Meals Delivered Services (Prisoners)

The City of East Orange, New Jersey, is soliciting bids for "Meals Delivered Services (Prisoners)" through a fair and open public procurement process. This initiative aims to contract with a qualified and licensed food vendor to prepare, furnish, and deliver three meals daily, seven days a week, for prisoners housed at the municipal cell block located at 15 South Munn Ave. The comprehensive scope of work includes specific meal requirements: breakfast (fried egg sandwich/breakfast bar, fresh fruit, 100% juice), lunch (turkey/roast beef sandwich/peanut butter and jelly, fresh fruit, 100% juice), and dinner (cheeseburger/veggie burger, fresh fruit, 100% juice). All meals must be provided in disposable bags using paper products and adhere to strict food safety standards, maintaining hot foods at 140°F or above and cold foods at 45°F or below during transport. Crucially, meals must be free of pork, pork by-products, salt, sodium, monosodium glutamate, and sodium sulfite. Prospective contractors must be licensed food vendors and comply with a range of statutory and regulatory requirements. This includes adherence to N.J.S.A. 34-11 – 56.25 for Public Works wages, the Equal Employment Opportunity Act (N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27 et seq.) for Affirmative Action, and P.L. 1977 C33 necessitating disclosure of stockholders or partners with 10% or greater interest. Bidders are required to maintain Worker's Compensation and General Liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per person/accident for bodily injury and $3,000,000 aggregate for property damages, naming the City as an additional insured. Effective vermin control by a State Certified Pesticide Applicator is mandatory, and vendors must hold all necessary Federal, State, and local food preparation and handling licenses. A New Jersey Business Registration Certificate (BRC) is also a prerequisite for submission. No mandatory pre-bid meetings or site visits are indicated in the bid documentation. Sealed bid proposals are due by Thursday, May 5, 2022, at 11:00 AM prevailing local time, and will be publicly opened at the East Orange City Hall, City Council Chamber, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, NJ 07018. Submissions must include one original and two copies, plus one electronic copy on a thumb-drive, utilizing the provided Proposal Forms. Bid envelopes must be clearly marked "MEALS DELIVERED SERVICES (PRISONERS)" and display the bidder's name and address. A Proposal Guarantee, in the form of a Certified Check, Cashier’s Check, or Bid Bond, equivalent to 10% of the total bid price (not exceeding $20,000) and payable to the City of East Orange, is a mandatory accompaniment. Furthermore, a Consent of Surety guaranteeing a 100% Performance Bond upon contract award is required with the bid. Bid packets can be downloaded from www.eastorange-nj.gov or purchased for a non-refundable fee of $75.00 if picked up in person. All inquiries and bid submissions should be directed to Racquel C. Ferguson, QPA, Division of Procurement, at the specified City Hall Plaza address, or via telephone at (973) 266-5162.