Home Meals for Thanksgiving

The City of Houston is soliciting bids from local, brick-and-mortar, Texas licensed food vendors with current food handler certifications to provide hot, individually packaged holiday meals for the Houston Meals for the Elderly (HoME) program. The selected vendor will be responsible for preparing and delivering between 2,000 and 2,500 meals to approximately nine designated sites in Harris County on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2026, between 8:00 am and 9:00 am. Each meal must include sliced roast turkey, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, giblet gravy, two holiday sides, an individually packaged fresh roll, and a slice of apple or sweet potato pie in a separate container. All meals must be delivered in leak-proof containers suitable for travel, accompanied by plastic carrying bags and disposable cutlery packets. The contract will be awarded based on the overall low net bid that meets all specifications, though the City reserves the right to award based on individual items or the overall best bid. Vendors must be responsive to all material requirements and demonstrate the financial and technical capacity to perform the work. Key deliverables include a written delivery plan detailing vehicle counts for the delivery sites and a final delivery report due by December 8, 2026. A sample meal with packaging must also be provided to the Houston Health Department at a later date. Payment is due thirty days after the City approves the invoice or accepts the goods. Bidders must comply with various Texas Government Code requirements, including certifications against the boycott of Israel and energy companies, and must adhere to the City's zero-tolerance policy regarding human trafficking.