Prepackaged Single Serve Produce Items, 2026-2027 Bid Proposal.pdf

UTICA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
BOARD OF EDUCATION
929 YORK STREET
UTICA, NEW YORK 13502

SPECIFICATIONS AND BID PROPOSAL FORMS FOR THE
PURCHASE
OF PREPACKAGED SINGLE SERVE PRODUCE ITEMS IN
THE
NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH, NATIONAL BREAKFAST,
CACFP
SUPPER AND SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR USE IN THE
SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE PERIOD
OF
JULY 1, 2026 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2027

BID #017

Bids will be accepted until 11:00 a.m. on May 15, 2026

Dated: April 24, 2026

LEGAL NOTICE

The Board of Education of the Utica City School District invites proposals on the forms
provided for furnishing the following:

Fresh Fruits and Vegetable Program

Bids must be delivered to the Office of the Purchasing Agent of the Utica City School
District, 929 York Street, Utica, New York, prior to 11 a.m. on May 15, 2026 at which time
they will be publicly opened and read. The proposals are to be based on specifications
entitled "SPECIFICATIONS AND BID PROPOSAL FORMS FOR THE PURCHASE OF
PREPACKAGED SINGLE SERVE PRODUCE ITEMS JULY 1, 2026 THROUGH JUNE
30, 2027", copies of which together with bid forms are on file and may be secured at the
Office of the Purchasing Agent of the Utica City School District, 929 York Street, Utica,
New York. Bid documents may be obtained digitally in PDF format. Request documents
via email to Mr. Mike Ferraro at mferraro@uticaschools.org

Proposals signed by bidders shall be enclosed in a sealed envelope, addressed to Ms.
Heather Mowat, Deputy Purchasing Agent and marked in red in the lower, left-hand
corner.

Packaged Single Serve Produce Bidders

Before submitting their proposals, bidders shall examine the specifications as contained
herein and base their bids upon these specifications. The Board of Education reserves
the right to reject any one or all items bid or to award all or any part of the bid. In cases
where the Utica City School District receives two or more identical bids, the School
District reserves the right to accept one bid only on the basis of a random selection
process.

The successful bidder must promptly execute a satisfactory contract, guaranteeing the
faithful fulfillment of the terms of the contract.

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE
UTICA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Heather Mowat, Deputy Purchasing Agent

GENERAL PROVISIONS
LAWS:

All supplies furnished under this specification shall comply in all respects to the standards
and regulations established by federal and New York State laws, including the federal
Pure Food and Drug Act and subsequent decisions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

PRICE:

All prices quoted shall include transportation and delivery charges fully prepaid by
contractor, FOB Central Kitchen. All prices must remain in effect from July 1, 2026
through June 30, 2027.

INSPECTION:

The Board of Education, a duly appointed agent, or any properly authorized
representative of the N.Y.S. Department of Health or a local health department shall have
the right to inspect the premises, facilities, and methods on or by which such baking
products are handled, and may take or cause to be made standard testing for bacteria
count for the purpose of determining whether or not the Contract is being properly
executed.

METHOD OF AWARD:

The Bid will be awarded to the lowest Responsive and Responsible Bidder meeting the
specifications or providing acceptable deviation. The Board of Education reserves the
right to award this bid as a whole or split between vendors or in its discretion, reject all
bids, and re-advertise in the manner provided by Section 103 of the General Municipal
Law. In cases where the Utica City School District receives two or more identical bids,
the School District reserves the right to accept one bid based on a random selection
process. Bidder must meet all specifications to be awarded this bid. The award of the bid
shall not be construed as a purchase. The Contractor(s) shall await the receipt of a
Purchase Order from the buyer(s) before preparing shipments.

QUANTITIES and ITEMS:

Quantities listed are estimates only. Listed quantities are based on the item specification.
Quantities increased or decreased are to be furnished at the Contract price. In the event
Items specified are unavailable due to pricing or supply; both parties may agree on
suitable substitutions. All items should be washed, trimmed of stems or stalks, and
ready to eat.

PACKAGING:

Packaging and subsequent labeling shall comply with all respects to rules and
regulations set forth by the N.Y.S. Department of Agriculture and Markets.

