RFP 26-27-02 Nutrition Services - Fresh Produce

2026-2027
CHINO VALLEY UNIFIED
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Request for Proposal
RFP No. 26-27-02
Nutrition Services - Fresh Produce
Proposal Due Date: April 28, 2026 @ 10:00 am
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CHINO VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
NOTICE CALLING FOR PROPOSALS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the School Board for Chino Valley Unified School District,
County of San Bernardino, State of California hereafter referred to as DISTRICT, is calling for
and will receive sealed proposals for:
RFP 26-27-02 Nutrition Services - Fresh Produce
up to but not later than April 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Proposals can be submitted at the Chino
Valley Unified School District, Purchasing Office, Second Floor, 13461 Ramona Avenue,
Chino, CA 91710.
Each proposal must conform and be responsive to the Information for Bidders, the Specifications,
and all other documents comprising the pertinent Contract Documents. Contract Documents can
be obtained by visiting the District's website : https://chino.k12.ca.us/36621_4 , or by emailing
Kathy Casino (Kathy_Casino@chino.k12.ca.us ).
The contract will be awarded to the most responsive, responsible vendor(s) meeting specifications.
The Chino Valley Unified School District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to accept
or reject any one or more items of a proposal or to waive any irregularities or informalities in the
proposals or in the bidding.
No vendor may withdraw their proposal for a period of sixty (60) days after the date set for the
opening of proposals.
It is each vendor's sole responsibility to ensure its proposal is timely delivered and received at the
location designated as specified above. Any proposal received at the designated location after the
scheduled closing time for receipt of proposals shall be returned to the bidder unopened. The
Chino Valley Unified School District is not responsible for proposals sent via U.S. Mail, UPS, and
Federal Express or by any other delivery service.
All proposals are due in the Purchasing Office by the posted or advertised closing date and time. It
is the vendor's responsibility to ensure that their proposal is delivered to the Purchasing Office,
Second Floor, 13461 Ramona Avenue, Chino, CA 91710.
Kathy Casino
Purchasing Director
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NOTICE OF INTENT
Chino Valley Unified School District is seeking proposals from qualified companies to procure and deliver
Fresh Produce Products. The RFP will be awarded to one (1) Primary distributor. This RFP defines the
program, the products, and the services that are being sought from the Distributor and generally outlines
the program requirements. Products and/or services considered for award shall equal or exceed a
minimum quality level of industry standards as defined within this RFP, and shall comply with all applicable
federal, state, and local technical, environmental, and performance standards and specifications.
SCOPE OF SERVICES:
The selected vendor will over the term of the contract resulting from this RFP to procure and deliver
Fresh Produce Products to sites designated within the district.
DELIVERY DETAILS:
Fresh Produce food products are to be delivered to 9 school sites (map attached, and delivery sites
attached) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday weekly or on an as needed basis. There shall be no
minimum delivery required of dollar amount or case quantities. Deliveries must be made in accordance
with the attached delivery schedule. We will consider issuing keys for early morning or night deliveries if
it is in the best interest of the district. Estimated annual expenditure is $700,000 for Fresh Produce
products. The Chino Valley Unified School District reserves the right to purchase more or less than the
estimated annual expenditure.
Any products delivered during the period covered by this proposal shall be only the approved processor's
products and code numbers as requested by the district unless prior approval has been granted by the
District to deliver alternate products. No product will be represented as being in conformance with the
specification when such is not the case.
Damaged containers will not be accepted. Inspection and acceptance of all items shall be at the delivery
destination. Credit will be required on damaged or unacceptable products. A legible delivery receipt
signed by CVUSD food services personnel must accompany each delivery and a legible delivery
discrepancy receipt shall be left at the site in case of a return or shortage. Credits shall be issued in a
timely manner. If the desired product is not available for any reason, the district shall be notified at least
10 days in advance of the shortage and that district shall be given options of a product that is of the same
or higher quality at the same unit cost or less. Continued shortages or substitutions will be grounds for
termination of this agreement.
See: APPENDIX A - DISTRICT / SCHOOL SITES & LOCATIONS see pgs. 57-58
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DEFINITIONS
In this RFP and in the Contract, the following terms are defined as follows:
A. "Best Value" means the method by which a contract, if any, is awarded, in accordance with applicable
laws, rules, and regulations. Best Value includes multiple parameters, including experience,
references, quality of Vendor's product(s) and/or services, and price.
