Fresh Produce

Agency:	Iowa State University
State:	Iowa
Type of Contract:	Awards
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	89 - Subsistence (Food)
Posted:	May 25, 2023
Solicitation No:	RFQ-1000740
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

Bid Information

Type	Request for Proposal (Public)
Status	Awarded
Number	RFQ-1000740 (Fresh Produce)
Issue Date & Time	3/3/2023 01:00:02 PM (CT)
Close Date & Time	4/7/2023 04:00:00 PM (CT)
Duration	1 month 4 days
Notes	Iowa State University desires to obtain written proposals from qualified Vendors for the provision of fresh produce and related items to the Institution. While the primary objective is to award to a single qualified Vendor, the Institutions reserve the right to award to more than one Vendor if it is deemed in the best interests of the Institution as a whole. Contractors should read all materials carefully and note the due date. Contractors must submit all questions in the "Questions" tab related to this bid opportunity. Bid responses will ONLY be accepted online via ISUBid. Please allow adequate time to review and submit your response prior to the deadline.

Contact Information

Name	Dustin Mohr
Address	1340 Administrative Services Building 2221 Wanda Daley Drive Ames, IA 50011-1004 USA
Phone	(515) 294-4793
Fax	(515) 294-9606
Email	dmohr@iastate.edu

Bid Documents

Document name	Format
Award Detail Spreadsheet	Excel 2007 / XLS
Bid Invitation	Acrobat / PDF
Public Question & Answer	Acrobat / PDF

Bid Attachments

File Name	Description	File Size
ISU Instructions.pdf	Review the instructions for important information. REVISED APRIL 2022	174 KB
Insurance Language - Service and Delivery 09-2020.pdf	Insurance Requirements - Professional Services & Software Dev (On Campus) 09-2020	28 KB
ISU General Terms & Conditions.pdf	Review the general terms and conditions carefully and any exceptions should be listed in the "Attributes" section. REVISED APRIL 2022	232 KB
ISU Produce Produce Pricing Sheet.xlsx	Produce Pricing Sheet	21 KB

Bid Questions

Question

In regards to the sandwiches, are they extended shelf life and do they have veggies on them?

Answer

We would prefer a fresh/non-gassed packaged sandwich.

Veggie toppings can be optional, if the sandwich only comes with vegetables, we would take note of the shelf-life, holding samples to see how the vegetable/bread/wrap withstood the moisture from the veggie toppings.

Submitted

4/5/2023 02:16:40 PM (CT)

Question

How many locations would a potential suppler be delivering to? I see 4 listed in the solicitation but the ISU Food stores mentions an additional 6 so want to solidify if its 4 or 10.

Answer

4 Delivery locations, some stops will have multiple customers/account numbers.

If we had to estimate, we would need a total of 16 unique customer/accounts between the 4 dock stops.

Submitted

3/22/2023 03:53:09 PM (CT)

Question	What is the average order size per drop in cases for the produce award?
Answer	Seasons Average Weekly Total: 240 Units MU FC, Catering, Lance & Ellies, MU Market Cafe Average Weekly Total: 215 Units UDM, Clydes, West Side Market Average Weekly Total: 420 Units Food Stores, Baker, Conversations, etc Average Weekly Total: 150 Units
Submitted	3/19/2023 07:34:46 PM (CT)

Question	What is the value of the produce spend for the current school year in dollars?
Answer	Current Academic Year, 8/15/2022-3/17/2023 spend= $903,444.52
Submitted	3/19/2023 07:33:58 PM (CT)

Question

4) Grades and sizes are not listed for items .
a. Line 7 Grade. US#1 or US#2( scarring on skin, does not affect meat of avocado)
b. Line 25 Cucumber Grade. Super Select or Select?
c. Line 72 Lemons Grade. Fancy or Choice?
d. Line 87 , what size Large, Medium, Button? Or #2 Random foodservice
e. Lines 95 and 96 Grade. Fancy or Choice?
f. Line 109, what Grade and sixe. If US #1, what size Med, Large, X Large? Or US#2 (Chopper/Choice)
g. Line 122, Size count, US#1
h. Line 135 and 136. Size Fancy( Small) or Medium?

Answer

Avocado= US#1

Cucumber= Select

Lemon= Choice

Mushroom= Medium, button

Oranges= Fancy

Green Pepper= XL, Choice

Sweet Potato= 10-14oz

Squash= Medium

Submitted

3/19/2023 07:33:00 PM (CT)

Question	3) For lines 14, 15,127 the stated pack is 6oz. Is the volume stated based on 6oz packs or full cases of 12/6oz packs?
Answer	Number of 6oz cartons.
Submitted	3/19/2023 07:32:45 PM (CT)

Question	2) Lines 39, 48, 70.These items are bought and sold by count and not lb. The stated volume usage is in lbs. Is this correct?
Answer	Yes, volume is by pounds.
Submitted	3/19/2023 07:32:31 PM (CT)

Question	1) What date or time period should be used to determine products costs?
Answer	Week of February 13, 2023
Submitted	3/19/2023 07:32:15 PM (CT)

Question	Good afternoon. Can you elaborate what you are looking for in terms of pricing. Are your expectations to have fixed pricing on all items or a fixed markup? Loffredo would have the ability to offer fixed pricing on some items. Let me know your thoughts. thanks, Lisa Beener
Answer	We would like to explore both options. Please provide pricing that includes a cost + markup as well as details about what a fixed cost plan would look like (including initial fixed cost, how long a fixed cost is good for and how often is it evaluated).
Submitted	3/9/2023 03:16:19 PM (CT)

Fresh Produce

See also