The School District of Palm Beach County is committed to making school campuses healthier. For many years the District has utilized a competitive bid process to procure snacks and beverages for school vending machines. The existing contract which ended on April 21, 2014 was discontinued in order to incorporate new nutrition standards requirements.
On April 22, 2014 a new District vending contract was approved - Bid 14C-42D Vending Services. This new contract incorporated language from the new United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Smart Snacks in School requirements in order to ensure that the snacks and beverages provided in the vending machines meet the new nutrition standards as of July 1, 2014.
In order to ensure the items meet the standards, the School Food Service (SFS) Department evaluates all products submitted from awarded vendors and develops a list of approved items for contract 10C-60D. A new list of items will be evaluated to be in effect July 1, 2014.
The contract addresses specific requirements for all approved awardees:
- default_titleAll awarded companies will immediately ensure that all vended products upon award of this contract will adhere to products determined acceptable by the Smart Snacks in School Guidelines. Failure to follow this may result in cancellation of this contract up to and including debarment.
- default_titleThe District will also require that all products be verified for their adherence to the Smart Snacks in School Guidelines prior to sale in the District.
- default_titleIn order to accelerate migration to lower-calorie and nutritious products in schools, all awardees will work with the District in the spirit of mutual financial fairness to amend the terms of existing contract to change the product mix described and approved by the District.
- default_titleAll machines must be equipped with timers in order to control their ability to vend and not vend at the appropriate time.
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The new Vending Services contract duration is for two years (April 22, 2014 through April 21, 2016) with the option of 3 one year renewals. The first option to renew this contract should be in effect by April 22, 2016.