ITB 27-CN-0003- Fresh , Processed, and Pre-Cut Produce. Revised. Final(6.4.26).2

ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Procurement Department
2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055
New Orleans, LA 70114
Telephone (504) 304-3917 | FAX (504) 309-2879
Paul A. Lucius, Executive Director of Procurement
INVITATION TO BID NO. 27-CN-0003
FRESH, PROCESSED AND PRE-CUT PRODUCE
ELECTRONIC BID SUBMITTAL DEADLINE:
TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2026 @ 1:00 P.M.
BIDDER: _______________________________________________________________
SIGNATURE:
NAME (PRINT OR TYPE):
ADDRESS:
CITY, STATE, ZIP:
TELEPHONE:
EMAIL ADDRESS:
TERMS:
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ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Procurement Department
2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055
New Orleans, Louisiana 70114
ADVERTISEMENT
INVITATION TO BID NO. 27-CN-0003
FRESH, PROCESSED AND PRE-CUT PRODUCE
Electronic Responses to Invitation to Bid relative to the above will be received via email submission
to the Procurement Department for the Orleans Parish School Board ("OPSB" or "the District") at 2401
Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055, New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 until 1:00 P.M. (CST) on Tuesday,
June 30, 2026.
Specifications and qualification documents may be obtained by visiting the District's website at
www.nolapublicschools.com. All questions regarding this ITB shall be directed to the Executive
Director of Procurement at procurement@nolapublicschools.com.
The District reserves the right to reject any or all Responses to the Invitation to Bid whenever such
rejection is in its best interest in accordance with law. The provisions and requirements of this
advertisement shall not be waived.
NOLA Public Schools shall make every effort to provide reasonable accommodation for people
with disabilities. The requests for any reasonable accommodation shall be submitted in writing
to the Executive Director of Procurement, no less than seven (7) days in advance of any meetings.
Paul A. Lucius
Executive Director of Procurement
FIRST INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026
SECOND INSERTION DATE: THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026
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1.0 OVERVIEW
1.1 Introductions to Bidders
One signed original proposal shall be submitted electronically and clearly marked:
INVITATION TO BID NO. 27-CN-0003 ON JUNE 30, 2026 AT 1:00 P.M. to the Executive
Director of Procurement, Paul A. Lucius: procurement@nolapublicschools.com
All visitors to NOLA-PS are required to check in at the lobby receptionist desk and to wear
mask if required.
The Orleans Parish School Board will not be responsible for the opening of, post-opening of, or failure
to open a Proposal not properly addressed or identified.
The Orleans Parish School Board will not assume the responsibility for any delay as a result of failure
of any entity to deliver Proposals on time.
No Proposal will be accepted after June 30, 2026 @ 1:00 P.M. under any conditions unless in the
best interest of NOLA-PS by an addendum notification.
Last Day for Questions @ 4:00 P.M. (CST) Tuesday June 16, 2026
Last Day to Submit Alternates for Approval @ 12: 00PM Friday
June 19, 2026
F
Last Day for Addendum Tuesday June 23, 2026
BID SUBMISSION DEADLINE no later than 1:00 P.M. June 30, 2026
Award Notification (approximate) TBD
CODE OF SILENCE:
From the date the ITB is issued; through the time the Agreement is finally awarded by NOLA-PS
Elected Officials, Proposers shall not contact any Representatives of NOLA-PS, nor the District Staff,
nor their Advisors or Consultants with respect to this ITB, or ITB process, other than to submit
questions or protest in accordance with the Instructions to Proposers therein. This prohibition does not
apply to questions or comments sent in writing to the Director of Procurement, or questions made at
Pre-Proposal conferences, in presentations before evaluation committees, or during contract
negotiations. Proposers who violate this Code of Silence may be deemed non-responsive, and their
proposal may be rejected for cause.
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INVITATION TO BID DOCUMENTS: A complete set of Invitation to Bid documents shall be used
in preparing proposals; neither the Orleans Parish School Board nor its representatives assume any
responsibility for errors or misinterpretations resulting from the use of incomplete sets of Invitation to
Bid Documents.
The forms furnished as part of the specifications MUST be used for filing of Invitation to Bids and
must be signed by the proposer. No proposals/bids will be considered unless made on the forms
provided and must not be detached from the proposal document of which it forms a part. Failure
to follow these instructions may result in your proposal being disqualified.
OBJECTION TO THE AWARD: If any Proposer who submitted a proposal has an objection to the
award of the contract to the Selected Proposer, the objecting Proposer shall furnish that protest, in writing,
to the Executive Director of Procurement (or Designee) within ten (10) Business Days of the notification
of non-award. The protest shall describe in detail the basis for the protest and shall request a
determination under this section of the Instructions to Proposers.
