1-26-031 Vending Services RFP.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

#26-031

VENDING SERVICES BEVERAGE AND SNACKS

FOR

WAKE COUNTY

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA

MARCH 2026

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 SCOPE OF SERVICES

1.2 GENERAL BIDDING REQUIREMENTS

2. DETAILED SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS ..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

2.1 PROPOSAL FORMAT.................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

2.2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

2.3 FEE PROPOSAL .......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

2.4 SCOPE OF SERVICES .................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

2.5 COMPANY BACKGROUND AND ENGAGEMENT TEAM EXPERIENCE

2.6 CLIENT REFERENCES ................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA ............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.1 EVALUATION CRITERIA ............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

LOCATION OF MACHINES

Attachment A – Pricing Sheet – Submitted with Response Attachment B – Statement of Qualifications – Submitted with Response Attachment C – Sample Contract Attachment D – Machine Locations

ESTIMATED SCHEDULE

March 27, 2026

Questions due from Proposers by 5:00 pm. Questions should be submitted in the WC Bonfire Portal.

April 3, 2026 Addenda Issued (if necessary to answer questions)

April 14, 2026, by 2:00 pm Proposals due to Wake County by 2:00 pm in WC Bonfire Portal.

May 2026 New Contract Awarded for Services July 1, 2026 Start Date for New Contract Services

1. INTRODUCTION

Wake County, North Carolina (“The County”) invites proposals from qualified companies to provide Vending Machine Services, beverage and snack in several County owned or leased facilities throughout this request for proposals (“RFP”), the “Proposer” refers to the company that submits Proposals and the “Contractor” refers to the Proposer who is selected to provide the services described within this RFP.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

Wake County Government is seeking a qualified and competent firm to provide vending machine services (snack and/or microwavable foods, healthy snacks, juice, soda and/or hot beverage) at Wake County owned or leased buildings as presented in section 5.2 of the RFP. The purpose of vending in these areas is to provide County employees and the public with refreshments in a convenient and easily accessible location. The proposer will furnish, maintain, and stock/replenish electronic vending machines, with dollar validation, for dispensing drinks and fresh snacks.

It should be noted that Wake County maintains separate contracts for concession / food service operations in the Wake County Courthouse, Wake County Detention Center, John H. Baker Jr., Public Safety Center, South Wilmington Street Center and the Wake County Justice Center. Those services are exclusive to the current contractors having County approved services within designated areas of these facilities and will not be included in this RFP.

GENERAL BIDDING REQUIREMENTS

1.1.1 FOOD & NUTRITIONAL STANDARDS

The proposer must submit with the proposal a complete list of snack products to be furnished according to the Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities. Low fat and fruit products should be included with the bid.

The County may require certain machines be supplied with healthy snacks. All food and food products specified shall be processed, packaged and delivered in accordance with the regulations, laws and standards of the County of Wake, the State of North Carolina, the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. A copy of the nutritional analysis for each product sold in the machines must be maintained on file at the vending machine services facility and presented to a County representative upon request. Selected vendor shall ensure that all products are fresh and not outdated.

1.1.2 FOOD SERVICE GUIDELINES FOR COUNTY FACILITIES

A. The County prioritizes employee and public health and well-being and looks for a partner to assist with providing healthy vending options along with education around nutritional options.

B. Any healthy vending items should follow recommendations listed in Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities and Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

1.1.3 PRODUCT PLACEMENT

A. Any food and beverage items that meet healthy vending recommendations should:

1. Be displayed in a way that is easily distinguishable from food and beverages that do not meet the health vending items.

2. Be stocked in positions with excellent selling potential.

B. Water without added caloric sweeteners is required to be stocked in beverage machines.

1.1.4 FEES

The County will not collect revenue generated under this contract.

1.1.5 REPORTS

Proposer shall provide monthly, reports detailing gross retail sales by machine, a listing by each product’s sales, and/or beginning and ending reading of transaction counters. The County reserves the right to audit the sales records and invoices pertaining to the County’s account. Selected vendor must be able to provide sales https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/php/food-service-guidelines/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/food-service-guidelines/index.html https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf reports, generated for any date range, showing the total sales, both beverage and snacks, for any and/or all locations. At a minimum, these reports shall be provided for each month and, upon request, be generated within 48 hours if needed. These reports must be available, via the web or a portal provided by the vendor.