B. "Contract" means an agreement entered between the District and a vendor as a result of this RFP.
The Contract consists of the Request for Proposals, including all Addenda, Vendor's Proposal that is
satisfactory to the District, and the District's Contract form(s), which may include, but are not limited
to, a written contract, an agreement letter, or a purchase order.
C. "Vendor/Distributor/Seller/Supplier/Contractor/Bidder" refers to the person(s)/entity(ies) that
submits the proposal to this RFP/ to whom a contract is awarded pursuant to this RFP.
D. "Project" means the Scope of Work for furnishing goods and services as outlined in this RFP.
E. "Proposal" refers to the documents submitted by a Vendor that addresses the scope and
requirements of this RFP.
F. "RFP" refers to this Request for Proposals.
G. "Responsible Vendor" means a vendor with adequate financial resources (or the ability to obtain such
resources), who can comply with the delivery requirements, and who is a qualified and established
firm regularly engaged in the type of business that provides the goods and/or services herein.
H. "Responsive Proposal" refers only to those proposals that comply with all material and administrative
aspects of this RFP.
I. Singular terms shall include the plural and vice versa. A gender reference includes both genders.
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INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION FOR VENDORS
PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL FORM: CHINO VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
invites proposals on the forms enclosed to be submitted no later than, April 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. All
blanks on the proposal form must be appropriately completed. Each proposal must be submitted in a
separate sealed envelope bearing on the outside "RFP No. 26-27-02 Nutrition Services - Fresh Produce".
It is the sole responsibility of the Vendor to ensure that the proposal is received by the above stated time
and place. Any proposal received after the scheduled closing time for receipt of proposals will be returned
to the Vendor unopened.
1. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL:
All proposals shall be received on or before April 28, 2026, at the following address:
CHINO VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Purchasing Department, 2nd Floor, 13461 Ramona Avenue, 2nd Floor, Chino, CA 91710
2. MODIFICATIONS AND CORRECTIONS: Changes in or additions to the Pricing Sheet, alternate
proposals, or any other modifications of the proposal form which is not specifically called for in the
proposal documents may result in rejection of proposal as not being responsive to the invitation to
proposal. No oral or telephone proposals or modifications shall be considered. The proposal
submitted must not contain any erasures, inter-lineation, or other corrections unless each such
correction is initialized in the margin immediately opposite the correction by the person or persons
signing the proposal. Proposals should be verified before submission and cannot be withdrawn after
their opening.
3. ERASURES, INCONSISTENT OR ILLEGIBLE BIDS: The bid submitted must not contain any erasures,
interlineations, or other corrections unless each such correction is suitably authenticated by affixing
in the margin immediately opposite the correction the surname or surnames of the persons signing
the bid. In the event of inconsistency between words and figures in the bid price, words shall control
figures. In the event that the District determines that any bid is unintelligible, inconsistent or
ambiguous, the District may reject such bid as not being responsive to the invitation to bid.
4. QUESTIONS FROM VENDORS: Written questions are to be submitted to the Director of Purchasing,
Kathy Casino, at Chino Valley Unified School District, via email, at Kathy_Casino@chino.k12.ca.us and
cc: Javier_Quirarte@chino.k12.ca.us, on or before April 16, 2026, by 1:00p.m. Chino Valley Unified
School District shall not be obligated to answer any questions received after the above-specified deadline
or any questions submitted in a manner other than as instructed above.
5. ADDENDA/CLARIFICATIONS: Answers to questions will be communicated in writing as part of an
addendum. In addition, responses to written questions received by the specified deadline. If it
becomes necessary for Chino Valley Unified School District to revise any part of this bid, or to provide
clarification or additional information after the bid documents are released, each recipient of record of
the original bid will be notified with instructions to download a written addendum. Recipients of record
are those parties, which obtained a copy of the bid directly from Chino Valley Unified School
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District. Addenda will be posted on the Purchasing Department website
https://chino.k12.ca.us/36621_4
6. It shall be the responsibility of the Vendor's to inquire of Chino Valley Unified School District as
to any addenda issued. This may be done by calling the Director of Purchasing at (909) 628-1202,
extension 1226, or via e-mail Kathy_Casino@chino.k12.ca.us prior to the bid-submittal deadline. All
addenda issued shall become part of the bid.
7. WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSAL: Any Vendor may withdraw his proposal personally or by written
request at any time prior to the scheduled closing time for the receipt of proposals.
