School Nutrition Programs

RFP Template for School Food Service Management Contract

Fixed Meal Prices

This is a template for use by a school food authority to draft a Request for Proposals (RFP) to obtain a food service management contract with fixed meal prices. Do not use this template for a cost-reimbursable contract.

Procurement Requirements: Refer to the memorandum with the current-year requirements for food service management contracts, which is available on the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) website. That memorandum includes a detailed list of the steps to follow to procure a management contract, with recommended timelines.

The following two pages are prototype letters that can be used for advertising the RFP and for sending the RFP to companies.

If you have any questions about School Nutrition Programs requirements for food service management contracts, contact MDE - Food and Nutrition Service at 651-582-8526, 800-366-2922 (MN Toll-free) or email mde.fns@state.mn.us.

1

Prototype Legal Notice

Attention: Food Service Management Companies

The [Insert Name of School District] is requesting proposals for school food service management services. The Food Service Management Company would provide management services according to requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Department of Education.

To obtain a copy of the Request for Proposals, contact: __________________________

Food Service Management Companies may submit proposals to:

[Insert Name of School District]

[Insert School District’s mailing address]

The [insert name of School District] Board of Education reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals or to accept the proposal that is in the best interest of the school district.

A mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for [insert month, day and year] at [insert time] at [insert address where meeting will be held].

All proposals must be submitted no later than [insert time due] on [insert month, day and year]. All proposals should be delivered in a sealed envelope and addressed to the [insert name of School District] and be clearly marked: Food Service Management Proposal.

2

Prototype

Letter to Food Service Management Company

Date

Company Name

Street

City, State, Zip

[Insert name of District or School] will be accepting proposals for the management of the school food service operation for the forthcoming year. The mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for [insert date], at [insert time am/pm] at [insert address/location]. Please respond in writing to indicate whether you will or will not be attending this meeting.

[Select one:]

A copy of the Request for Proposals is enclosed.

To request a copy of the Request for Proposals, contact ____________.

The contracting process is strictly controlled by U.S. Department of Agriculture procurement regulations. Please clear all contact with any district personnel, vendors, contractors, or board members with me. Any attempt to unduly influence district staff, administration, vendors, contractors or board members will automatically disqualify your company.

If I can provide more information, please call me at [insert phone number].

Sincerely,

Name

Title

3

Instructions to SFA for Preparing the RFP

The School Food Authority (SFA) must insert language where requested in the RFP template, prior to distribution of the RFP to interested companies. Following is a list of the sections of the RFP that require completion by the SFA, and a list of the required attachments to the RFP.

General Information Section of the RFP

A Insert name of School Food Authority.

C Insert whether a verbal or written presentation is required.

D Insert school information, proposal opening information, and contact person.

E

Insert maximum number of times that the contract may be renewed.

- A public school district, including a charter school, may allow for up to two one-year renewals, in accordance with Minn. Stat. section 123B.52.

- A residential child care institution, nonpublic school, or public organization other than a public school or district, may allow up to four one-year renewals in accordance with program regulations.

FInsert details about the pre-proposal meeting and whether attendance of companies at the meeting is required or optional.

J Indicate the employment status of current food service employees under the new contract.

K

Insert the current “meal equivalent” factor which is the total current amount of federal reimbursement for a free school lunch plus the per-lunch entitlement value for USDA Foods. This amount will be used to calculate the number of “equivalent” meals that Company will be paid for the a la carte food service. (The meal equivalent factor will be revised upon any renewal of the contract, based on updated reimbursement and entitlement values.)

M

The evaluation criteria shown are sample criteria. School should add to or delete criteria as needed. Another, more detailed, sample list of evaluation criteria is available on the RFP – Attachments spreadsheet.

Once the criteria are set, assign the maximum number of points that can be awarded for each criterion. The criterion for Cost must have the greatest single number of points. Points are usually set so that the total number of points that can be awarded is 100.

NThe standard required attachments to the RFP are listed here. If SFA has any additional attachments, list them here.

OIf SFA has requirements for bid and/or performance bonds, insert here. Remove this provision if SFA has no bonding requirements.

4

Required Attachments to the RFP

The following are already attached to the RFP template:

Independent Price Determination Certification

Include this blank page with the RFP. Company will sign and include the certification with its proposal. SFA will sign the certification form with the company that is awarded the contract.

Suspension and Debarment Certification

Include this blank page with the RFP. Company will sign and include the certification with its proposal.

Lobbying Certification

Include this blank page with the RFP. Company will sign and include the certification with its proposal.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Include this blank page with the RFP. If Company makes any payments to a lobbying entity as described on the Instructions page, Company will sign and include this certification with its proposal.

Price Proposal

Company will use this form to propose its fixed meal prices. Company must insert the estimated numbers of meals and equivalents that have been provided by SFA in its RFP. Or SFA may preprint its required numbers of meals and equivalents in the appropriate column on this form. If there are any other meal services in addition to lunch and breakfast that require a price proposal, for example an afterschool snack program, then SFA must add to the table on this form as needed.

Food Specifications

A one-page sample of minimum food specifications is attached. If SFA has developed more detailed food specifications, attach those instead.

