Catering for Emergency and Disaster Events (FEMA)

Bid Notice
Polk County, a political subdivision of the State of Florida, requests the submittal of bids
from vendors that are interested in providing catering services during emergency and
disaster events to locations throughout Polk County as described herein. Sealed bids
must be received in the Procurement Division, prior to the due date and time listed
below.
Bid Number and Title: 26-254 Catering for Emergency and Disaster Events
Description: Provide all labor, material and supervision required to provide catering
services during emergency/disaster events to the Emergency Operations Center and
the Special Needs Shelter.
Receiving Period: Wednesday, May 13, 2026, prior to 2:00 p.m.
Bid Opening: Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 2:00 p.m.
Attached are important instructions and specifications regarding responses to this Bid.
Failure to follow these instructions could result in Bid disqualification.
To receive a copy of the Bid Sheet please go the following FTP site: https://ftp3.polk-
county.net, you will be prompted for a User ID and Password. The User ID is
procurevendor and the password is solicitation. After you have logged in to the FTP site,
double click on the file folder "Bid 26-254 Catering Services.zip", select "Open" or
"Save As" to download the Bid documents, drawings, and technical specifications. If you
need assistance accessing this website due to ADA or any other reason, please email
Divina Arroyo at divinaarroyo@polkfl.gov.
Questions regarding this bid should be in writing and should reference the above Bid.
Submit all questions to Divina Arroyo, Procurement Analyst, via email at
divinaarroyo@polkfl.gov or via fax at (863) 534-6789 by 4:00 p.m. on May 4, 2026.
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Bid Registration
You must register using this form in order to receive notice of any addenda to these
documents. Please email or fax the completed form to the Procurement Division as
soon as possible. It is the vendor's responsibility to verify if addenda have been issued.
Bid Number: 26-254
Bid Title: Catering for Emergency and Disaster Events
This form is for bid registration only. Please scroll down for additional information.
Carefully complete this form and return it to the Procurement Division via e-mail to
procurement@polkfl.gov. You must submit one form for each bid that you are
registering for.
Company Name: __________________________________________________
Contact Name: ____________________________________________________
Mailing Address: ___________________________________________________
City: _____________________________________________________________
State: ____________________________________________________________
Zip Code: _________________________________________________________
Phone Number: ____________________________________________________
Email: ____________________________________________________________
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BID SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS
Respondents must submit one (1) original copy of the bid submittal prior to 2:00 p.m. on
the bid receiving date. Bids must be submitted in a "sealed" parcel or electronically
through Polk County's secure website, Kiteworks. Bids will be publicly opened at 2:00
p.m. on receiving date.
Sealed Parcel Submittal:
If you are submitting a sealed parcel bid, please cut along the outer border and affix this
label to your sealed bid envelope to identify it as a "Sealed Bid". Be sure to include the
name of the company submitting the bid where requested.
Sealed Bid. DO NOT OPEN
Sealed Bid Number 26-254
Bid Title Catering for Emergency and Disaster Events
Due Date/Time: May 13, 2026, prior to 2:00 pm
Submitted by:
Deliver To: Polk County Procurement Division
330 West Church Street, Room 150,
Bartow, Florida 33830
Sealed parcel bids may be mailed, express mailed or hand delivered. It is the Bidders
responsibility to ensure their package is delivered to the Procurement Division prior to
2:00 p.m. on the Receiving date and time referenced above. Bids delivered at 2:00 p.m.
or later will not be accepted.
Electronic Bid Submittal:
If you are interested in submitting your bid electronically bidders may do so via the
County's secure electronic submittal website, Kiteworks. Bidders must email
divinaarroyo@polkfl.gov at least 48 hours prior to bid opening to receive a link to upload
their submittal. Please only upload your documents as a PDF or Excel file for bid
sheets. Please use the naming conventions for your files as follows:
For PDF documents "Bid 26-254 - Catering for Emergency and Disaster Events"
For Excel Bid Sheets "Bid 26-254 - Bid Sheet"
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For more instructions, a video tutorial has been produced to further explain the
electronic solicitation submittal process. It can be found by clicking here for Bid
Submittals: https://youtu.be/vkn_7AHgioE. If you need assistance accessing this
website due to ADA or any other reason, please email Divina Arroyo at
divinaarroyo@polkfl.gov.
Procurement recommends that bidders submitting electronically double check the
documents submitted into Kiteworks to ensure all requested information and bid sheet
have been uploaded. Failure to upload the completed bid sheet will result in the bid
submittal being deemed nonresponsive.
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Statement of No Bid
Bid # 26-254 Catering for Emergency and Disaster Events
If you do not intend to submit a bid, please complete the information below and return to
the Procurement Division via fax or e-mail. If returning by mail, please be sure the bid
number and title are clearly marked on the front of the envelope.