8. INTERPRETATION OF PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS: If any Vendor finds discrepancies in, or omissions
from the proposal documents, they may submit to the Purchasing Director of the Chino Valley Unified
School District a written e-mail request for clarification and the response thereto will be e-mailed to
all vendors. Corrections will be made by addenda issued to each company that has been sent or picked
up a proposal packet. The District will not be responsible for oral interpretations. All addenda issued
during the time of bidding shall be incorporated into the proposal.
9. SIGNATURE: The bid must be signed in the name of the bidder and must bear the signature in
longhand of the person or persons duly authorized to sign the bid on behalf of the bidder. All
documents identified in the Required Bid Forms Section must be signed in permanent blue ink.
Unsigned responses may be considered non-responsive, thus resulting in rejection of the bid. Obligations
assumed by such signature must be fulfilled.
10. AGREEMENT PERIOD: It is anticipated that the Agreement to be awarded under this proposal shall be
effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. (also see multi year extensions #24)
11. PRICES: Minimum contract terms are twelve (12) months. Quoted prices must stay in effect for twelve
(12) months after award of bid and may be extended upon mutual consent of the District and vendor
for up to two additional twelve (12) month periods or until the end of the school fiscal year, whichever
is the shorter duration, in accordance with provisions contained in the Education Code, Sections
17596 (K-12) and 81644 (Community Colleges). Any price increase must be in accordance with the
Los Angeles consumer Pricing Index with a maximum of 5% per contract term. In the event of a
general price decrease the District reserves the right to revoke the bid award unless the decrease is
passed on to the District.
12. COMMENCEMENT OF DELIVERIES: After receiving written notification of award, the successful
Vendor shall be required to commence with the delivery of all items, which have been awarded within
fourteen (14) days after receipt of a participating district purchase order. Failure to complete all
deliveries within fourteen (14) calendar days after receipt of a district purchase order shall be
considered sufficient cause for default action under the DEFAULT provision of this proposal.
13. EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: If requested, prospective Vendors shall submit financial
evidence showing the Distributor's ability and qualifications to perform the proposed contract. If
requested in writing, the District will not publicly disclose this information upon the opening of
proposals. The District may consider such evidence before making its decision awarding the proposed
contract. Failure to submit evidence of responsibility to perform the proposed contract may result in
rejection of the proposal.
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14. PROPOSAL DOCUMENT: The Vendor should fully acquaint themselves with the conditions and terms
affecting the performance of the Agreement if awarded. The Vendor's submission of a proposal shall
be taken as prima facie evidence of compliance. Proposals should be verified before submission, as
they cannot be withdrawn after their opening.
15. TAXES: Taxes, whether Local, State, or Federal, shall not be included in the bid price.
16. DELIVERY: All prices shall be quoted as FOB destination. Destination shall be to the destination as
specified by the school district placing the order. All shipments shall be accompanied by a printed
delivery receipt. Purchase order number shall appear on all delivery receipts and invoices. All costs
for delivery, drayage, insurance, freight or the packing of the said articles are to be borne by the
Vendor. Vendor will be responsible for all assessorial charges associated with the shipping of goods
ordered due to failure to follow above listed shipping instructions.
a. Pallets used for product delivery must meet the following specifications:
Size: 48" by 40"
Construction/Grade: Premium A, A or Premium B grade
b. Products and/or cases must have the identifying labels facing out to the receiver.
c. Pallets with multiple/mixed products/items must be broken down for receiving and
repalletized when requested.
17. INSPECTION OF FACILITIES - EVALUATION: The District reserves the right to inspect the facilities of
the Vendor prior to award of the contract. If the District determines that after such inspection that
the Vendor is not capable of performance within the District's standards, their proposal will not be
considered. The findings and decisions of the District shall be final.
18. FOOD DEFENSE: Vendor's distribution facility must be registered with the Food and Drug
Administration and meet the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) For further
information visit the FDA's official site at http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/default.htm.
Failure to register prior to the closure of the proposal may result in the Vendor's disqualification for
contract award.
19. SAFETY AND SANITATION: Food Services staff will only receive products that meet all food safety
and sanitation requirements, therefore Food Services staff may at any time:
* Inspect delivery trucks for any signs of contamination.
* Check all expiration and best if used by dates.
* Use thermometers to check temperatures.
* Accept products only at acceptable temperatures.
