Aiken County Detention Center Food Services

Request for Proposals for Inmate Food Services at the Aiken County Sheriff's
Office Detention Center located at 435 Wire Road, Aiken, SC 29801.
1) Grade of Food Specifications
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.
* Beef, Veal and Lamb shall be of at least USDA Choice.
* Ground Beef-utility or better, not to exceed 25% fat.
* Poultry shall be of at least USDA Grade A.
* Canned fruits and vegetables shall be of at least USDA Grade C.
* Frozen fruits and vegetables shall be of at least USDA Grade B.
* Fresh produce shall be of at least USDA No. 2.
* Dairy products shall be of at least USDA Grade A.
* Eggs shall be of at least USDA Grade "A" Medium.
* Frozen fish and seafood must be a nationally distributed brand, packed
under continuous government inspection, USDA Grade A.
* No mechanically separated meats
* No textured vegetable proteins
2) Meal Standards
Meals shall comply with current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, ACA
standards, South Carolina Minimum Standards for Local Detention Facilities, and
all medically approved dietary requirements. Menus shall be nutritionally
adequate and approved by a licensed South Carolina dietitian. Meals shall be
served fresh, in reasonable variety, and at appropriate temperatures. Daily caloric
intake should be 2,600 - 3,000 calories.
3) 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
and staff during the period of the contract. The Contractor must maintain, at a
minimum, a 5-day supply of adequate food on hand. All inventories shall be
rotated regularly and the Contractor shall ensure that the food items are not served
after manufacturer's expiration date. Contractor shall retain ownership of such
inventory.
4) Location of Food Preparation
All food shall be provided by the Contractor and prepared on-site.
5) Meal Counts
ACDC staff will order inmate meals, staff meals, special diet meals and sack
meals at times mutually agreeable between the facility and the Contractor.
However, the Contractor shall prepare sufficient additional meals in the event of
unexpected newly arrived inmates.

6) Pre-Plating
Meals shall be portioned on trays (provided by facility) in the kitchen and placed
on a cart in the staging area. The carts with trays and beverages will be picked up
and delivered to the housing units by inmate workers.
7) Staff Meals
ACDC staff meals are to be provided on an order system. ACDC desires to have a
limited short order menu consisting of at least 5 different selections with one of
the selections being the inmate meal of the day and another being a salad bar.
Meals are available for staff during the same times as inmates. Staff will be
required to order their meal at agreed upon times with the selected Contractor.
The Contractor shall include in their proposal a sample staff menu to be
considered. Staff meals should be charged at the same rate as inmate meals, if not
pricing shall be provided.
8) Catering
Contractor shall provide meals and or refreshments when requested by ACDC for
special events such as business meetings, etc. The cost of these events will be
invoiced separately from the daily meal costs.
9) Meal Schedule
Contractor shall provide three full, nutritionally balanced meals (hot breakfast, hot
or cold lunch, hot dinner) each day at regularly scheduled times as follows:
Breakfast Start: 5:00 AM End: 6:30 AM
Lunch Start: 11:00 AM End: 12:30PM
Dinner Start: 4:00 PM End: 5:45 PM
10) Facilities and Equipment
ACDC seeks a food service partner capable of providing not only high-quality
correctional food service operations, but also meaningful investment in kitchen
equipment modernization, operational efficiency, preventative maintenance, and
lifecycle management.
As part of its proposal, Contractor shall conduct an assessment of the existing
kitchen equipment and facility operations and provide recommendations for:
* Replacement of obsolete or inefficient equipment;
* Modernization of kitchen operations;
* Energy-efficient upgrades;
* Operational workflow improvements;
* Equipment lifecycle management;
* Preventative maintenance strategies.
Contractor is strongly encouraged to propose capital investment initiatives and
equipment replacement plans as part of the initial contract term.

The proposal shall clearly identify:
* Equipment proposed for replacement or upgrade;
* Whether equipment will be Contractor-owned or County-owned;
* Estimated value of proposed capital investment;
* Proposed implementation timeline;
* Expected operational benefits;
* Maintenance responsibilities;
* Warranty coverage;
* End-of-contract ownership provisions.
All proposed equipment shall be commercial-grade and appropriate for
correctional institutional use. ACDC reserves the right to approve all proposed
equipment specifications prior to installation.
Preference may be given to proposals that demonstrate significant investment in
modernization, equipment reliability, operational efficiency, and long-term
partnership value to ACDC.
Contractor shall also provide a comprehensive preventative maintenance and
repair program for all food service equipment utilized during the contract term.
11) Sack Meals
Contractor shall provide sack lunches as needed. Sack lunches can be ordered for
staff and/or inmates that cannot eat during regular meal times anytime the kitchen
is open. Sack lunches will consist of, at minimum, two sandwiches, one 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.
12) Menu Cycle
The menu cycle included with the Proposal will consist of a four (4) week
minimum menu cycle and will be submitted for approval to jail administration at
least 30 days in advance. ACDC administration reserves the right to specify the
order in which the weekly menus are to be arranged. ACDC administration also
reserves the right to make substitutions with respect to individual menu items and
have them replaced with like or similar individual menu items, should it be
necessary or if commodity is available.
13) 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. Menus shall be free of any and all pork products.