Insufficient time to respond

Do not offer this product

Specifications unclear

Specifications too restrictive

Unable to meet specifications

Unable to meet bond/insurance requirements

Schedule would not permit us to perform

Other (please specify): ___________________________________________
Company Name: _____________________________________________________
Telephone Number: __________________________________________________
Date: ______________________________________________________________
Signature: ___________________________________________________________
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26-254 Catering for Emergency and Disaster Events
Bidder Instructions and General Information
Bidder Instructions:
(To ensure acceptance of the bid, follow these instructions)
Bid Documents Must Be Delivered to The Procurement Division Prior to 2:00 p.m.
On The Date Specified. There Will Be No Exceptions.
1. Execution of Bid: Bid must contain an original signature of an authorized
representative in the space provided on the signature page. Bid must be typed or
printed in ink. Erasable ink is not permitted. Corrections made by bidder to any bid
entry must be initialed by the person who signs the bid.
2. No Bid: Bidders not interested in submitting a bid should return a "no bid," with an
indication of the reason for no bid and the interest in future bid solicitations.
3. Bid Opening: It is the responsibility of the bidder to assure that their bid is delivered
or submitted electronically at the proper time and place prior to the bid opening. All
bid openings shall be public, at 2:00 p.m., on the date specified in the Notice to
Bidders. If multiple bids are submitted by the same vendor, Procurement will only
open the most recently dated submittal. Bids, which for any reason are not so
delivered, will not be considered. Bid Submittal Forms Using Facsimile or Email
Will Not Be Accepted.
Note: In accordance with Florida Statute 119.071, a listing of vendors that provide a
bid submittal shall be posted to the County's website at
https://www.polkfl.gov/business/procurement/. The sealed bids shall remain exempt
from disclosure, including bid amounts, until recommendation of award or 30 days
after bid opening, whichever event occurs first.
Should the Procurement Director reject all bids, before the recommendation of
award or 30 days after bid opening, and concurrently provide notice of the County's
intent to reissue the bid, the rejected bids will remain exempt from Florida Statute
119.07 until such time as the County provides notice of recommendation of award
of the reissued bid or until the County withdraws the reissued bid. The bid is not
exempt for longer than12 months after the notice of rejection of all bids.
4. County as Gatekeeper of Documents: This document is issued by Polk County
and as such shall be the sole distributor of all addendums and/or changes to these
documents. It is the responsibility of the bidder to determine issuance of documents
directly with the Procurement Division. The County is not responsible for any
solicitations issued through subscriber, publications, or other sources not connected
with the County and the bidder should not rely on such sources for information
regarding the solicitation.
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26-254 Catering for Emergency and Disaster Events
5. Taxes: Bidders are responsible for the payment of any applicable taxes that are
connected to the purchase of any materials or subvendors used in the execution of
the bid.
6. Discounts: Bidders may offer a cash discount for prompt payment; however, such
discounts shall not be considered in determining the lowest net cost for bid
evaluation purposes. Bidders are encouraged to reflect cash discounts in the unit
prices quoted.
7. Mistakes: Bidders are required to examine the specifications, delivery schedule,
bid prices and all instructions pertaining to the requirements of this bid. Failure to do
so will be at bidder's risk. In case of a mistake in extension of a unit price, the unit
price will govern. Corrections made by bidder to any bid entry must be initialed by
the person who signs the bid.
8. Invoicing and Payment: The successful bidder shall submit an invoice to the
County at the prices bid. An original invoice shall be submitted to the
appropriate User Division. The bidder shall include the bid number and/or the
purchase order number on all invoices. By submitting an invoice, Bidder's Project
Manager or any authorized officer is attesting to the correctness and accuracy of all
charges. Invoices will be processed for payment when approved by the appropriate
Division's Project Manager or designee. The County's payment of an invoice shall
not constitute evidence of the County's acceptance of the Bidders performance of
the Service or the County's acceptance of any work.
9. Conflict of Interest: All bidders must disclose, with their bid, the name of any