If a protest is filed in a timely fashion, the Executive Director of Procurement (or Designee) will review
the basis for the protest and relevant facts under such terms and conditions as he considers proper. Upon
completion of the review, the Executive Director of Procurement (or Designee) shall submit applicable
findings and recommendations to the Superintendent and/or Chief Financial Officer, who shall then
review the matter under such terms and conditions, as deemed proper. Upon receipt of authority to act
from the Superintendent or NOLA-PS, the Executive Director of Procurement (or Designee) will notify
those Proposers involved of its decision. The decision shall be final and binding on the objecting
Proposer.
WITHDRAWAL OF BID: Any bid may be withdrawn if clear and convincing sworn, written
evidence of obvious mechanical, clerical or mathematical error is furnished by the proposer to the
Executive Director of Procurement within 48 hours of proposal receipt.
SUPPLIER PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION: The proposer, vendor, service provider
and/or supplier performance process will involve evaluating the proposer, vendor, service provider
and/or supplier's overall quality status, as well as evaluating the quality of each material or service the
NOLA-PS wishes to purchase. Prior to the invoice submission, the proposer, vendor, service provider
and/or supplier, shall meet with a purchasing representative to discuss and review deliverables and
timeline events for said services. Contract with automatic renewals will be based upon the NOLA-PS
evaluating and analyzing proposer, vendor, service provider, and/or supplier performance.
DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION: To ensure that the Orleans Parish School Board does not enter
into a contract with a debarred or suspended company or individual, each responsive proposer must
include a certification statement with each bid. By signing the certification statement, the proposer
certifies that neither it nor any of its principals (e.g., key employees) have been proposed for
debarment, debarred or suspended by a Federal Agency. It is the responsibility of each proposer to
sign the attached certification statement and submit it with the bid. Failure to comply with this
requirement will cause your bid to be disqualified and declared non-responsive.
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BACKGROUND CHECK: Contractor will not employ any person to provide services who has been
convicted, or pled nolo contendere to, any one of the crimes listed in the Louisiana Child Protection
Act. La R.S. 15:587.1 (C). Criminal History Record must be obtained by contractor for all employees
to be hired and shall be retained during the duration of the employment. Records are to be updated on
an annual basis.
PERFORMANCE INVESTIGATIONS: As part of the proposal evaluation process, the NOLA-PS
may make inquiries and investigations, including verbal or written references from the firm's
customers, to determine the ability of the firm to provide service.
EMPLOYMENT: It is understood that all employees will be employees of the successful firm(s),
including but not limited to the successful firm's subcontractors, partners, etc.
NOTICE TO OFFEROR: The NOLA-PS shall consider the intentional employment by the selected
firm of unauthorized aliens in violation of U.S. immigration laws cause for unilateral cancellation of
the contract resulting from this ITB.
BID FORMAT: Bids should be prepared simply but completely, providing a straightforward, concise
description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the ITB. Please carefully read Sections as
outlines within the Table of Contents. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content.
SELECTION: Selection shall be made of one or multiple firm(s) deemed to be fully qualified and best
suited among those submitting proposals on the basis of the evaluation factors contained in this ITB.
Fee structure/pricing will be considered, but will be one among many determining factors. The NOLA-
PS may cancel this ITB, reject proposals or any portion thereof at any time prior to an award, and is
not required to furnish a statement of the reason why a particular qualification was not deemed to be
the most advantageous. Should the NOLA-PS determine in writing and in its sole discretion the firm(s)
that is fully qualified, or that one firm is clearly more highly qualified than the others under
consideration, a contract may be awarded to that firm.
DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DBE) PROGRAM - (WAIVED)
The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program is race & gender-neutral, and open to all
business owners regardless of race, ethnicity or gender. DBE firms currently certified with the
Louisiana Unified Certification Program (LAUCP), or the State & Local Disadvantaged Business
Enterprise (SLDBE) Program must submit a copy of their certification letter for eligibility with the
offer/response to this solicitation.
The Proposer shall submit the following forms below:
* DBE Responsiveness Form 1
* DBE Responsiveness Form 2
* DBE Certification Letter (for each company)
* DBE Professional Services Compliance Certification Checklist
DBE Provisions (Attached), which is hereby made a part of this ITB. Failure to include DBE
participation; including all signatures and notary, shall cause a firm's proposal to be non-responsive
and cause for rejection.
DBE Participation will be waived for this solicitation.
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COMPUTED COST SCORE:
There is no cost associated with this project.
