2026-01 Purchase of Walk-In Freezer at Phillips High Lunchroom Addendum 1

Ann West, Superintendent Office of Superintendent Marion County Board Members
Phone (205) 921-3191 Beverly Burleson
188 Winchester Drive
FAX (205) 921-7336 Joyce Fowler
Hamilton, Alabama 35570
Don Jones
Mark Dearen
Daryl Weatherly
March 5, 2026
BID AWARENESS LETTER
To: Prospective Vendors
From: Jennifer Roberts, Child Nutrition Director
You are invited to submit sealed bids for a walk-in freezer for Marion County Schools. All
potential bidders must be licensed to do business in Alabama and must be registered with the
Alabama Secretary of State.
Bid Title: Phillips Walk-In Freezer #26-01
Sealed bids will be received by the Marion County Board of Education until 2:00 PM on
Wednesday, March 19, 2026, at the Marion County Board of Education, 188 Winchester
Drive, Hamilton, Alabama, 35570, for the purchase of a Walk-In Freezer. At that time, all
received bids will be opened and read aloud for the purpose of purchasing a walk-in freezer by
the child nutrition program listed school district.
Mail or send RFP/bid to 188 Winchester Drive, Hamilton, AL 35570, and mark clearly on
the outside of the sealed envelope the number of this bid: 26-01.
A copy of these documents will be sent via email. Please follow the instructions listed on the
cover sheet. If the document is not submitted as requested, your bid will be disqualified. It is
requested that the bidder carefully read all specifications and information contained in this
document and that the document be retained for future reference.
This invitation to bid has been designed to meet the new USDA Procurement guidelines.
Vendors must fill in all blank spaces for each item proposed in the bid document. Failure to do
so will result in the classification of that particular proposal as non-respondent.
The Marion County Board of Education reserves the right to reject any and/or
all bids and to waive formalities in awarding this bid to the lowest respondent. Please direct any questions
to:
Jennifer Roberts, Marion County Schools Child Nutrition Director, at 205-921-1903 or
jroberts@mcbe.net.
A pre-bid site visit is REQUIRED by all potential bidders. Please set up a visit with Jennifer
Roberts at jroberts@mcbe.net or 205-921-1903; no unplanned visits allowed.
Respectfully submitted,
Mr. Patrick Sutton, Superintendent, Marion County Schools
Jennifer Roberts, Child Nutrition Director, Marion County Schools
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Table of Contents
CNP Bid Walk-in Freezer # 2026-01
Sealed bids will be received at the Marion County Board of Education, 188 Winchester Drive, Hamilton,
Alabama 35570 by 2:00 pm, Wednesday, March 19, 2026 and then publicly opened and read for the CNP
Walk-In Freezer for Phillips High Lunchroom.
Letter Page _1__
Table of Contents Page _2__
Invitation to Bid Page _3_
Proof of Insurance Page _5__
Instruction to Bidders Page _6__
Required Federal Provisions Page _11_
Delivery Address/Points of Contact (see attachments) Page _15
Bid Specifications/Proposal Form Page _16_
Vendor Certification Page _18_
Owner Disclosure Certificate Page _19
Non-Collusive Bidding Certificate Page 21
References Page _
Certification of Compliance with Specifications Page _24_
Certification Regarding Drug Free Workplace Page _26_
USDA Form AD-1048 Page _27
Certification of Debarment, Suspension, etc. Page _27_
Memo regarding HB56- AL Immigration Law Compliance Page _29_
Affidavit of Alabama Immigration Compliance- Subcontractor Page _30_
Child Nutrition Program Federal Acts Page _33_
E-Verify Certification Form on file as required by school board
Specifications for Walk-in Freezer Page 35
All bolded items listed above must be returned with the bid.
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Invitation to Bid
Walk-in Freezer Bid 26-01
The Marion County Board of Education will accept bids for the following equipment for the school system's Child
Nutrition Program, according to the specifications set forth in this bid request:
Walk-in Freezer Bid 26-01
The bid opening will be held on March 19, 2026. Bids may be mailed to the attention of Jennifer Roberts, CNP Director,
Marion County Schools, 188 Winchester Drive, Hamilton, Alabama 35570, or hand-delivered at the bid opening. Bids
will be publicly opened and read promptly at 2:00 PM CST on March 19, 2026. No bids will be accepted once the
opening begins. Please note any requirements listed on the response form and bid specification sheet.
The Marion County Board of Education reserves the right to award the bid based on budgetary limits approved by the
Alabama State Department of Education.