officer, director or agent who is also an employee of the County or any of their
agencies. Furthermore, all bidders must disclose the name of any County employee
who owns, directly or indirectly, any interest of any amount in the bidder's firms or
any of their branches. Award of this bid shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter
112, Florida Statutes.
10. Warranty: Unless otherwise specified, the bidder agrees that the goods furnished
under this bid shall be covered by the most favorable commercial warranty the
bidder gives to any customer for comparable goods, and that the rights and
remedies provided herein are in addition to and do not limit any rights afforded to
the County by any other provision of this bid.
11. Addendum: Any changes in the bid shall be made in the form of a written
addendum by the Procurement Director or his representative. No other person shall
be authorized to make changes verbally or in writing. If an addendum is issued, the
addendum sheet should be signed and submitted with your bid submittal.
12. Liability: The vendor shall hold and save the County, its officers, agents and
employees harmless from liability of any kind in the performance of this bid and
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26-254 Catering for Emergency and Disaster Events
against claims by third parties resulting from the supplier's breach of contract or the
supplier's negligence.
13. Patents and Royalties: The bidder, without exception, shall indemnify and save
harmless the County and its employees from liability of any nature or kind, including
cost and expenses for, or on account of, any copyrighted, patented or non-patented
invention, process or article manufactured or used in the performance of the bid,
including its use by the County. If the bidder uses any design, device or material
covered by letters, patent or copyright, it is mutually agreed and understood without
exception that the bid prices shall include all royalties or cost arising from the use of
such design, device or material in any way involved in the work.
14. Cone of Silence: Bidders and any prospective bidders shall not contact,
communicate with or discuss any matter relating in any way to this Bid with any
member of the Polk County Board of County Commissioners or any employee of
Polk County other than the County Procurement Director or the individual
designated in the Procurement Division. This prohibition begins with the issuance of
the Bid and ends upon award or execution of the final contract. Any such
communication initiated by a bidder or prospective bidder shall be grounds for
disqualifying the offender from consideration for an award pursuant to this bid and
for bids or contracts to be awarded pursuant to RFPs, or Requests for Bid that the
County may issue in the future.
15. Bid Protest: Any bidder desiring to file a bid protest, with respect to a
recommended award of any bid, shall do so by filing a written protest. The written
protest must be in the possession of the Procurement Division within three (3)
working days of the Notice of Recommended Award mailing date. All bidders who
bid will be sent a Notice of Recommended Award, unless only one bid was
received.
A copy of the bid protest procedures may be obtained from the Polk County
Procurement Division or can be downloaded from the County's website at
https://www.polkfl.gov/business/procurement/protest-procedures/.
"Failure to Follow Bid Protest Procedure Requirements Within the Time
Frames Prescribed Herein as Established by Polk County, Florida, Shall
Constitute a Waiver of Your Protest and Any Resulting Claim."
16. Indemnification: Vendor, to the extent permitted by law, shall indemnify, defend
(by counsel reasonably acceptable to County), protect and hold the County, and its
officers, employees and agents, harmless from and against any and all, claims,
actions, causes of action, liabilities, penalties, forfeitures, damages, losses, and
expenses whatsoever (including, without limitation, attorneys' fees, costs, and
expenses incurred during negotiation, through litigation and all appeals therefrom)
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26-254 Catering for Emergency and Disaster Events
including, without limitation, those pertaining to the death of or injury to any person,
or damage to any property, arising out of or resulting from (i) the failure of Vendor to
comply with applicable laws, rules or regulations, (ii) the breach by Vendor of its
obligations under any Agreement with the County entered into pursuant to this
solicitation, (iii) any claim for trademark, patent, or copyright infringement arising out
of the scope of Vendor's performance or nonperformance of the Agreement, or (iv)
the negligent acts, errors or omissions, or intentional or willful misconduct, of
Vendor, its professional associates, subvendors, agents, and employees; provided,
however, that Vendor shall not be obligated to defend or indemnify the County with