* Reject unacceptable items.
20. PRODUCT RECALLS: If a product recall is instituted on an item that has been furnished and delivered
to participating school districts, Vendor must immediately notify the school districts Food and
Nutrition Services Department with all pertinent information regarding the recall.
21. CREDIT MEMOS: The Vendor's delivery driver shall provide each location with a credit at the time of
delivery for all merchandise short on delivery, or damaged or spoiled product necessitating a return
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or reorder. A copy of this credit, priced and extended, shall be mailed with the corresponding
invoice to the District's Food Services Accounting Department.
22. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT WITHOUT CAUSE: Districts may terminate this Agreement at any
time by giving the Vendor thirty (30) days written notice of such termination. Termination shall have
no effect upon the rights and obligations of the parties arising out of any transaction occurring prior
to the effective date of such termination. Other than payments for goods or services satisfactorily
rendered prior to the effective date of said termination, Vendor shall be entitled to no further
compensation or payment of any type from the District.
23. DISTRICT'S RIGHT TO WITHHOLD CERTAIN AMOUNTS AND MAKE APPLICATION
THEREOF: The District may withhold a sufficient amount or amounts of any payment otherwise due
to the Vendor, as in its judgment may be necessary to cover defective items not remedied or a failure
to deliver requested items and the District may apply such withheld amount or amounts to the
payment of such claims, in its discretion.
24. MULTI-YEAR EXTENSIONS: Subject to the provisions of pricing-terms of contract, and pursuant to
Education Code, Section 17596 and 81644, this proposal may be extended (by mutual consent
expressed in writing) for two (2) additional fiscal years, 2027-28 and 2028-29.
The extension may be granted on a year-by-year basis provided that the following conditions are being
met:
A. Chino Valley Unified School District has deemed the products and services of the vendor
satisfactory.
B. The Vendor shall submit a list of the price increases for the next fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) by
the last business day in April. Price increase must not exceed the LA County Consumer Price list
for the current year with a maximum of 5% per contract term.
25. PROPOSAL FORM DIRECTIONS:
A. Vendor is to use the Pricing Sheet template provided on the accompanying proposal documents.
B. The Pricing Sheet must accompany the completed formal proposal.
C. Vendor is to complete requested information on Pricing Sheet.
D. Vendor is to submit all pricing pages, even those without responses.
E. The District reserves the right to purchase additional units, at various quantities, under the terms
and conditions provided in this proposal.
F. The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, and to be the sole
judge of the merits and qualifications of all proposals and the products submitted as "equal" to
the District's specifications and not necessarily accept the lowest price offered.
G. The District reserves the right to reject proposals with multiple items per line item. Vendors
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submitting proposals with more than one item per line item may be rejected on grounds of non-
responsiveness or non-responsibility.
26. PROPOSAL PROTESTS PROCEDURES:
At the time of the bid opening, bidder may request to see the Designation of Subcontractor list (if
applicable). Once the bid opening meeting has concluded, bid results and other bid documents must
be requested in writing, via email, to Kathy Casino, Director of Purchasing
(Kathy_Casino@chino.k12.ca.us).
1) Bid Protest Procedures: Any bidder may file a Bid Protest. Only those bidders who have submitted a
bid on the project shall have the right to file a Bid Protest. The protest shall be received in writing by
the District's Purchasing Director no later than 4:00 p.m. at the conclusion of the third (3rd) business
day following the date of the bid opening. Untimely Bid Protests will not be reviewed by the District
and will be returned to the bidder. An e-mail address shall be provided and by filing the protest,
protesting bidder consents to receive e-mail notices for purposes of the Bid Protest and Bid Protest
related questions and Bid Protest Appeal, if applicable.
2) Content of Bid Protest: The Bid Protest must contain a complete statement of all grounds (both
factual and legal) for the Bid Protest. The Bid Protest must contain all facts, refer to the specific
portion(s) of any document relied upon, and shall include copies of all documents referred to in the
protest. Any grounds not set specifically forth in the Bid Protest are waived. The party filing the Bid
Protest must concurrently transmit a copy of the Bid Protest to the bidder deemed to be the
apparently lowest responsible bidder.
