Nutrition and Wellness Programs
Procurement Guidance for Schools Participating in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
When purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables or other allowable items, you may use your current vendor as long as proper procurement methods were already followed AND the items being purchased were included in the procurement specifications. This includes terms by which a “new” item may be purchased. If the item being purchased was NOT included in the original procurement specifications, terms were not included for “new” item purchases*, and the purchase will not total more than $100,000, informal purchase procedures must be followed and quotes MUST be obtained from a minimum of three prospective vendors (which may include your current vendor). If the purchase will exceed $100,000 annually, you must use formal competitive procurement methods. Refer to the School-Based Child Nutrition Programs Administrative Handbook for details on determining the proper method of procurement.
*Since you cannot always foresee every single item that you may need during the course of a year or predict new items that may come on the market, you may include a method for handling new and other products in your original procurement specifications. For example, you may choose to use “vendor’s cost + fee/case”: $0.00–$10.00 + $1.00, $10.01–$20.00 + $2.00, and so forth. It is recommended that you research the marketplace to determine the best method for handling these types of purchases in your area.
Please contact Denise LeFever at 800-545-7892 with any questions regarding procurement for the FFVP.
If schools have chosen to use the Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, ISBE has conducted procurement for them. Schools using DoD can order using the FFAVORS system, but will need to set-up an account. Contact DoD FFAVORS representative, Jane Boyles at 215-737-5573 or jane.boyle@dla.mil.