Bidders are to use the bid response forms included in this packet and guarantee the quality of work to meet or exceed
expectations set forth in this bid request.
Each party shall follow the procedure outlined below if this contract is to be terminated. All transactions shall be sent
by Registered or Certified mail.
Step 1: Issue warning letter and outline violations and length of time allowed to correct the problem.
Step 2: Issue a letter of intent to cancel the contract if the problem is not resolved by a given date.
Step 3: Issue letter to cancel contract.
It is not the policy of the Marion County Board of Education to purchase on the basis of low bid only. Quality,
conformity with specifications, purpose for which required, terms of delivery, transportation charges, and dates of
delivery are factors which may be used to determine the low responsible bidder. Bidders must abide by the provisions
of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in order to provide goods or services to the Marion County Board of
Education.
Section 9 of the Alabama Immigration Act No. 2011-535 (http://www.ago.state.al.us/File-Immigration-AL-Law-2011-
535) requires contractors provide the Alabama Department of Education with an Affidavit of Immigration
Compliance and the contractor's E-Verify Memorandum of Understanding as a condition of the award of any
contract. These two documents must be included with the bid. If you do not believe these requirements are applicable
to your entity, include an explanation justifying such exemption. A contractor can obtain the E-Verify Memorandum of
Understanding upon completion in the E-Verify enrollment process located at the federal website www.dhs.gov/e-
verify.
All items in the bid shall be awarded to one vendor on the basis of lowest total price with all standards of quality for
each item as described being met. Bidder is to quote prices on all items listed. A bid that does not contain a price for
each item may not be considered.
Payment will be made by the school system upon receipt of invoice, inspection, and acceptance by a designated
employee of the representative of the West Alabama Consortium.
.
The Marion County Board of Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to award the bid in a manner
deemed to be in the best interests of the West Alabama Consortium. In the event that any provisions of the bid award
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or written contracts emanating from the award is in conflict with Alabama's bid law, the bid award and resultant contract
are declared null and void.
The vendor's representative must complete and sign the attached Itemized List Bid Proposal form, Vendor Certification
page, and the form titled "Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion -
Lower Tier Transactions."
Envelopes containing bids should be sealed and clearly marked on the outside, CNP Bid Walk-in Freezer 2026 due
by 2:00 PM March 19, 2026. Bids should be mailed to Jennifer Roberts, CNP Director, Marion County Board of
Education, 188 Winchester Drive, Hamilton, Alabama 35570.
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INSURANCE
The Contractor must maintain throughout the life of this contract and pay for professional liability insurance
covering errors, omissions or negligent acts with limits of not less than $3,000,000. Coverage must include
contractual liability. When policies are renewed or replaced, the policy retroactive date must coincide with,
or precede start of work on this agreement. A claims-made policy which is not renewed or replaced, must
have an extended reporting period of two (2) Years. Additionally, the contractor shall procure and maintain
against claims under the Worker's Compensation Act and from claims for damage because of bodily injury
to others (including employees of the districts), death to others, damage to the property of others, and claims
for damages arising during the performance of the contract whether caused by him or anyone directly or
indirectly employed by him. The limits of liability insurance shall not be less than $1,000,000 per
occurrence/$3,000,000aggregate Commercial General Liability, $1,000,000 Automobile Liability. The
certificate of insurance shall be made in favor of and unconditionally named as an additional insured, "The
Board of Education." The certificate of insurance must be provided with this RFP/bid.
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INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS
The following requirements for the CNP Bid-Walk-in Freezer 2026 for Marion County Schools has been
developed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Alabama Bid Law and shall be a part of the
contract document as fully as if they were written verbatim into those documents and all bidders shall take it
into account when preparing estimates.
Listed below are instructions to bid on this project for the Child Nutrition Program of Marion County Board
of Education:
1. Sealed bids may be mailed to: Jennifer Roberts, CNP Director, Marion County Board of Education,
188 Winchester Drive SW, Hamilton, Alabama 35570. Clearly mark bid number on the sealed
envelope.
2. No oral, telegraphic, email or telephone proposals or modifications will be accepted. The bidder,
before submitting a proposal, shall carefully examine the specifications to be fully informed as to all
conditions and limitations.
3. A pre-bid site visit is REQUIRED by all potential bidders. Please set up a visit with
Jennifer Roberts at jroberts@mcbe.net or 205-921-1903; no unplanned visits allowed.
4. Unit Cost prices are not to exceed two decimal places. The decision of the Marion County Board of
Education will be final on any question of pricing.
5. USDA regulations prohibit schools from paying service charges and/or interest. Vendors are thus
prohibited from making such charges.
