The Detention Center Administrator shall be the Contracting Officer who shall act as the
agent of the Chesterfield County Detention Center for the purpose of serving as the
Chesterfield County Detention Center contact person for the successful bidder,
hereinafter referred to as the Contractor, overseeing performance and completion of the
contract pursuant to its terms and receiving, reviewing, and processing billings from the
contractor, conducting periodic inspections of the food service area and reviewing menus.
3. Insurance
The Contractor shall carry appropriate insurance on its employees, products and property,
including Workers Compensation, and general liability in the minimum amount of
$1,000,000 per occurrence with aggregate of $2,000,000.
The Contractor shall provide the Chesterfield County not later than the date of
commencement of service under the contract with certificates of insurance for the
foregoing coverage's, which designate the Chesterfield County Detention Center as an
additional insured with respect to the Contractor's participation in the contract and which
includes a provision that the coverage shall not be cancelled, terminated or otherwise
modified without a thirty (30) day prior written notice provided to the Chesterfield
County Detention Center. Cancellation of insurance shall be cause for immediate
cancellation of the contract.
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4. Taxes, Licenses and Permits
The Contractor shall pay all applicable taxes and shall obtain and keep current all
necessary licenses and permits.
5. Equal Employment Opportunity
Contractor shall at all times comply with all applicable Federal and State laws relating to
discrimination and equal employment opportunity, including the Americans with
Disabilities Act, and shall furnish documentation of compliance with such laws as
reasonably requested by the Chesterfield County Detention Center.
6. Indemnity
The Contractor shall assume full responsibility for and shall indemnify the Chesterfield
County Detention Center for any damage or loss of any Chesterfield County Property,
including Building, fixtures, furnishings, equipment, supplies, accessories or parts
resulting in whole or part from any negligent acts or omissions of the contractor or any
employee, agent, or representative of the Contractor, except for negligence by the
Chesterfield County Detention Center.
7. Failure to Perform
The Contractor shall perform the work in accordance with specifications. Failure to
perform the work as provided herein may result in written notice to the Contractor
terminating its right to proceed as to the whole or any part of the contract. In the event of
such termination, the Contractor shall be liable to the Chesterfield County Detention
Center for any excess costs for such services.
Any cost incurred by the Chesterfield County Detention Center failure of the Contractor
to abide by the food service agreement with the Chesterfield County Detention Center or
to perform the necessary services as described herein will be borne by the Contractor.
8. Termination Notice
This contract may be terminated by either party provided a thirty (30) day written notice
is given to the other party. Written notice to Chesterfield County must be sent to the
Detention Center Interim. Administrator, Mr. Weldon Gainey at 319 Goodale Road,
Chesterfield, SC 29709 and copy to Chesterfield County Sheriff Office Attn: Sheriff
Cambo Streater 203 Watson Street, Chesterfield, SC 29709.
9. Subcontract
The Contractor shall not subcontract or assign any portion of the food service operation
or its rights or obligations under the contract without prior written consent of Chesterfield
County.
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10. Discontinuance of Operation
Should it be necessary for Chesterfield County to discontinue operation of the institution
for any reason, this contract shall become null and void.
11. Emergency conditions
If the Chesterfield County Detention Center kitchen should be damaged by fire, flood,
riot, or any event that would render the kitchen inoperable, Chesterfield County shall
determine, after consultation with the Contractor, whether and to what extent the kitchen
is operable. If the Contractor cannot then prepare and serve the required meals,
Chesterfield County, at its option, may continue with the contract or terminate without
further obligation.
The bidder must include in the proposal a detailed description of the bidder's emergency
plan for providing alternate food service in case of an emergency such as mentioned
above.
B. STAFFING
1. Food Service Manager
The Contractor shall provide a trained food service manager with at least twelve (12)
months experience in institutional Food Service Management or similar experience in
correctional facilities, which will work with the administration of the Chesterfield County
Detention Center. The Contractor shall provide the contracting officer with the
prospective managers resume and qualifications. Employment of the manager and all
other employees of the Contractor at the facility will be subject to review and approval by
the Detention Center Administrator. The Detention Center Administrator reserves the
right to require the Contractor to remove any employee of the Contractor from the facility
at the Administrator's discretion.
2. Nutrition Consultant
Contractor shall provide a full-time qualified nutrition consultant, who is at minimum, a
certified dietician licensed by the State of South Carolina, on its staff for consultation and
review of menus. Chesterfield County also reserves the right to consult with another
dietician for review of menus and nutritional information.
3. Staffing
Contractor shall provide sufficient staff at all times to provide for the efficient operation
of food service. Chesterfield County shall provide a minimum of one (1) to two (2)
inmates for assistance with sanitation and dishwashing. However, should inmate labor
not be available, the Contractor shall ensure that sufficient employees are present to
provide all such services.
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4. Minimum Wage
The Contractor must pay minimum wage as defined by the State of South Carolina, or
higher wages. Inmates ARE NOT paid.