PURCHASES USING FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS (2 C.F.R. 200).
When NOLA-PS seeks to procure goods and services using funds under a federal grant or contract,
specific federal laws, regulations, and requirements may apply in addition to those under state law.
This includes, but is not limited to, the procurement standards of the Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2C.F.R. 200 (sometimes
referred to as the "Uniform Guidance" or new "EDGAR"). (EDGAR FORM ATTACHED)
All Vendors awarded a contract under this proposal must complete the NOLA-PS EDGAR Contract
Addendum before a purchase order can be entered as proof of their willingness and ability to comply
with certain requirements which may be applicable to specific NOLA-PS purchases using federal grant
funds.
This information will be made available to the NOLA-PS for its use while considering their
purchasing options when using federal grant funds.
1.2 Purpose
The purpose of the Invitation to Bid is to partner with a reputable and qualified company to provide
Fresh, Processed and Pre-Cut Produce for twelve (12) NOLA Public Schools.
1.3 School District Profile
OPSB currently oversees 71 charter schools and a school with two educational programs for students
in secure-care facilities
One of the District's core responsibilities, as a charter school authorizer, is to hold these schools
accountable to a set of performance expectations that help ensure every student is provided with a
high-quality education.
The vision of the OPSB is as follows: every student receives a high-quality education that fosters their
individual capabilities, while ensuring that they thrive and are prepared for civic, social, and economic
success.
The District's geographical boundaries are concurrent with those of the City of New Orleans. The
District, however, is a separate entity, independent of the City of New Orleans. The District's
governing body is a seven-member elected board.
The District serves more than 43,875 students across Orleans Parish. As of February 2022, the student
population was approximately 77.41% African American, 10.71% Hispanic, 8.09% White, 1.65%
Asian, 1.9% Multi-Racial, and .18% Native American. Further, the District serves a student
population that is 86.22% economically disadvantaged. Approximately 7.28% of the students have
limited English proficiency.
The District's administration has approximately 269 employees. The District's total proposed general
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fund budget for 2022-2023 is $556 million dollars, system-wide, and of that $35.5 million is allocated
to the District's administration.
BID REJECTION: NOLA-PS shall have the right to reject any or all proposals and in particular to
reject a proposal not accompanied by data required by the ITB or in any way incomplete or irregular,
including omission of cost and budget information, i.e. in the best interest of NOLA-PS. Conditional
proposals will not be accepted.
CONTRACT AWARD: The bid will be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive Bidder
that meets or exceeds the specifications/scope of work outlined in the Bid Documents. NOLA-PS
reserves the right to the sole judge to determine "meets or exceeds."
CONTRACT TERM: NOLA-PS reserves the right to procure the services/goods as described in this
Bid and enter into a contract as described with the ITB. If warranted terms and conditions for an
amendment to the contract will be in writing, negotiable and subject to NOLA-PS approval.
ERRORS: NOLA-PS is not liable for any errors or misinterpretations made in responding to this
Invitation to Bid.
BID SUBMISSION: One electronic original Proposal document to be submitted as per date and time
established/set within this Invitation to Bid.
INQUIRIES: NOLA-PS will not give verbal answers to inquiries regarding the Invitation to Bids, or
verbal instructions prior to the award of a contract. A verbal statement regarding same by any person
shall be non-binding. The NOLA-PS is not liable for any increased costs resulting from the acceptance
of verbal direction. Cost or problems associated with misinterpretation of the intent of the NOLA-PS
will be the responsibility of the proposing firm.
All inquiries must be in writing and addressed to: Paul A. Lucius, Executive Director of Procurement
at plucius@nolapublicschools.com. All inquiries will be answered in the form of an addendum after
the pre-proposal meeting. No contact in any form or manner is to be made with any employee of the
District except through the Executive Director of Procurement. Violation of this provision shall be
considered grounds for disqualification.
INVITATION TO BID DOCUMENTS: A complete set of Invitation to Bids documents shall be used
in preparing proposals. Neither the Orleans Parish School Board, nor its representatives assume any
responsibility for errors or misinterpretations resulting from the use of incomplete sets of Invitation to
Bid Documents.
OPEN COMPETITION: NOLA-PS encourages free and open competition. Whenever possible,
specifications and proposal terms and conditions are designed to accomplish this objective, consistent
with the necessity to satisfy the needs of the NOLA-PS and to guarantee an economically sound
solution. The signature on this proposal guarantees that the prices quoted have been established without
collusion with other firms and without effort to preclude the NOLA-PS from obtaining the best possible
competitive value. The firm certifies that neither its officers nor its employees have bribed or attempted
to bribe or influence in any improper manner any officer, employee or agent of the NOLA-PS.
