Food, Canned/Dry-Distributor Direct to Warehouse

The Little Rock School District invites your bid on Food, Canned/Dry-Distributor Direct to Warehouse Bid

The complete request for proposal is available online at https://lrsd.ionwave.net. Interested Proposers must register at this site to submit a proposal electronically. This is the required method of submission.
Proposals will be taken under advisement upon opening, and the successful bidder will be notified as soon as possible after evaluation by the District.

Questions regarding this RFP are to be submitted in writing via Ionwave under the questions tab by the deadline of May 12, 2026, 3:30 PM. All questions received and the corresponding answers will be posted publicly for all vendors. No verbal responses will be provided. District will not respond to questions after this time and date.

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All proposals must be submitted no later than May 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM. Any proposal submitted in any format after this deadline may be rejected.

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PROPOSAL EVALUATION:
The District reserves the right to reject any or all RFPs and waive any irregularities or formalities in any solicitation or RFP responses. Price alone may not be the determining factor. Awards will be based upon those considerations which are in the best interest of the District and will be made to the responsive, responsible offerer whose RFP is judged to be the most effective and economical for the purpose intended, according to the requirements stated in this Request for Proposal.
This RFP will be awarded to the lowest responsible, responsive and reputable bidder meeting specifications and evaluation criteria.
The Child Nutrition Department will negotiate, as appropriate, with the apparent acceptable offerer. The proposal deemed to be the most practical and advantageous will receive major consideration. The proposed costs, fee or expense, will weigh heavily in the award of any resulting contract but will not necessarily be the determining factor. The Child Nutrition Department intends to review all proposals. The Child Nutrition Department will utilize but not be limited to the following criteria in reviewing proposals received:

1. Quality of submitted samples

2. Company profile (geographical preference and number of years in business)

3. Pricing

4. References

5. Rebates

6. Proof of local production or sourcing

7. Overall responsiveness (Signed Davis Bacon Act, Rights to Inventions, Clean Air Act and other required documents).

Bidders will be required to submit samples on items identified in RFP document as requiring a sample.
All items must be peanut free and processed at a peanut free facility.
The following procedures must be completed prior to RFP opening.
Product Samples – Vendors shall submit the following minimum quantity to qualify for product sampling.
(1) Dry/Canned – 1 number 10 can
(2) Staples/Dry – As specified per item pack size (1 bag, 1 box or 1 serving of product)
(3) Non-Fresh Dairy Products and Other Beverages – 1 bottle, carton, or serving or product.

Bidders must register samples at the LRSD Child Nutrition Department office in a book provided for that purpose. If samples are provided prior to the issuing of the BID, samples do NOT need to be provided again. If shipped after the BID issuance, register samples via email to childnutrition@lrsd.org, listing the items being sent.
Samples are to be furnished without cost to the LRSD Child Nutrition Office at 1501 Jones Street Little Rock AR, 72202 by 3:00 p.m. the day prior to RFP opening. All samples must include: Product Informaton, Product Analysis, and CN Label or Product Formulation Statement. Any questions regarding samples should be directed to the Procurement Specialist at (501) 447-2463.

The Child Nutrition Department reserves the right to award by line item or all-or-none, whichever is most advantageous to the Child Nutrition Department.
See Special Terms and Conditions (Attachments Tab), for procedures regarding submittals for the proposal.

Samples provided prior to the issuance of the proposal do not need to be resubmitted.
ALL PROJECTED USAGE IS IN CASES UNLESS INDICATED OTHERWISE.
PURCHASE VOLUME TO BE DETERMINED AFTER ENROLLMENT IS ESTABLISHED. AWARDED VENDORS WILL BE NOTIFIED AS TO AMOUNTS TO BE PURCHASED.  Price per case listed in 2 decimal places only.

Electronic Bids are the required method of submission.