Purchase Fresh Produce

RFP# 1132

Contact Information: 

Laura Benavidez

(617) 635-9143

lbenavidez@bostonpublicschools.org

The City of Boston (the “City”), acting by and through the Superintendent of Schools (the “Official”), hereby requests sealed proposals from interested and qualified parties (“Offerors”) to provide “Purchase of fresh produce for the school breakfast program and the national school lunch program, fresh fruit and vegetable and locally grown produce” (1) Year Contract.  All proposals shall be submitted in strict conformance with the Request for Proposals (RFP) which may be obtained from the Office of the Business Manager, Boston Public Schools, 2300 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119 after 9:00 a.m. on Monday June 29, 2020.   The City shall accept sealed proposals until 12:00 noon on Friday, July 17, 2020 at the above location. The Official shall reject late proposals. 

The attention of all Offerors is directed to the provisions of the RFP documents.

The RFP contains both price and technical evaluation criteria.  Price and technical proposals shall be submitted separately in sealed, clearly labeled envelopes.

The Official shall not open the proposals publicly but shall open the technical proposals in the presence of one or more witnesses within twenty-four (24) hours of the above deadline for submission of the proposals.  The Official may open the price proposals later and, in any case, shall open the price proposals to avoid disclosure to the individuals evaluating the technical proposals.

Failure to submit separate sealed price and technical proposals shall result in disqualification of the entire proposal!

Following its submission, a proposal may be corrected modified or withdrawn only to the extent provided for in M.G.L.c. 30B, §5(f).

The submission of a proposal shall constitute an acceptance of all provisions of the RFP documents by the Offeror and an agreement by the Offeror to perform all specified work and/or provide all specified supplies incidental thereto.  

The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, or any part or parts thereof, and to award a contract as the Official deems to be in the best interest of the City.  This contract shall be subject to the availability of an appropriation, therefore.  The maximum time for the acceptance of a proposal and the issuance by the City of a written notification of award shall be ninety - (90) days.  The award of this contract shall be subject to the approval of the Mayor of Boston.

Each technical proposal submitted to the Official must be accompanied by a refundable proposal deposit in the amount of One Thousand  ($1,000) Proposal deposits shall be in the form of a bank check, a certified check, or a treasurer’s or cashier’s check issued by a responsible bank or trust company qualified to do business in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  Offeror checks must be payable to the City of Boston.

The City of Boston affirmatively ensures that Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE), Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE), and Veteran Owned Small Business Enterprise (VOSBE) firms shall be afforded full opportunity to submit qualifications in response to this and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, gender, transgender status, political affiliation, age, sexual orientation or religion in any consideration leading to the award of contract.  No qualified disabled person shall, based on disability, be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination in any consideration leading to the award of a contract.

Edward J. Glora