Ice Cream - Desserts and Dessert Toppings

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education is soliciting ice cream and frozen fruit products for service in school cafeterias, with bids due by June 9, 2026, under solicitation number 163-163-05272025TB - ICE CREAM. The contract falls under NAICS code 311520 and is open to all qualified vendors complying with federal regulations and North Carolina state statutes. Deliveries must be made FOB destination to individual school sites across the district during specified hours, with vendors responsible for all transportation costs and ensuring products arrive in optimal condition. Products must include vanilla, chocolate, strawberry ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, ice cream bars, and frozen yogurt bars in specified estimated annual quantities, with pricing submitted via Attachment A and no guaranteed minimums or maximums outlined. All items must meet strict quality standards, being new, of the highest quality, and free from defects or factory seconds, with labeling requiring full ingredient lists, allergen declarations, nutritional analysis, and coded manufacture dates via bag closure color. Packaging must be suitable for shipment and storage, with preference for recyclable materials, and no barcoding is required. Vendors must submit a complete proposal as a single unpassword-protected PDF via the eVP portal, including mandatory attachments such as Pricing Form, Instructions to Vendors, Standard Terms and Conditions, HUB certification for minority, women’s, and small business enterprises, lobbying activity certification, certification regarding debarment, certification of independent pricing, and certification of financial condition. Offers will be evaluated based on pricing, vendor qualifications, technical approach, experience with related programs, and proposal completeness, with award determined by best value rather than lowest price alone. Critical requirements include prohibition against assignment without approval, protection of confidential student and employee information under state law, mandatory mediation for disputes under AAA rules, financial solvency throughout performance, and compliance with nondiscrimination policies extending to sexual orientation. Vendors must also agree that all work products become the property of the school board and that personnel may be subject to background checks. The contract includes no fixed term, no contract ceiling, and no option periods, with performance tied to ad hoc purchase orders issued as needed, and formal acceptance occurring only upon inspection and approval at the school site.