6. By submitting bids, all vendors agree to and accept the provisions of the specifications and
considerations.
7. Any requests for substitutions to the items listed in this Invitation to Bid must be received and
approved by the CNP Director by ten days before bid opening. Reasons for requesting the
substitution must be specified in comparison to the specifications of this bid document. A copy of
any approved substitutions will be sent to all vendors in an amendment.
8. All prices submitted in this proposal are to be delivered prices and shall not include any state or local
taxes. Marion County Board of Education is not liable for Federal Excise or State Sales Tax.
9. Firm prices shall be bid and include all packing, handling, shipping charges, and delivery to the
destinations provided.
10. The successful bidder will be responsible for any damage to the buildings and grounds that are a
direct result of carelessness/negligence of the delivery person.
11. All bidders must make proposals in accordance with the requirements and specifications and on the
enclosed proposal form, or the bid will not be considered.
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12. Marion County Board of Education may not award on the basis of low bid only. Quality, conformity
with specifications, purpose for which required, terms of delivery, terms of payment, transportation,
dates of delivery, past service, and experience are among the factors that may be considered in
determining the responsive/responsible bidder.
13. Bids delivered in Federal Express, UPS, or any other such deliverer's envelope shall be sealed in a
separate envelope inside the deliverer's packaging. The bid name, number, and bid opening date
shall be written on the outside of the deliverer's envelope. Failure to do this may cause the bid to be
inadvertently opened and thus rejected.
14. The bidder offers and agrees to furnish all items upon which prices are quoted, at the price set for
each item, in the quantity as stated on the bid, delivered to the various destinations, in amounts
ordered.
15. The Marion County Board of Education reserves the privilege to re-bid or renegotiate any item(s) if
price(s) are beyond the amount anticipated or negotiations are unsatisfactory.
16. All inquiries regarding this Invitation to Bid shall be directed to the CNP director through e-mail or
phone to: Jennifer Roberts, CNP Director, Marion County Board of Education, 188 Winchester
Drive SW, Hamilton, AL 35570, 205-921-1903 (phone) or jroberts@mcbe.net.
17. Marion County Schools reserves the right to award this bid on an all-to-one vendor basis.
18. All prices quoted shall be F.O.B. the ordering school cafeteria and shall be guaranteed for a period of
365 days after award of contract.
19. The vendor shall sign the attached certification sheet in accordance with the information requested. If
this sheet is not signed, the Marion County Board of Education cannot classify this offer as a legitimate
bid. It is imperative the bidder carefully read all terms and conditions pertaining to the bid.
20. It shall be the responsibility of the vendor to replace all damaged goods and to file all freight claims.
21. A certification statement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding debarment and
Suspension shall be submitted. This statement MUST be completed and returned with the
bid form, or the bid shall not be considered.
22. A refusal by the first lowest qualified bidder may result in the bid being awarded to the next lowest
bidder meeting the requirements and specifications. It is not the practice of the Marion County Board
of Education to purchase on the basis of low bid only. Quality, conformity with specifications, terms
of delivery and payment, delivery schedule, past service and experience are factors that may be
considered in awarding the bid.
23. It is the intent of the Boards of Education to pay invoices net 30 days. Therefore, the successful bidder
must furnish two (2) invoices for each school attached to a shipping ticket that has been signed by the
Manager or his/her designee.
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24. A schedule for delivery will be developed with the successful bidder that will meet all the requirements
of the school programs for food and food supplies.
25. Bidders must make proposals strictly in accordance with the requirements and identification and in
proposal format provided, otherwise, the bid will not be considered.
26. Should a bidder find discrepancies in or omissions from the bidding document or should be in doubt
as to the meaning; clarification should be requested by calling Jennifer Roberts, Child Nutrition
Director.
27. The Marion County Board of Education reserves the right to reject any and/or all bids or any part
thereof, to waive technicalities or informalities, and to award the contract to other than the low bidder,
if cause can be documented.
28. Rejection of Bids:
The Marion County Board of Education may reject a bid, but not limited to the following, if:
The bidder misrepresents or conceals any material fact in the bid.
The bid does not conform to the bid documents.
The bid does not comply with requirements, specifications, and conditions of the bid document.
It is deemed in the best interest of the Marion County School system.
Failure to mark the envelope as required.
Failure to sign bid document.
Failure to provide requested information or other details of the bid.
Failure to sign and include Debarment and Suspension Certificate.
Failure to provide a bid before the deadline of the bid opening
29. Price Escalation/De-escalation. All price increases/decreases shall be based on the new published
manufacturer's selling price for the goods (milk and produce) specified herein.