respect to any such claims or damages arising out of the County's sole negligence.
The obligations imposed by this Section shall survive the expiration or earlier
termination of the Agreement.
17. Public Entity Crimes: The Vendor declares and warrants that neither the Vendor
nor any of the Vendor's affiliates, as that term is defined in Section 287.133, Florida
Statutes, are subject to the restrictions in Section 287.133, Florida Statutes,
regarding the commission of a public entity crime. If during the term of this
Agreement, the Vendor or any affiliate is convicted of a public entity crime or is
otherwise prohibited from performing work for or transacting business with the
County pursuant to Section 287.133, Florida Statutes, then the Vendor shall be in
material default of this Agreement, and in such case, the County shall have the
rights and remedies as provided herein.
18. Preference for Drug Free Workplace: Omitted intentionally, not applicable to
Federal funding.
19. Sealed Bids: All bid submittals must be completed and submitted either in a sealed
parcel or submitted electronically. (If Submitting a Sealed Parcel Bid, Please Do
Not Include More Than One Bid Submittal Per Envelope.) The original bid
submittal(s) shall be submitted on the forms provided by Polk County. All bids are
subject to the conditions herein; failure to comply will subject bid to rejection.
20. Prices, Terms and Payment: Firm prices shall be bid and include all packing,
handling, shipping charges and delivery to any point within Polk County. Discount
time will be computed from the date of satisfactory delivery at place of acceptance.
Prices bid shall be firm for forty-five (45) days.
21. Safety Standards: Unless otherwise stipulated in the bid, all manufactured items
and fabricated assemblies shall comply with applicable requirements of
Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and carry evidence of Underwriters
Laboratories' Listings (UL).
22. Packaging: All containers shall be suitable for storage or shipment, and all prices
should include standard commercial packaging.
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26-254 Catering for Emergency and Disaster Events
23. Meets Specifications: It is understood and agreed that any item offered or shipped
as a result of this bid shall be new (current model at the time of this bid) unless
otherwise specified in the specifications. The bidder represents that all equipment
offered under this specification shall meet or exceed the minimum requirements
specified. Bidder shall strictly adhere to delivery specifications.
24. Silence of Specifications: The apparent silence of this specification and any
supplemental specifications to any details or the omission from same of any
detailed description concerning any point shall be regarded as meaning that only
the best commercial practices are to prevail and that only materials of first quality
and correct type, size and design are to be used. All workmanship is to be first
quality. All interpretations of these specifications shall be made upon the basis of
this statement.
25. Governmental Restrictions: In the event that any governmental restrictions may
be imposed which would necessitate alteration of the material, quality,
workmanship or performance of the items offered on this bid prior to delivery, it
shall be the responsibility of the supplier to notify the Procurement Division at once.
Their letter shall indicate the specific regulation, which required an alteration. The
County reserves the right to accept any such alteration, including any price
adjustments, or to cancel the contract at no expense to the County.
26. Toxic Substances: Notice of successful vendor(s) to provide to Polk County
toxic substances (As listed in Chapter 442, Appendix "G" of the FS) if
applicable.
a. Chapter 442 of the FS states that manufacturers, importers or distributors of any
toxic substance shall prepare and provide each direct purchaser of such toxic
substance with Material Safety Data Sheet(s), herein referred to as MSDS,
which to the best of the manufacturer's, importer's or distributor's knowledge, is
current, accurate and complete based on information then reasonably available
to the manufacturer, importer or distributor. Upon notification of a new or revised
MSDS the manufacturer, importer or distributor, on a timely basis not to exceed
three (3) months after notification, shall provide the County with the revised
information as it becomes available to the manufacturer, importer or distributor.
b. Failure to provide the MSDS, when applicable, shall be cause for rejection of
bid.
27. Inspection, Acceptance and Title: Inspection and acceptance will be at the
designated facility unless otherwise indicated. Title and risk of loss or damage to all
items shall be the responsibility of the contract supplier until accepted by the
County, unless loss or damage results from negligence by the County.
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