5

Add the following attachments to the RFP:Attachments that are available from the Spreadsheet (Excel)

The RFP–Attachments document (Excel spreadsheet) is available on the SNP–Procurement and Contracts–Food Service Management page of the MDE website.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation criteria may be provided either in the General Information - Section M of the RFP, or the criteria can be attached to the RFP. Attach the criteria if not already provided in Section M of the RFP.

Labor and Fringe Worksheet

Insert labor and fringe benefits for SFA employees. Add any other categories if needed. Company will add the labor and fringe benefits for its employee(s) and attach the worksheet to its proposal.

Cost Responsibility Detail

Indicate which cost areas Company will be responsible for and which cost areas the SFA will be responsible for.

Projected Costs Insert cost information from school food service account.

Lunch Prices and Counts

Insert meal prices, meal counts, and a la carte income for each school.

Breakfast Prices and Counts

Insert meal prices, meal counts, and a la carte income for each school.

Projected Revenues

Insert local revenue and program reimbursement revenue by meal category for each meal service. Adjust as necessary to show revenue information for any other programs such as afterschool snack program or Summer Food Service Program.

Meals and Equivalents

Insert current school lunch federal reimbursement rates and the total amount of a la carte revenue. The spreadsheet will calculate the number of “equivalent” meals represented by the a la carte revenue. Also enter the number of reimbursable breakfasts and lunches.

Building Demographics

Insert service times and number of operating days for each school.

Services by Location

Insert information about meal services at each location. Add meal services as needed, for example if any sites have an afterschool snack program.

Other Required Attachments

Claims Attach copies of claims.

Lunch/Breakfast Menus

Attach 21-day cycle menus that Company will use to estimate costs. Breakfast menus must meet the revised meal pattern and nutrition standards that are effective July 2013. Links to various sources of ample lunch and breakfast menus are available on the MDE website.

Contract Template

Attach the contract template Food Service Management Contract – Fixed Meal Prices, available from the MDE website, so that Companies are aware of the template that SFA will be required to use for the resulting contract.

Remove these instruction pages before distributing the RFP.

6

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE MANAGEMENT CONTRACT

Fixed Meal Prices

7

General Information

Responding to the Request for Proposals

A. INTENT

This solicitation is for the purpose of entering into a contract for the operation of a school food service program for ______________________________ [SFA Insert] referred to here as the School Food Authority (“SFA”). The Food Service Management Company submitting a proposal is referred to here as “Company.”

A list of SFA sites is attached.

B. CONTRACT TYPE

The contract awarded will be a fixed meal prices contract. The Company awarded the contract will be paid the fixed meal prices as proposed by Company on the Price Proposal.

The attached contract template School Food Service Management Contract – Fixed Meal Prices will be used for the resulting contract, as required by the Minnesota Department of Education. Any addendums to the contract will be subject to approval from FNS.

C. PROCUREMENT METHOD

All procurement transactions for the expenditure of SNP funds must be conducted in a manner that provides free and open competition consistent with applicable federal grants management standards in 7 CFR 3016 or 3019 and applicable state law.

This is a Request for Proposals (RFP) and the proposal must be submitted in two parts: a guaranteed price per meal/meal equivalent and a [SFA insert: verbal or written] presentation.

The weighted criteria that SFA will use to evaluate proposals are included in this RFP.

D. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION AND AWARD

1. Sealed proposals are to be submitted, in a sealed envelope marked “Food Service Management Proposal,” to

[SFA insert -Name of Contact Person, TitleName of School Food AuthorityAddress]

8

Public opening of proposals will be at (time) _____ on (date) ________ at the address shown above. No proposal will be accepted after the exact time specified.

2. The SFA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, if deemed to be in the best interest of SFA.

3. To be considered for award of contract, a Company must submit a complete response to this solicitation using the standard templates and forms provided. No modification may be made to the standard templates and forms.

4. Award will be made to a qualified and responsible Company whose proposal is responsive to this solicitation.

5. A Company and its authorized representatives are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements and specifications before submitting a proposal. Failure to do so will be at the Company's risk and relief cannot be secured on the plea of error. SFA is not liable for any cost incurred prior to the signing of the contract by both parties.

6. If additional information is required, please contact [insert name of contact person] at [insert phone number].

E. CONTRACT TERMS

The contract will be for a period beginning on or about [insert month/day/year] and ending June 30, [insert year]. The contract will be renewable, upon mutual agreement of SFA and Company, for up to [two/four]* years after the original contract. The contract specifies the Consumer Price Index (CPI) – Food Away from Home, Midwest Region (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) as the index to determine the maximum percentage by which meal prices may be adjusted for the year at time of contract renewal.

(* If SFA is a public school, SFA may make the contract renewable up to two times as allowed by state law. If SFA is not a public school, SFA may make the contract renewable up to four times as allowed by federal law.)

F. PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING

Interested Companies must attend a pre-proposal meeting to review the specifications, clarify any questions, and have a walk-through of the facilities with SFA officials. The meeting will be held on [insert month/day/year] at [insert time am/pm] at the following location: [insert address for meeting location]. Attendance is [required/optional].