3) Resolution of Bid Controversy: Once the Bid Protest is received, the apparent lowest responsible
bidder will be notified of the protest and the evidence presented. If appropriate, the apparent lowest
responsible bidder will be given an opportunity to rebut the evidence and present evidence that the
apparent low bidder should be allowed to perform the Work. District will issue a written decision
within fifteen (15) business days of receipt of the Bid Protest unless factors beyond the District's
reasonable control prevent such resolution. The District shall not be required to hold an
administrative hearing to consider the protest but may do so at the option of the District, or if
otherwise legally required. The Decision on the bid protest will state the reasons for the actions taken
by District and will be copied to all parties involved in the protest.
4) Appeal: If the protesting bidder or the apparent lowest responsible bidder is not satisfied with the
Decision, the matter may be appealed to the Assistant Superintendent, CFO of Business Services, or
their designee, within three (3) business days after receipt of the District's written Decision on the Bid
Protest. The appeal must be in writing, set forth all factual and legal grounds for the Appeal, and be
sent via overnight registered mail with all accompanying information relied upon for the appeal and
an e-mail address from which questions and responses may be provided to:
Chino Valley Unified School District
Purchasing Department, 2nd Floor
13461 Ramona Avenue
Chino, CA 91710
(a) Appeal Review and Finality: The Assistant Superintendent, of Business Services or their designee
shall review the Decision on the Bid Protest from the Purchasing Director and issue a written
response to the Appeal, or if appropriate, appoint a Hearing Officer to conduct a hearing and issue
a written decision. The written decision of the Assistant Superintendent, of Business Services or
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the Hearing Officer shall be rendered within fifteen (15) business days and shall state the basis for
the decision. The decision concerning the Appeal will be final and not subject to any further
Appeals.
(b) Reservation of Rights to Proceed with Project Pending Appeal: The District reserves the right to
proceed to award the Project and commence pending the Decision on the Bid Protest and any
Appeal. If there is State Funding or a critical completion deadline, the District may choose to
shorten the time limits set forth in the preceding paragraphs if written notice is provided to the
protesting party. E-mailed notice with a written confirmation sent by First Class Mail shall be
sufficient to constitute written notice. If there is no written response to a written notice
shortening time, the District may proceed with the award.
(c) Waiver: The procedures and time limits set forth in this Bid Protest Procedure are mandatory and
are the bidder's sole and exclusive remedy in the event of a Bid Protest. The bidder's failure to
comply with any of this Bid Protest Procedure shall constitute a waiver of any right to pursue a
Bid Protest or in any way challenge the award, including but not limited to, any challenge pursuant
to the California Public Contract Code, filing of a claim pursuant to the California Government
Code, or filing of any other legal proceedings.
27. PROVISION BUY AMERICAN: Federal regulations require that to the maximum extent possible, only
domestic products are to be purchased consistent with the "Buy American" provisions of Public Law
(P.L. 105-336 under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. Manufactured end products
must be manufactured in the United States and the cost of domestic components must exceed 50
percent of the cost of all the components. Nutrition labels should include the country of origin for
both domestic and imported food products. Districts require that suppliers certify the percentage of
U.S. content in products supplied. Proposer is required to certify all domestic products to have at
least 51% United States content. This policy will allow for an exception only in the case when an
acceptable product is not available domestically, in which case the other countries of origin may be
considered for purchase. Upon request, Proposers will be required to provide certification of the
origin of food products.
28. LIMITATIONS: The District shall not be obligated to accept the lowest priced proposal but will be
evaluating proposals with the intent of awarding to one responsible distributor. The District reserves
the right in its absolute discretion to accept proposals, or any part of proposals, as deemed necessary
for the best interest of the District. The District may consider the performance of the bidder with
respect to any recent contract(s) with other school districts. The District, however, reserves the right
to reject any one or all proposals, to waive any informality in the proposals, to judge the merit and
qualification of the materials, equipment, and services offered, and to accept whatever proposal is
deemed to be the lowest responsible proposal meeting all the criteria specified in the proposal and is
in the best interest of the District. This RFP is not an offer by the District to contract with any party
responding to this RFP. The District makes no guarantee that participation in the RFP process will lead
to an award of contract, or any consideration whatsoever. The District shall, in no event, be
responsible for the cost of preparing any proposal in response to this RFP. The awarding of the services
contract, if at all, is at the sole discretion of the District.
29. RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING AND CONTACT: From the period beginning with the date of the
issuance of this RFP and ending on the date of the award of the contract, no person, or entity
submitting a response to this RFP, nor any officer, employee, representative, agent, or consultant
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