This portal or web access will give Wake County detailed information about the inventory of machines assigned to the County’s account, including, but not limited to sales, inventory data, stocked food, snack or drink products and activity on machine. The portal or web access will also give Wake County detailed information relative to service calls at each location as referenced in section 1.2.15 Maintenance and Service Response.

1.1.6 MACHINE REQUIREMENTS

Current locations are provided in section 5.2. Types of machines are to remain the same unless other options are proposed by the proposer, subject to approval by the County. Proposers are responsible for performing a site inspection of all locations to become familiar with the physical conditions surrounding the areas and become acquainted with establishing operations in other areas. Each proposer should submit with the proposal, descriptive literature with full illustrations and detailed specifications for each vending machine offered. Title to all equipment and product shall remain with the proposer. The County is interested in placing cashless machines in areas supported by volume and your proposal should clearly identify the sales volume required to justify such equipment. Proposal should also identify any minimum requirements of sales volume to place any machine in a location. The County is requiring energy efficient machines with occupancy sensors.

The County requires energy consumption data based on each type of machine proposed. The County is interested in machines that have the capability of using smart card technology. Specifications must be provided to support this interface. The County is requiring that each site have at least one cashless food and beverage option to be places in the location best suited as determined by the vendor/proposer, subject to approval by the County. The County is requiring that each machine be clearly labeled and identified (I.E with ID Number) for maintenance, refunds, and reporting.

1.1.7 RATES

Retail prices for products charged shall be comparable to those charged for similar facilities within the Wake County / Raleigh area while allowing the proposer to realize a reasonable profit. Any product price adjustments must be reviewed and pre-approved by the Contract Administrator. Price increases would need to be submitted in writing by November 1 of each year.

Comparative Pricing: Food and beverage items that meet healthy vending standards must be comparatively priced or less expensive than products that do not meet healthy vending standards.

Point of Purchase Nutritional Labeling: All vending machines located on property owned or leased by the County shall display nutritional labeling that, at a minimum, complies with the standards for nutritional labeling set forth in Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 sections 101 and 109, (Ref: CFR Section 101; CFR Section 109) as may be amended from time to time.

1.1.8 PERSONNEL

The proposer shall be responsible for providing qualified personnel to service and fill the machines on a regular basis. The proposer shall comply with all requirements of federal, state and local laws. Proposers shall require their employees to observe all applicable rules and regulations and to exercise courtesy and consideration in their service. Employees shall wear a uniform or identification badge to show they are employees of the vendor. Proposal should clearly identify any/all background checks performed on vending employees and the frequency of such checks. The County shall give proposer's personnel reasonable access to the areas where the services are to be performed to the extent necessary or appropriate for the performance of said services hereunder subject, however, to the County’s security and safety rules and regulations. The County shall arrange for access to buildings, including the provision of keys or access cards as required by proposer to perform services.

1.1.9 SUBCONTRACTORS

Contractor must receive prior approval from Wake County for use of any subcontractor.

If a subcontractor is used to perform any Services, the Contractor shall assume all responsibility under the contract and require the same insurance requirements of the subcontractor, as required by the County for the Contractor. The Account Manager remains responsible for communicating with the County.

1.1.10 SECURITY AND IDENTIFICATION

The Contractor shall take all measures necessary to comply and to ensure the employees of Contractor comply with the security rules and regulations of the County and all applicable Federal, State, and local rules, laws and regulations.

Employees serving hereunder, shall not use controlled substances not prescribed for them, nor illegal substances on or off Wake County's premises, and shall not use alcohol on Wake County's premises nor preceding their work shift when to do so would in any way affect the performance of the Services.

The Contractor shall remove from service on the premises of Wake County any employee of the Contractor who, in the opinion of Wake County is not performing the Services in a proper manner, or who is incompetent, disorderly, abusive, dangerous, or disruptive or does not comply with rules and regulations of Wake County.

Such removal shall in no way be interpreted to require dismissal or other disciplinary action of the employee by Contractor.

The Contractor shall prevent any of its employees from opening, tampering with, using or moving any item of equipment, storage containers, etc. or entering any area unless required in the performance of the Services.