14) Substitutions
Any substitution to the established menus shall be verified with a dietitian to
determine the appropriateness of those substitutions.
15) 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 dietitian shall
review the contents of such meals to ensure their proper nutritional balance.
Vendor will need to be able to provide the following special diets/meals: Diabetic,
Suicide, Nutraloaf, Healthy Heart, Pregnancy, Nutritional Support (higher calorie
intake for juveniles and inmates with conditions such as HIV), Liquid Diet,
Dental, Dental Straw Full Liquid, Clear Liquid, High Fiber, Kosher, No
Concentrated Sweets
16) 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 ACDC administration. Records of substitutions shall include
the items and portion sizes, the reason for the substitution and verification that a
dietitian has been consulted when appropriate. The Contractor shall maintain and
provide such daily, weekly and monthly records as ACDC administration may
require and shall maintain records for a minimum of three (3) years.
17) 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's employees, insurance premiums and license fees, office supplies
and postage.
18) 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 Health and
Human Services Jail and Detention branch and other applicable Federal and State
laws. The Contractor shall assure that the kitchen maintains an A sanitation grade
and shall pay a daily penalty of $100.00 per day for every day that this sanitation
grade is not achieved.
19) Inmate Training
The vendor will train assigned inmate staff in operation and cleaning procedures
of the equipment.

20) Background Checks
ACDC retains the right to thoroughly investigate any current or prospective
personnel assigned to the detention center and must pass a security clearance
before working at the detention center
21) Searches
Employees are subject to being searched when entering the detention center.
22) Inmate Population
The rated capacity of ACDC is 467. The 2025 Average Daily Population (ADP)
for the Aiken County Detention Center was 423. As of May 13, 2026 the inmate
population was 345.
23) Keys and Tools
The Contractor is responsible for control of keys obtained from the ACDC 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. No
keys to any part of the ACDC may be duplicated. All keys will be provided by
the ACDC and made available at the beginning of the shift and turned in at the
end of the shift. No keys shall leave the ACDC. Vendor must maintain
accountability procedures for knives/tools and keys.
24) References
The Contractor shall provide with its Proposal:
* Outlines of the structure of the organization and number of years in
institutional food service.
* One copy of the latest published annual report for the company or satisfactory
written evidence of the financial stability of the organization.
* A minimum of ten (10) current food services contracts with the following
information: client, contact person, address and telephone number, type and
size of facility, type of food service operation, and date of original contract.
Also, please include information as to the facility that is most similar to
ACDC in size and population and the facility that is geographically closest to
ACDC.
* A list of any correctional and/or food service affiliations.
25) Cost
Proposal must show a price per meal including South Carolina tax. In addition,
contractor must list any subsequent contract year increases. Pricing should be
based off of a (3) year contract with the option to extend up to three additional
years reviewed annually.

26) Inspections
The Contractor shall agree to allow unscheduled visits by ACDC administration
or his designee, by the DHEC, SCDC inspectors and by any other inspecting
agency whose purpose is to ensure that all employees in the food service area are
free from disease or open wounds and that the food service area complies with all
requirements for sanitation, food storage and the control of vermin.
27) Insurance
The Contractor shall carry appropriate insurance on its employees, products and
property, including Workers' Compensation and general liability in the minimum
amount of:
General Liability Insurance of no less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and
$2,000,000 aggregate, Automobile liability insurance of no less than $1,000,000,
Professional liability insurance of no less than $1,000,000 (if applicable).
The Contractor shall provide proof of said applicable policies to the ACDC no
later than the date of commencement of service under the contract with
certificates of insurance for the foregoing coverage, which designates the ACDC
as an additional insured entity 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
which will be provided to the ACDC. Cancellation of insurance shall be cause for
immediate cancellation of the contract.
28) Staffing
The Contractor shall provide a trained food service manager with adequate
experience in institutional Food Service Management or similar experience in
correctional facilities, who will work with the administration. The Contractor
shall provide ACDC administration with the prospective manager's 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 facility
administration and reserves the right to remove any individual employed by the
Contractor from the facility at the discretion facility administration. Contractor
shall provide sufficient staff at all times to provide for the efficient operation of
food service. Contractor must submit a staffing plan with their proposal.
29) Nutrition Consultant
The Contractor shall provide a full-time qualified nutrition consultant who is at
minimum a certified dietitian licensed by the State of South Carolina on its staff
for consultation and review of menus. ACDC also reserves the right to consult
with another dietitian for review of menus and nutritional information.
30) Holiday Meals
The Contractor is expected to provide, at no additional charge, a minimum of
three (3) Holiday / Meals annually. A copy of the proposed menus is to be
included in the proposal.