BILLING:

All Bid prices must include all charges and costs related to delivering the order to the
address indicated on the purchase orders. If unauthorized charges appear on invoices
and are not corrected to the satisfaction of the UCSD, the Contractor will be deemed to
be not in compliance and in breach of the Contract. The Contract may be terminated.
Further, the Contractor may be disqualified from participating in the bidding program

3

thereafter. A delivery receipt shall accompany daily deliveries. All billing is to be done
weekly.

DELIVERY:

All deliveries shall be made between 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Monday through
Thursday, as ordered and indicated, to the Central Kitchen, 400 Elizabeth Street, Utica,
New York. Delivery schedules and times for delivery will be worked out by the successful
Bidder and the Director of Food Services. Deliveries must be received at least 2 days
prior to the service date. Dates are subject to change. Delivery or packing slips must
accompany every delivery and be clearly marked with quantity, unit price, extended price
and total.

CERTIFY USDA REGULATORY STANDARDS ARE MET:

Utica City School District is required to comply with USDA regulations concerning the
nutritional content of all foods served to students, and any changes or amendments to
those regulations whenever they become effective. Therefore, every Bidder must certify
to the Utica City School District that each product offered for purchase meets the USDA
regulatory standards currently in effect along with its Bid, or the Bid will not be considered
complete. During the term of the Agreement, the Contractor shall provide, upon request
and for each substitute product whenever an item is replaced, a certification that any or
all the products meet the USDA regulatory standards then in effect. At any time during
the Contract in the event that a product item is determined to not be in compliance with
applicable USDA regulations, whether such determination is made by the Contractor of
the Utica City School District, a substitute product which meets all applicable regulatory
standards shall be substituted at the same Contract price. If the substitute product cost is
different than the item replaced, the Contractor may apply to Utica City School District for
an adjustment in price for the substitute product item. Utica City School District reserves
the right, in its sole discretion, to determine whether a proposed substitute product is
acceptable. The Utica City School District Board of Education reserves the right to correct
or revise the specifications to meet the industry standards for the product as may be
required.

BUY AMERICAN PROVISION:

The Utica City School District to the maximum extent possible will purchase domestic
commodities or products for use in the CACFP Supper, National School Lunch Program
and the School Breakfast Program. We require suppliers to certify that product(s) are
processed in the U.S. and certify the percentage of U.S. content by weight or volume.
Therefore, over 51% of the final processed product (by weight or volume) must consist of
agricultural commodities that were grown domestically. Thus, for foods that are
unprocessed, agricultural commodities must be domestic. For foods that are processed,
they must be processed domestically using domestic agricultural food components that
are comprised of over 51 % domestically grown items, by weight or volume as
determined by the School Food Authority. Vendors should make every effort to bid
items that meet this requirement. Any item that does not meet this criterion should be so
noted on the bid.

PERFORMANCE:

The Utica City School District reserves the right to cancel the Contract for unsatisfactory
performance or quality of product or packaging upon thirty (30) days written notice to the
vendor.

NON-DISCRIMINATION:

The Contractor agrees that, in selecting its employees to perform the tasks and services
contained in this Agreement, it will not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion,
gender or national origin, physical handicaps or other physical limitations. The Contractor
further agrees that it will make reasonable accommodation to the known physical or
mental limitations of qualified disabled applicants and/or employees and will document
any specific reasonable accommodation requested, made, or denied, with the basis for
such denial. The Bidder further agrees and warrants that he/she will follow all civil rights
requirements promulgated by Congress, the State of New York and the State in which
the producing plant(s) is located.

PREPACKAGED SINGLE SERVE PRODUCE ITEM BID FORM
TABLE FOR THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR
EACH BIDDER MUST COMPLETE THIS TABLE AND SUBMIT WITH THE BID

menu Item Unit
Item Product Specs UOM| frequency Cost
. 1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper
Broccoli proof package 500+ |1 per 10 days

1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper

carrot baby, coins, or sticks proof package 500+ |1 per 5 days
. 1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper
cauliflower florets proof package 500+ |1 per 10 days

1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper

celery sticks proof package 500+ |1 per 10 days
1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper
cherry tomatoes proof package 500+ |1 per 10 days

bell pepper slices

1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper
proof package

500+

1 per 10 days

green or red grapes

1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper
proof package

500+

1 per 10 days

sliced apples

1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper
proof package

500+

1 per 10 days

peas, sugar snap or snow
(in pod)