G. LATE BIDS/ or PROPOSALS

Any proposal received after the exact time specified for receipt will not be considered.

9

H. GIFTS FROM FSMC

SFA's officers, employees, or agents will neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors or potential contractors. To the extent permissible under state law, rules, or regulations, such standards will provide for appropriate penalties, sanctions or other disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of such standards.

I. SELECTION OF MANAGER

SFA reserves the right to interview and approve the on-site food service manager.

J. EMPLOYEES

The current SFA food service employees will [select all that apply]:

• Continue to be employed by SFA.• Become employees of FSMC.• Retain interview rights when FSMC hires.• Not be retained.• Other (explain).

K. MEAL EQUIVALENTS

[SFA insert]

Meal Equivalent Factor: $_______

In order to determine the number of meals that the a la carte food service is equivalent to for the purpose of per-meal payments to Company, the net a la carte revenue will be divided by the meal equivalent factor shown above. This amount is determined by the current (school year before the initial year of the contract) rate of federal reimbursement for a free school lunch plus the current per-lunch entitlement value of USDA foods. A la carte revenue includes adult meals, and a la carte sales to students and adults, excluding sales tax. If applicable, revenue from vending machine sales is included in the a la carte revenue. Catering revenues are not included in meal equivalents.

At any time that the contract is renewed for an additional year, the meal equivalent factor will be adjusted based on updated reimbursement and entitlement values from USDA.

10

L. FIXED PER-MEAL PAYMENTS

The per-meal payments proposed by Company will be the complete payments due to Company. SFA will not pay or reimburse for any other charges.

M. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Proposals will be evaluated by a committee using the following criteria. .

Weight Criteria

_____ points Cost_____ points Experience, References_____ points Innovation_____ points Involvement of Students, Staff and Patrons_____ points Menu / Portion sizes (if menu developed by company)_____ points On-Site Manager_____ points Promotion of school food service program

[SFA – Use these criteria and assign weight to each criterion, or insert other weighted evaluation criteria.] .

N. ATTACHMENTS

The following attachments are included as part of this RFP:

• Independent Price Certification Form• Suspension and Debarment Certification Form• Lobbying Certification Form• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Form• Price Proposal• Evaluation Criteria [SFA – delete this line if evaluation criteria is provided in Section M of

the RFP instead of being attached to the RFP]• Labor and Fringe Worksheet• Cost Information• Lunch Prices and Counts• Breakfast Prices and Counts• Revenue• Meals and Meal Equivalents Calculator• Building Demographics• Services by Location• Cost Responsibility• Food Specifications• Claims

11

• Lunch Menus • Breakfast Menus• [SFA – add any other attachments as needed]

O. BONDING REQUIREMENT

[SFA - insert SFA bonding requirements, if any. If no bonding requirements, delete this Section O.]

12

Proposal

Fixed Meal Price - Food Service Management Contract

The undersigned proposes to operate the food service management program for school food authority __________ during school year ________, subject to the information provided by the school food authority in its Request for Proposals (RFP), at the fixed per-meal rates shown below. The awarded contract will require the company to bill school food authority at the proposed rates for the number of meals and meal equivalents served.

The contract will be awarded based on the school food authority’s evaluation of lowest total price, as shown below, and other non-price evaluation criteria established by the school food authority.

ProgramFixed Price per Meal / Equivalent

XSFA Estimate

of Meals / Equivalents*

=

Estimated Maximum Total Cost

to SFA

Lunch X =

A la Carte (Meal

Equivalents)X =

Breakfast X =

Maximum Grand Total Cost to SFA $________

*Proposal must be based on the estimated numbers of meals / equivalent meals provided by the SFA.

Submitted by:

_____________________________________ _________________________________

Name of Management Company Authorized Signature

_____________________________________ _________________________________

Address Title

_____________________________________ _________________________________

City, State, Zip Code Date

13

(Sample)

Minimum Food Specifications

Meat/Seafood – All meats, meat products, poultry products, and fish must be government inspected.

• Beef, lamb and veal shall be USDA Grade Choice or better.• Pork shall be U.S. No. 1 or U.W. No. 2,• Poultry shall be U.S. Government Grade A.• Seafood to be top grade, frozen fish – must be a nationally distributed brand, packed

under continuous inspection of the USDA.

Dairy Products – All dairy products must be government inspected.

• Fresh eggs, USDA Grade A or equivalent, 100 percent candled.• Frozen eggs, USDA – inspected.• Milk, pasteurized Grade A.

Fruits and Vegetables

• Fresh fruits and vegetables selected according to written specifications for freshness, quality, and color – U.S. Grade A Fancy.

• Canned fruits and vegetables selected to requirements – U.S. Grade A Choice or Fancy (fruit to be packed in light syrup or natural juices).

• Frozen fruits and vegetables shall be U.S. Grade A Choice or better.

Baked Products

• Bread, rolls, pies, cakes, and puddings either prepared or baked on premises or purchased on a quality level commensurate with meeting USDA breakfast and lunch requirements, as applicable.

Staple Groceries

• Staple groceries to be a qualify level commensurate with previously listed standards.

14