Nutrition Services Commercial Kitchen Equipment

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

INVITATION FOR VENDOR RESPONSE

Dear Vendor,

The Houston Independent School District is interested in receiving proposals from qualified individuals and/or organizations ("Vendor") for the procurement of select goods and/or services, as specified within this Request for Proposals ("RFP" or "Solicitation").

HISD Project Number: 24-08-08

In accordance with Houston ISD policies and procedures, HISD schools and/or departments are authorized to engage with "Approved Vendors" only. An HISD Approved Vendor is one that has been authorized for use upon having met a set of pre-determined criteria through a formal procurement process and awarded a contract ("Contract", "Agreement", or "Project") upon approval by the HISD Board of Education.

The first step in obtaining Approved Vendor status is to respond to this solicitation and submit all required information and documentation. Upon completion of the Project evaluation process and verification of compliance with HISD's liability insurance requirements and Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) Program, one or more Vendors will be recommended to the Board of Education for contract award. Once the HISD Board of Education formally approves the selected Vendor(s) for award, the HISD Purchasing Services department will issue a Notice of Award letter, affirming the awarded Vendor(s) status as an Approved Vendor for this specific Project.

The tentative term of this Project is from December 15, 2023, through December 14, 2024 , with four (4) annual renewals, not to extend beyond December 14, 2028. Thereafter, HISD at its sole discretion may elect to either extend the Project for a term not to exceed 90 days for business continuity purposes, if needed.

Pre-Proposal Conference: A Pre-Proposal conference will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams at 10:00 AM CST on September 27, 2023, Vendors interested in participating in the Pre-Proposal Conference must RSVP by registering with the link provided below. Please include the following information in your registration: Vendor company name, attendee first and last name, and email address.

• Click this link to register for the Pre-Proposal Meeting

The HISD Category Specialist assigned to this solicitation is listed below. Any questions or concerns arising out of this RFP are to be directed to such individual in writing. Questions pertaining to the solicitation process or related to the scope or specifications contained in this RFP should be submitted via the electronic bidding portal by the deadline specified within the RFP. Answers to all questions received will be posted as an Addendum to this RFP within the electronic bidding portal.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this solicitation.

Sincerely,