Market Basket Study Milk and Produce Bids Only:
1. The Market Basket Study list of products must be created annually.
2. The Market Basket Study must include no less than twenty product items that are:
a. most frequently purchased
b. products that make up the largest part of the budget
3. Prices must be obtained for the products on the Market-basket Study for two or more vendors.
4. Food (produce and milk) items will be purchased from the vendor/store based on the results of the current
Market Basket Study. Non-processed agricultural products exceeding $250,000 will require formal
procurement as well.
5. SFAs may use clauses for milk bid contracts, allowing for price escalation/de-escalation according
to a raw milk index. Approved index reports enable price adjustments based on inflation, product
availability, and other factors. The USDA currently references three index reports:
a. Raw Milk Index
b. Consumer Price Index (CPI): Adjusts according to current inflation rates.
c. Agricultural Market Services (AMS): Adjusts according to the current agricultural market.
For instance, if the SFA's current fresh produce bid includes a clause allowing price adjustments
based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for inflation, the SFA can renew the contract with
supporting CPI documentation as of the renewal date. If the inflation rate is 3% at the time of
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renewal, the vendor may increase the product price by up to 3% from the initial firm fixed price
without it being considered a material change. Additionally, if the Agricultural Market Services
(AMS) clause is included in the original bid contract, the renewal would allow price adjustments
according to the current AMS index for each item. For example, if peaches are initially bid at
$30.00 per case and the CPI inflation rate is 3% while the AMS index for peaches is 1%, the
vendor may increase the price to $31.20 ($30 x 4% = $1.20), which is allowable without being a
material change. However, such adjustments are permissible only if the original contract includes
the index clause. An SFA may not arbitrarily allow price increases or decreases without an
approved index. Statements permitting a 10% annual price increase are not allowable; adjustments
must be tied to a verifiable index documented at the time of renewal.
30. The Marion County Board of Education is not liable for Federal Excise or State Sales Tax.
31. Standard District Conditions:
a. This contract shall be governed in all respects as to validity, construction, capacity, and
performance or otherwise by the laws of the State of Alabama. Contractors providing
service under this Request for Proposal, herewith, assures the school districts that they are
conforming to the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. Contractors shall
comply with Executive Order 1246, entitled "Equal Employment Opportunity", as amended
by Labor regulation (41 CFR Part 60). State Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Exemption
form will be issued upon request. Sales tax shall not be included in prices. Contractor shall
comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulation pertaining to wages,
hours, and conditions of employment. The contractor agrees to retain all books, records
and other documents relative to this agreement for three (3) years after final payment for
audit purposes and to make said records available upon request. Contractors are required
to be in compliance with the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Environmental Protection
Agency regulations.
b. By signing this document, the contractor certifies that this proposal is made without prior
understanding, agreement or connection with any corporation, firm or person submitting a
proposal for the same materials, supplies, equipment, and is in all respects fair and without
collusion or fraud.
c. Prohibition against conflicts of interest, gratuities and kickbacks: Any employee or any
official of the school system, elective or appointive, who shall take, receive or offer to take
or receive, either directly or indirectly, any rebate, percentage of contract, money or other
things of value as an inducement, or intended inducement, in the procurement of business,
or the giving of business, for or to, or from, any person, partnership, firm or corporation,
offering, bidding for, or in open market seeking to make sales to the school systems shall
be deemed guilty of a felony and upon conviction such person or persons shall be subject
to punishment or a fine in accord with State and/or Federal laws.
32. All potential bidders must be licensed to do business in Alabama and must be registered with the
Alabama Secretary of State.
33. All quotations must be in ink or typewritten. Mistakes may be crossed out and corrections inserted
adjacent and initialed by the signer of the bid.
34. No bid shall be withdrawn or modified after the time set for bid opening.
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35. Bids received after the time set for the bid opening will not be considered.
36. The bid will be awarded at the first scheduled Board Meeting following the opening of the bid.
37. The awarding of the bid shall take place after the bid has been approved or rejected by the Board of
Education.
38. Failure on the part of the school system or the successful bidder to comply with the provisions of this
contract may result in contract termination.
Each party shall follow the procedure outlined below if a contract is to be terminated.
o
a. All transactions shall be sent by Registered or Certified Mail.
b. Step 1. Issue warning letter and outline violations and length of time to correct the
problem.
c. Step 2. Issue letter of Intent to Cancel Contract if problem is not resolved by given date.
d. Step 3. Issue letter to cancel contract.
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