The City of Springfield, acting through the Chief Procurement Officer of the City is issuing this Request for Proposals to Food Service Management companies who have an interest in providing the City’s School Department with complete School Food Services.The City hereby requests competitive sealed proposals in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 30B, § 6.A Mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held in the Culinary and Nutrition Center on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Visitations to school sites will be held immediately following the pre-proposal conference. Proposers should arrange to have no more than two (2) people for participation in site tours. Schedule below:8:30 AM Pre-Tour Mandatory Meeting9:00 AM Board bus at Springfield Culinary and Nutrition Center(75 Cadwell Drive; Springfield MA. 01104)9:15 AM Central High School tour9:45 AM Board bus9:30 AM Van Sickle Middle School tour10:00 AM Board Bus10:15 AM Liberty Elementary School11:15 AM Board bus11:30 AM Return to Culinary and Nutrition Center11:30 AM Culinary and Nutrition Center tour12:30 PM DismissalVendors who request a clarification of the RFP requirements may submit written questions via email to lstabilo@springfieldcityhall.com and grayt@springfieldpublicschools.com by close of business February 27, 2026. Written responses of all questions will be provided to all vendors who have requested an RFP by March 4, 2026.Purpose of this request for proposal (RFP):The organization or individual responding to this request will be referred to as the Food Service Management Company (FSMC) and the contract will be between the FSMC and Springfield Public Schools hereafter referred to as the School Food Authority (SFA).This solicitation is for the purpose of entering into a contract for the operation of a food service program for the SFA. Currently the SFA’s food service program includes the following programs and options:•National School Lunch Program (NSLP)•School Breakfast Program (SBP)•Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)•At-Risk Snack (CACFP)•At-Risk Supper Program (CACFP)•After School Snack Program (NSLP)•Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)•A la Carte Food•Vending Machine ItemsPotential Future ProgramsThe SFA requires the FSMC proposal to include the following programs and options in their response:•The SFA does not require any additional programs to be included in the response.Proposals must be inclusive of all of the SFA’s current programs. However, the SFA reserves the right to add and/or expand the federal CN program to provide the availability of food resources to children and students that can be served through these programs. Prior approval must be obtained by the State Agency before adding a CN program. The SFA also reserves the right to remove CN programs.The FSMC will assume responsibility for the efficient management and consulting service of the food program including, but not limited to: menus, purchasing, receiving, storing, setting up cafeteria lines, counter service, cleanup, sanitation, training, hiring and supervising personnel, and presenting food in a way to create optimum student participation at the schools listed in Exhibit A.Issuing OfficeOffice of Procurement is the issuing office for this document and all subsequent addenda relating to it. The information provided herein is intended to assist the FSMC in the preparation of proposals necessary to properly respond to this RFP.The RFP is designed to provide interested FSMCs with sufficient information to submit proposals meeting minimum requirements but is not intended to limit a proposal’s content or exclude any relevant or essential data there from. The FSMCs may expand upon the specification details to evidence service capability under any agreement within regulatory limits.Questions related to any portion of this RFP must be directed in writing to the office noted above via mail or e-mail. Responses will be provided only to written questions submitted if provided in accordance with the timeline in Section A4.Procurement MethodProcurement Method will be the Competitive Sealed Proposal (commonly known as a Request for Proposals or RFP). A Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) or other local official(s) with delegated authority is responsible for conducting/overseeing the procurement.The RFP method differs from the traditional Invitation for Bid (IFB) method in the following ways:•RFP requires a separate price and non-price proposal•All comparative criteria used to evaluate proposals are included in the RFP•Proposers are informed that the contract will be awarded to the proposal that is most advantageous to the SFA, taking into consideration all evaluation criteria including price, with price as the primary factor.The contract will be a Cost-Reimbursable contract where the FSMC will be paid on the basis of the direct costs(food, labor and supplies) incurred plus fixed fees (Administrative Fee – corporate overhead costs andManagement Fee – negotiated profit). Administrative and Management Fees must be itemized to ensure there are no duplicate charges.