5. Background Investigations
Contractor's employees will be subject to a background investigation and security check
as is normally required for personnel of Chesterfield County Detention Center.
Chesterfield County reserves the right to deny any Contractor's employees access to the
facility that do not meet established security clearances or obey Chesterfield County rules
and regulations. Final selection of all Contractor employees at the Detention Center shall
be at the approval of the Detention Center Administrator.
6. Physical Examinations
All employees shall be required to undergo periodic physical exams as specified by the
State and local regulations at the Contractor's expense.
7. Orientation and Training
The Contractor's employees must attend orientation classes and in-service training as
mandated by Chesterfield County and the State of South Carolina. Such training will be
provided by Chesterfield County, but employees' salaries for that time is the
responsibility of the Contractor.
8. Conduct of Contractor's Employees
The Contractor shall instruct all employees that all rules and regulations, policies and
procedures established by Chesterfield County shall be adhered to. In addition:
* Contractor shall prohibit its employees from personal use of the telephone or
office equipment provided for official Chesterfield County business. No cell
phones are allowed inside the facility.
* All Contract personnel shall be required to comply with Chesterfield County and
the State of South Carolina rules and regulations concerning food service.
* All Contractor personnel may be required to wear identification badges issued by
Chesterfield County.
* No food, supplies, material or equipment provided, acquired or utilized in the
performance of the contract shall be removed from the corrections facility for
personal use or used in any manner not provided herein without approval form
Chesterfield County.
* Contractor's employees shall not fraternize with inmates or Chesterfield County
employees.
9. Supervision of Inmate Workers
The Contractor shall provide sufficient qualified staff to supervise, at all times, any
inmates assigned to the food service area while performing their job assignment,
including, but not limited to, staging of trays, receiving materials and sanitation. The
Contractor shall be responsible for documenting on specified forms and notifying
security personnel of rule violations by inmates working in the food service section of the
facility. Chesterfield County shall be responsible for taking the necessary steps for
disciplinary action, where appropriate. Contractor shall have the right to request that the
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Chesterfield County Detention Center Administrator remove inmate staff from
assignment to the food service area.
10. Staffing Proposal Requirements
The Contractor shall provide with its proposal:
a. Individual job descriptions and levels of responsibility.
b. State the number of personnel required.
11. Contract Supervision
Chesterfield County shall appoint a person from its staff to oversee the contract. This
person shall randomly check for contract compliance. The Contractor shall cooperate
with this person in obtaining all requested information.
C. FOOD & SPECIFICATIONS
1. All food shall be provided by the Contractor and prepared on-site. Contractor
will prepare at least two (2) hot meals a day, breakfast and dinner.
Raw Food:
The following are the minimum specifications for raw food; higher but not lower
grades can be purchased. Contractor will use commodities as much as possible.
a. Beef, Veal, and Lamb shall be of at least USDA Choice.
b. Ground Beef-utility or better, not to exceed 25% fat.
c. Poultry shall be of at least USDA Grade A.
d. Canned fruits and vegetables shall be of at least USDA Grade C.
e. Frozen fruits and vegetables shall be of at least USDA Grade B.
f. Fresh produce shall be of at least USDA No. 2.
g. Dairy products shall be of at least USDA Grade A.
h. Eggs shall be of at least USDA Grade A Medium.
i. Frozen fish and seafood must be a nationally distributed brand, packed under
continuous government inspection, USDA Grade A.
2. Commodities
Contractor agrees to assist Chesterfield County in securing surplus food items when
minimum quality standards are satisfied and when costs of a given surplus item are
less than that available to the Contractor. If surplus food is used, the Contractor
agrees to fully utilize all appropriate surplus food commodities obtained by
Chesterfield County from the US Department of Agriculture. Commodities should
not be used in calculating meal prices. The difference between the cost of the
commodities received for each month and current market cost for such commodities
shall be applied as a credit and applied to the next invoice to Chesterfield County.
Contractor shall follow all record keeping requirements of the USDA for purchasing
surplus food.
3. Donated Items by the County
Chesterfield County may periodically donate food items. The current market cost for
donated items shall be applied as a credit and applied to the next invoice to
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Chesterfield County. Contractor shall give Detention Center Administrator a copy of
the credit for approval.
4. Meal Standards
All meals shall meet current RDA requirements. Menus shall provide an average of
2,900 calories per day. Food will be served fresh, in a reasonable variety and at
appropriate temperatures. Breakfast and Dinner at least are requested to be hot meals;
lunch may be a cold meal. Portion sizes shall be specified on the proposed menus as
serving (cooked) weight unless otherwise specified.
5. Food Inventory
Contractor shall be responsible for purchasing and receiving all food necessary for
preparation of each meal in sufficient quantity to meet the needs of inmates during
the period of the contact. The Contractor must maintain, at a minimum, a five (5)-day
supply of foodstuffs on hand. All inventories shall be rotated regularly and the
Contractor shall ensure that the food items are not served after the manufacturer's
expiration date. Contractor shall retain ownership of such inventory.