31) Billing
As full and complete compensation to the Contractor for all food, labor and
material furnished and all services performed pursuant to these specifications, the
ACDC shall pay the Contractor upon submission of properly certified invoices
prepared in a format required by the ACDC. Compensation shall be based on the
daily per meal costs expressed in the awarded bid proposal multiplied by the
number of meals ordered, less any credit due from previous invoices. ACDC
shall be invoiced weekly.
32) PREA Compliance and Security Training
Contractor shall comply with all applicable Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)
standards, facility security procedures, and correctional best practices applicable
to vendor personnel operating within a secure detention environment. All
Contractor employees assigned to the facility shall complete, at minimum:
PREA awareness and reporting training;
Contraband prevention training;
Inmate manipulation and boundary awareness training;
Emergency response procedures;
Tool and key accountability procedures;
Facility security orientation.
33) Emergency Feeding and Continuity of Operations
Contractor shall maintain a written Emergency Feeding and Continuity of
Operations Plan designed to ensure uninterrupted food service operations during
emergency situations. The plan shall address:
Lockdowns;
Power outages;
Water outages;
Natural disasters;
Severe weather events;
Staffing shortages;
Supply chain disruptions;
Equipment failures;
Emergency inmate population increases.
Contractor shall maintain the capability to provide emergency meal service for a
minimum of five (5) days without normal delivery schedules if necessary.
* The Emergency Feeding Plan shall include:
* Shelf-stable emergency menus;
* Alternate food sourcing procedures;
* Emergency staffing contingencies;
* Alternate meal preparation procedures;
* Communication protocols;
* Refrigeration failure contingencies.

Contractor shall provide a copy of the Emergency Feeding Plan upon request and
update the plan annually. Training shall be completed prior to assignment within
the detention center and annually thereafter. Contractor shall maintain
documentation of completed training and provide such documentation upon
request.
34) Quality Assurance and Compliance Program
Contractor shall provide a written Quality Assurance and Compliance Program
designed to ensure operational consistency, food safety, sanitation compliance,
and contractual performance. The Quality Assurance Program shall include:
Internal sanitation inspections; Food temperature monitoring procedures; Meal
quality inspections; Grievance tracking and response procedures; Menu
substitution tracking;
Corrective action procedures; Staffing audits; Inventory control procedures;
Special diet compliance monitoring.
Contractor shall maintain documentation of all inspections, corrective actions, and
operational reviews and provide such records upon request. ACDC reserves the
right to conduct independent inspections and audits of Contractor operations at
any time.
35) Transition and Startup Plan
Contractor shall provide a detailed Transition and Startup Plan as part of its
proposal.
* The plan shall address:
* Staffing implementation timelines;
* Management transition procedures;
* Equipment inspections;
* Inventory transition procedures;
* Vendor coordination;
* Employee orientation and training;
* Operational startup schedules;
* Continuity of meal service during transition.
Contractor shall ensure uninterrupted meal service operations throughout the
transition period. The successful Contractor shall coordinate closely with ACDC
administration prior to commencement of services to ensure operational readiness.

36) Oral Presentations and Finalist Interviews
ACDC reserves the right to require oral presentations, interviews, facility
walkthroughs, and tasting demonstrations from selected finalists prior to contract
award.
Presentations may include:
Operational philosophy;
Staffing strategies;
Equipment modernization plans;
Emergency preparedness;
Quality assurance procedures;
Correctional experience;
Transition planning.
Failure to participate in requested presentations or interviews may result in
disqualification from consideration.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals shall be evaluated for suitability utilizing a points system according to the
following scale:
* Max 25 Points - Operational Plan and Understanding of Correctional Food Service
Operations
* Max 20 Points - Correctional Experience and References
* Max 15 Points - Staffing and Retention Plan
* Max 15 Points - Equipment Modernization & Cap
* Max 15 Points - Financial Impact/Pricing
* Max 10 Points - Quality Assurance and Compliance Program
Please submit One (1) Original and Five (5) Copies and Flash Drive
MAXIMUM OF 50 PAGES FRONT AND BACK
INCLUDING SUBMISSION ON FLASH DRIVE