The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced plans to purchase Kosher fruit and vegetable products for the National School Lunch Program. Offers will be solicited in the following forms:
| WBSCM MATERIAL CODE | MATERIAL DESCRIPTION |
| 110053 | K APPLESAUCE CAN-6/10 |
| 110054 | K PEACHES CLING CAN-6/10 |
| 110055 | K PEARS SLICES CAN-6/10 |
| 110056 | K PEACH FREESTONEDICED FRZ CUP-96/4.4 OZ |
| 110058 | K BEANS GREEN CAN-6/10 |
| 110059 | K CORN WHOLE KERNEL(LIQ) CAN-6/10 |
| 110063 | K BEANS GREEN FRZ CTN-30 LB |
| 110101 | K TOMATO SAUCE CAN – 6/10 |
| 110102 | K TOMATO PASTE CAN – 6/10 |
| 110483 | K BEANS GARBANZO CAN – 6/10 |
Offers to sell these products must be received not later than the date specified on the Solicitations. Solicitations will be available electronically through the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system. A hard copy of the solicitation will not be available. Public WBSCM information is available without an account on the WBSCM Public Procurement Page. All future information regarding this acquisition, including solicitation amendments and award notices, will be published through WBSCM, and on the Agricultural Marketing Service's website at www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food. Interested parties shall be responsible for ensuring that they have the most up-to-date information about this acquisition. The contract type is anticipated to be firm-fixed price.
Solicitations will be issued in the near future for deliveries beginning August 16, 2018 through January 31, 2019. All deliveries will be FOB Destination to various addresses in the state of New York (exact delivery addresses will be identified in the solicitation). Offerors must comply with the applicable dietary (KOSHER) laws as established by the “613 COUNCIL OF KASHRUTH” in the production of these commodity products. Offerors must not bid on these purchase units unless they can be properly certified. Vendors receiving purchase order items identified as “KOSHER” must contact the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York (BJENY) at telephone 646-472-5365 prior to manufacturing the commodity product to arrange for certification of compliance with the applicable dietary (kosher) laws.
Pursuant to Agricultural Acquisition Regulation 470.103(b), commodities and the products of agricultural commodities acquired under this contract must be a product of the United States, and shall be considered to be such a product if it is grown, processed, and otherwise prepared for sale or distribution exclusively in the United States. Packaging and container components under this acquisition will be the only portion subject to the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and Free Trade Agreements, as addressed by FAR clause 52.225-5.
Offerors are urged to review all documents as they pertain to this program, including the latest—
- AMS Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements (MSCP), April 12, 2017;
- Applicable commodity specification(s) identified in the subsequent solicitation(s); and
- Qualification Requirements for Prospective Contractors Selling Commodities to USDA, March 1, 2017. These documents are available on the AMS Commodity Procurement website.
To be eligible to submit offers, potential contractors must meet the AMS vendor qualification requirements. The AMS point of contact for new vendors is Andrea Lang who can be reached by phone at (202) 720-4237 or by email to NewVendor@ams.usda.gov. Details of these requirements are available online at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food/becoming-approved. Once qualification requirements have been met, access to WBSCM will be provided. Bids, modifications, withdrawals of bids, and price adjustments shall be submitted using this system. Submission of the above by any means other than WBSCM will be determined nonresponsive.
To receive e-mail notification of the issuance of AMS solicitations, contract awards, and other information, subscribe online by visiting: “Stay up to date on USDA Food Purchases” available on the AMS Commodity Procurement website.
Inquiries may be directed to the Contracting Officer, Sean Frey, at (202) 378-1075 or via email at sean.frey@ams.usda.gov.
The USDA prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).
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