State of Arizona Local Foods

The Tucson Unified School District is seeking contracts with Arizona-based businesses to supply locally grown, produced, processed, and distributed food items to support its Food Services program, with the goal of enhancing school nutrition and catering offerings. The procurement, identified by solicitation number 27-019-TUSD1 and categorized under NAICS code 424480, is exclusively set aside for local Arizona vendors and is governed by Arizona Revised Statutes and the Arizona School District Procurement Rules. All food products must originate from within the state and include fresh, frozen, or dry items such as whole grain rich bagels and dinner rolls, tortillas, and other baked goods, with specific quality standards requiring products to be free of artificial additives, properly dated if further processed, and delivered in good condition with acceptable temperatures and shelf life. Delivery is required F.O.B. Destination to the Food Services Central Warehouse at 2150 E 15th Street, Tucson, AZ, with receiving hours Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., excluding school holidays, and no minimum order quantities or delivery surcharges are permitted. Bidders must submit a comprehensive proposal including a signed agreement, letter of interest, completed vendor questionnaire and conflict of interest form, updated W-9, payment method form, and documentation proving food safety and operational compliance such as current health inspection reports, HACCP, food security, and food recall programs, along with a valid insurance certificate naming the District as an additional insured. Pricing must be firm for the contract term and cannot require payment terms shorter than 30 calendar days; any discount of 10 days or more will be deducted from the bid price to determine the low offer. Payments will be processed within 30 calendar days of receipt and proper invoicing, contingent on no dispute. All purchases require a District-issued purchase order, and shipments received without one will be rejected at the vendor’s expense. Contractors must comply with federal requirements including the Buy American provision, which mandates that over 51% of agricultural products be substantially processed in the United States, the Copeland Anti-Kickback Act for contracts over $2,000, and restrictions prohibiting registered sex offenders from working on District premises during school hours. The District will award contracts to the lowest responsible, responsive bidder based on price, potentially issuing multiple contracts by line item, group, or category. The estimated contract value is $200,000 annually,