PREPARATION EXPENSE: All proposals submitted in response to this ITB must be submitted at
the sole expense of the proposing firm, irrespective of the final decision of the NOLA-PS as to contract
award.
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TITLE VI SOLICITATION NOTICE:
NOLA-PS, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252,
42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all Proposers that it will
affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged
business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this
invitation, and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in
consideration for an award.
EVALUATION PROCEDURES:
A Procurement Team Member shall serve as the Evaluation Committee coordinator and is solely
responsible for disseminating all information received during the ITB evaluation process.
FINAL SELECTION:
It is the intent of NOLA Public Schools to award this contract on an individual basis to the lowest
responsive, responsible bidder(s) meeting the specifications of the solicitation, which will be awarded
on a grouped basis to the overall lowest responsive, responsible bidder meeting the specifications.
NOLA Public Schools further reserves the right to reject individual line items from the award.
ADDENDUM TO INVITATION TO BID: NOLA-PS reserves the right to revise and amend the
specifications prior to the date set for the opening. Proposers are requested to clarify any ambiguity,
conflict, discrepancy, omission or other error(s) in this ITB in writing and request the modification or
clarification desired. NOLA-PS will issue an addendum to evidence any revisions or amendments made
to this ITB. Addenda are made available on the NOLA-PS website under community/business
resources/solicitations. Please acknowledge receipt of addendum on Signature Page. Failure to
acknowledge all Addenda will result in the proposal being rejected
All questions must be in writing and electronically submitted to the Executive Director of Procurement
at plucius@nolapublicschools.com no later than 4:00 P.M. on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. No addendum
will be issued later than Tuesday, June 30, 2026, except an addendum withdrawing the proposal or
postponing the opening of the proposal. It is the responsibility of each Proposer, prior to submitting
the qualifications response, to determine if addenda were issued and, if so, to acknowledge the
addendum on the applicable form.
Times and dates are final unless there is an unexpected "emergency" beyond NOLA-PS's control.
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2.0 SCOPE OF WORK
NOLA Public Schools is seeking to partner with a reputable
and qualified company to provide Fresh, Processed and Pre-
Cut Produce for twelve (12) NOLA Public Schools as
outlined in the list below.
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3.0 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
3.1 SPECIFICATIONS:
3.1.1 NOLA-PS SPECIFICATIONS have been developed by the Using Department to show
minimal standards as the usage, materials, services, and contents based on their needs.
3.1.2 MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS (DESIGN GUIDE). Whenever an article in
this proposal is defined by description as either a proprietary product or by using the
name of a manufacturer, the Proposer is encouraged to offer an item which is equal in
quality, durability and in full compliance with our Specifications. If the term equivalent,
alternate, or equal is not inserted, it shall be implied. The specified article or material
shall be understood as descriptive, not restrictive.
3.2 RESPONSIBLE VENDOR. A responsible vendor is a vendor who has adequate financial
resources (or the ability to obtain such resources), can comply with the delivery requirements,
and is a qualified and established firm regularly engaged in the type of business that provides
the items listed herein.
3.3 FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. NOLA-PS assumes no financial responsibility for any
costs incurred by Proposers in developing and submitting a proposal or any amendments or
addenda, participating in pre-proposal meetings, participating in any negotiation sessions or
discussions, or any other costs incurred by Bidders pursuant to this ITB.
3.4 BEST AND FINAL OFFERS must be received by the date and time provided during
discussions and/or negotiations, or the originally submitted proposal will be used for further
evaluation and award recommendation.
3.5 EVALUATION OF BIDS takes into account the following considerations: price, quality,
suitability for the intended use, probability of continuous availability, bidder's service, safety
record, and date of proposed delivery and placement. It is not the policy of NOLA-PS to
purchase on the basis of low bids alone.
3.6 WITHDRAWAL OF BIDS will not be allowed for a period of 120 days following the
proposal opening. Rejection or withdrawal after offer is accepted shall constitute a breach of
contract.
3.7 RETENTION OF BID DOCUMENTATION. All proposal materials and supporting
documentation that are submitted in response to this bid becomes the permanent property
of NOLA-PS.
3.8 REBID. NOLA-PS may elect to rebid this project if NOLA-PS believes that, in its sole
discretion, it is in the best interest of NOLA-PS to do so.
3.9 MULTIPLE CONTRACT AWARDS. NOLA-PS reserves the right to award multiple contracts
under this ITB, including multiple contracts for each product/service category.
Product/Service categories are established at the sole discretion of NOLA-PS. The decision to
award multiple contracts, award only one contract, or to make no awards rests solely with
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