The Contractor shall establish, implement, and maintain procedures and controls to ensure each employee of the Contractor complies with all applicable provisions of the Contract and all site rules and practices of Wake County.

1.1.11 CONTRACTOR ADMINISTRATOR

Wake County shall designate an employee of Wake County as Contract Administrator who shall act on behalf of Wake County with respect to all aspects of this Contract(s). Wake County shall designate the Contract Administrator in writing within ten (10) Calendar days after the execution of this contract(s) and shall promptly notify the Contractor in writing if the Contract Administrator is changed.

The administration of this contract(s) is vested wholly in the Contract Administrator. The Contract Administrator shall have complete authority to require the Contractor to comply with all provisions of this contract(s). The Contractor shall strictly and promptly follow the instructions of the Contract Administrator in every case. The Contract Administrator's decision upon all questions, claims and disputes will be final and conclusive upon the parties of the contract(s). The Contract Administrator shall exercise any discretionary authority in a reasonable manner.

The Contractor shall provide the Contract Administrator free and easy access to inspect and measure the manner and progress of the services at all times and to inspect the equipment, supplies, and all other materials used in the performance of the services. It is agreed that such inspection and measurement is not for the purpose of controlling or directing the services or employees of the contractor, but to assure that all services meet the requirements of the contract(s).

The Contract Administrator shall decide any and all questions which may arise as to the conformance of and acceptability of tools, equipment, supplies and all other materials and methods and procedures used in the performance of the Services with regard to the requirements included herein. The Contract Administrator shall decide all questions which may arise as to the interpretation of the contract documents relative to the services and the fulfillment of the contract(s) on the part of the contractor.

The Contract Administrator shall have the authority to require The Contractor to make temporary changes if such changes do not affect the unit prices contained in BID SCHEDULE NO. 1.

Any advice provided to the Contractor by the Contract Administrator shall in no way be construed as binding upon Wake County or release the Contractor from fulfilling the provisions of the Contract(s).

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

Wake County reserves the right to ask for team member changes at any time.

Prior to bid award, Wake County reserves the right to ask the Contractor for its proposed supervisory staff (names, résumés, references, etc.). Contractor shall put in place an account management team that will have the responsibility to manage the Wake County account at all areas within the scope of this RFP. This team shall consist of (but may not be limited to) the following individuals who will be responsible for the assignments designated below:

Account Manager

1. Is available during normal Wake County operating hours (as appropriate)

2. Responds to emergencies within two days

3. Has ultimate responsibility for all vending equipment under this contract within Wake County

4. Functions as the primary contact with Wake County and other key personnel as identified

5. Institutes escalation procedures necessary to meet the service and quality requirements outside the standard terms of the Agreement

6. Visits all Wake County designated vending areas as appropriate

7. Coordinates Wake County’s vending requirements within the Contractor’s organization consistent with Wake County’s needs and quality expectations

8. Updates Wake County on potential changes in products (Vending related), Services and enhancements to the current program

9. Provides Wake County information on resources, educational opportunities, and industry trends

10. Assists Wake County on other program requirements as directed

11. Completes monthly scheduled vending inspections. The account manager will immediately resolve any issues or problems discovered as a result of the inspection

12. Interface with tenants/occupants on a regular basis regarding refunds

13. Review the vending work order log/report to ensure that all issues, requests and deficiencies have been resolved. These items may include inventory management, contents, maintenance, and refunds.

1.1.12 STOCKING AND REFUNDS

Restocking machines shall occur on a regular basis during standard hours of operation at each facility as submitted in the fee proposal. The contractor shall be required to provide a restocking schedule for all machines deployed. The contractor shall respond and restock within 48 hours of any request. The contractor will also be responsible for all refunds to include dispersant of funds. A standard procedure for refunds should be submitted with the proposal. The proposer shall establish a system for providing a direct refund to the consumer. For refunds the customer should be contacting the vendor directly.

1.1.13 IMPLEMENTATION TIMEFRAME

It is Wake County’s intent to award a new contract for services on July 1, 2026. The successful proposer is expected to have machines and services in place on July 1, 2026.