6. Meal Counts
The Chesterfield County Detention Center will order inmate meals, special diet meals
and sack meals at times mutually agreeable to the Detention Center Administrator
and the Contractor. However, the Contractor shall prepare sufficient additional meals
in the event of newly arrived inmates.
7. Pre-plating
Meals shall be portioned on trays in the kitchen and placed in a cart in the staging
area. Detention staff will deliver the carts with trays and beverages to the housing
units
8. Meal Schedule
Contractor shall provide three full, nutritionally balanced meals each day at the
regularly scheduled times as follows:
Breakfast (hot meal) Start: 6:00 AM End: 7:00 AM
Lunch Start: 11:00 AM End: 12:00 PM
Dinner (hot meal) Start: 4:00 PM End: 5:00 PM
Meals for inmates returning late from court or late "book-ins" will be provided until
12:00 PM for lunch and 5:00 PM for dinner. These times may be changed at the
discretion of the Detention Center Administrator.
9. Sack Meals
Contractor shall provide box lunches as needed. Sack lunches can be ordered for
inmates that cannot eat during regular meal times anytime the kitchen is open. Sack
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lunches will consist of, at minimum, two sandwiches, 1 piece of fruit, chips or similar
item, dessert and a beverage. Contractor shall vary sack meal items to avoid
repetition. Contractor shall submit a sample one-week sack meal menu with the
proposal.
10. Menu Cycle
The menu cycle will be four (4) weeks minimum and will be submitted for
Chesterfield County's approval at least 30 days in advance. Contractor shall submit,
as part of its proposal, the proposed menu cycles to be served. The contracting officer
reserves the right to request that the order of the menu be rearranged and that like or
similar items be substituted if the need shall arise or if commodity is available.
11. Recipes
Where combination foods are on the menu, the Contractor shall have a file containing
the recipe that provides the list of ingredients and their quantities; also, the number of
servings and the size of each serving. Recipes for the menus shall be maintained on-
site.
12. Substitution
Any substitution to the established menus shall be verified in advance with a dietician
to determine the appropriateness of those substitutions and approved by the
Chesterfield County Detention Center Administrator.
13. Special Diets
The Contractor shall provide special medical, religious, and vegetarian diets at no
additional charge. Snacks are to be included in the price per meal. A dietician shall
review the contents of such meals to ensure their proper nutritional balance. The
average number of diets being served is 10 per meal.
14. Records
The Contractor shall keep a permanent record of the number of meals served, the
food content of each meal and any menu substitutions or modifications, with copies
provided to the contracting officer. Records of substitutions shall include the items
and portion sizes, the reason for the substitution and verification that a dietician has
been consulted when appropriate. The Contractor shall maintain and provide such
daily, weekly, and monthly records as the contracting officer may require and shall
maintain records for a minimum of three years.
15. Holiday/Spirit Lifter Meals
The contractor is expected to provide, at no additional charge, a minimum of three
(3) Holiday/Spirit Lifter Meals annually. A copy of the proposed menus is to be
included in the Proposal.
D. OPERATIONS
1. Average Daily Population
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Average daily population is expected to be approximately 130 inmates on a daily
basis. The average daily population can average 120 - 140 per meal.
2. Equipment
The Contractor and its employees must safeguard all property of Chesterfield
County. The Contractor shall allow employees to use Chesterfield County equipment
only after they have been trained in its proper use. The Contractor shall be held
responsible for damage resulting from negligence or carelessness on the part of its
employees. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer immediately of the
need for equipment repair and maintenance. Chesterfield County will maintain all
owned equipment.
3. Keys
The Contractor is responsible for control of keys obtained from Chesterfield County
and the security of those areas for which the keys are given. The Contractor shall be
responsible for immediately reporting all facts relating to any loss of keys or losses
incurred as a result of break-ins to those areas. No keys to any part of the facility may
be duplicated. All keys will be provided by Chesterfield County and made available
at the beginning of the shift and turned in at the end of the shift. No keys shall leave
the facility.
4. Contractor Expenses
The Contractor shall be responsible for all labor related costs, food costs and other
expenses such as cleaning supplies, paper supplies, laundry and uniforms for
Contractor employees, insurance premiums and license fees, long distance expenses,
office supplies and postage.
5. Knife Security
The Contractor agrees that all knives and kitchen utensils shall be counted and locked
for safe keeping in accordance with policy and procedures provided to the Contractor
by Chesterfield County. Also, the utensils will require to be inventoried three (3)
times daily.
6. Sanitation
The Contractor shall perform regular routine cleaning of the kitchen area including
all equipment and fixtures therein sufficient to continuously maintain such area. The
equipment and fixtures shall be maintained in a clean, sanitary condition as specified
by the Health Department, Department of Corrections, and other applicable federal
and state laws.
7. Inspections
The Contractor shall agree to allow unscheduled visits by the contracting officer or
his designee, by the Health Department, by the DOC or ACA inspectors and by any
other inspecting agency whose purpose is to ensure that all employees in the food
service area complies with all requirements for sanitation, and food storage.
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