1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper
proof package

500+

1 per 20-30 days

cucumber, English or
seedless, sliced

1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper
proof package

500+

1 per 20-30 days

pineapple, cubes

1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper
proof package

500+

1 per 20-30 days

mango, cubes or chunks

1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper
proof package

500+

1 per 20-30 days

honey dew, cubes or slices

1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper
proof package

500+

1 per 20-30 days

cantaloupe, cubes or slices

1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper
proof package

500+

1 per 20-30 days

watermelon, cubes,
chunks, slices

1/2 cup in sealed bag or tamper
proof package

500+

1 per 20-30 days

UTICA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
UTICA, NEW YORK

TITLE & DATE OF SPECIFICATION:

DATE OF PROPOSAL:

NON-COLLUSION BIDDING CERTIFICATION

By submission of this bid or proposal, the bidder and each person signing on behalf of the bidder or
bidders, subject to the terms of Section 103-d of the General Municipal Law amended by Chapter
675 of the Laws of 1966 certifies that:

a. The prices in this bid have been arrived independently without collusion, consultation,
communication, or agreement for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any
matter relating to such prices with any other bidder or with any competitor.

b. Unless otherwise required by Law, the prices that have been quoted in this bid have
not been knowingly disclosed by the bidder and are not knowingly being disclosed by
the bidder, prior to opening, directly or indirectly, to any other bidder or to any
competitor.

c. No attempt has been made or is to be made by the bidder to induce any other person,
partnership, or corporation to submit or not to submit a bid for the purpose of restricting
competition.

d. The person signing this bid or proposal certifies that he has fully informed himself
regarding the accuracy of the statement contained in the certification, and under the
penalties of perjury, affirms the truth thereof, such penalties being applicable to the
bidder as well as the person signing on its behalf.

e. Iran Divestment Act: By submission of this bid, each bidder and each person signing
on behalf of any bidder certifies, and in the case of a joint bid, each party thereto
certifies as to its own organization under penalty of perjury, that to the best of its
knowledge and belief that each bidder is not on the list created pursuant to paragraph
(b) of subdivision 3 of section 165-a of the state finance law.

SIGNATURE:
TITLE:

LEGAL ADDRESS:
DATE:

This non-collusion form must be completed, signed, and included with your bid.

BID PROPOSAL FORM

PREPACKAGED SINGLE SERVE PRODUCE ITEM
TO: The Board of Education of the Utica City School District, Utica, NY

The undersigned, having examined the specifications, including the
advertisement for bids and the general conditions and specifications and on file
in the office of the Purchasing Agent of the Utica City School District, 929 York
Street, Utica, New York, hereby proposes to furnish the items in the appropriate
quantities listed on the bid form table for the services for the period of September
1, 2026 through June 30,2027.

Please fill in the bid table on pages 6-7 and put the total

bid price below:

Total Bid Price
$

The Board of Education reserves the right to reject any or all bids and reduce
or increase the quantity specified herein.

FIRM NAME
PRINT NAME

SIGNATURE

TITLE

FIRM ADDRESS

DATE

TELEPHONE

PLEASE RETURN THIS ENTIRE BID PACKAGE WITH
YOUR BID

UTICA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

PROPOSER'S CERTIFICATION OF
COMPLIANCE WITH IRAN DIVESTMENT ACT OF
2012

In accordance with General Municipal Law Section 103-g, which generally prohibits the
School District from entering into contracts with persons engaged in investment
activities in the energy sector of Iran, the bidder/proposer submits the following
certification:

[Please Check One]
Proposer's Certification

By submission of this bid or proposal, each bidder/proposer and each person
signing on behalf of any bidder/proposer certifies, and in the case of a joint bid each
party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty of perjury, that to the best
of its knowledge and belief, that each bidder/proposer is not on the list created by the
Office of General Services (OGS) pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision 3 of Section
165-a of the State Finance Law

| am unable to certify that my name and the name of the bidder/proposer does
not appear on the list created pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision 3 of section 165-
a of the State Finance Law. | have attached a signed statement setting forth in detail
about why | cannot certify.

Dated:
Name of Bidder/Proposer
Signature of Authorized Official
~~ Printed or Typed Name of Official and Title

Sworn to before me this Day

Notary Public