1.1.14 INSTALLATION SCHEDULE AND REQUIREMENTS

The successful proposer shall be responsible for delivery and installation of all equipment to each identified location as determined by the County’s installation schedule. The contractor shall work with designated Wake County employees to closely coordinate the installation of all machines. Existing services of electricity supplied to the current vending areas will be provided. The County will provide adequate electricity, lighting, and air conditioning of designated premises, but without liability on the County’s part arising from temporary interruption thereof because breakdown, power failure, or like causes. The contractor shall provide technical specifications for vending machines as requested or required by Wake County. However, the proposer is expected to maintain all machines in a clean, sanitary and safe condition.

1.1.15 MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE RESPONSE

The proposer is responsible for maintaining all equipment in good, working order. The proposer should have trained competent repairpersons available within the time period submitted with this proposal. The proposer should provide a description of guaranteed response time during all operating hours, including weekends and holidays and should provide phone numbers and contact persons at each machine location. The Account Manager will be by the GSA Request Center or a designated representative, in a written electronic format using the County’s Maximo electronic work order system of needed repairs and/or damage to fixtures, building and appurtenances observed during the performance of the services. Any item of a critical, priority, or emergency nature will be verbally reported immediately upon discovery with written notification to follow to the Account Manager or the designated representative.

Proposer will be responsible for all damage to any County property resulting from proposer’s machines or their operation and shall promptly repair machines at their own expense. The proposer will assume any loss of product because of mechanical defect, or where products are vended without the insertion of coins or loss from use of slugs. The County will not be responsible for any acts of vandalism or theft.

1.1.16 SELECTION OF CONTRACTOR

It is the intent of the County to enter into a contract with the Proposer submitting the best offer in the judgment of Wake County. Proposals will be evaluated based on the Evaluation Criteria outlined in Section 5.1.

1.1.17 LENGTH OF CONTRACT

The contract for vending machine services will be for a period of one (1) year, with five (5) optional annual renewals.

1.1.18 PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES

The Contractor shall be responsible for the complete and timely performance of all the services under this contract and for all manner and type of tools, equipment, supplies and materials of every description required to successfully perform all services under this contract.

Vendor will be responsible for the following:

a. Providing vending machines that are of current model, less than two (2) years old and in excellent working condition. Machines are to be on rollers, as to prevent any damages to floor finishes.

Machines with dents, cracks, paint chips, etc. will not be allowed in any County facility. Vendor shall be able to provide a reasonable, appropriately sized machine to fit the space identified by the County.

b. Cleaning and polishing of the vending machines so that the equipment is clean and presentable at all times.

c. Routine maintenance - all equipment is to be checked periodically and a record of service calls maintained and made available to the County upon request.

d. Emergency services to be provided as required.

e. A reasonable program of preventative maintenance and regular replacement of worn, damaged or malfunctioning equipment must be instituted and carried out.

f. A Service repair telephone number shall be noted on all equipment.

g. All machines are to be serviced, routinely and consistently, during the business hours of 7:00am and

4:30pm, Monday thru Friday, except for the County’s holidays. The County’s holiday schedule can be found on the County’s website located at www.wake.gov.

h. Product prices will be plainly posted on each vending machine. The County will have final approval of any signage quality, and size of lettering.

i. Vendor will provide a written procedure for handling patrons to receive refunds for faulty machines and any products that are not up to standard.

j. Requested maintenance and service shall be performed within twenty-four (24) hours from the time of the service call. All problems reported to the Vendor shall be corrected within twenty-four (24) hours except for major breakdowns that require additional repair time. Should the estimated repair time exceed one week, the Vendor shall replace the vending machine with another one – either until the broken unit is repaired, or permanently.

k. The Vendor shall provide prompt, efficient, and courteous service.

l. The sale of items shall be made only from locations designated and approved by the County.

m. The public’s right of use of County facilities shall not be infringed upon by any activity of the Vendor.

n. The Vendor agrees to observe and comply with all rules and regulations as prescribed by the County with respect to use of County Facilities.

o. The Vendor shall employ sufficient, suitable personnel and such employees shall be the sole responsibility of the Vendor. Employees shall, always, reflect personal cleanliness and professionalism.

p. The Vendor shall obtain all necessary licenses and permits as required by the state and local authorities and shall comply with all health, sanitary, and other regulations, and laws.

q. The Vendor shall maintain all assigned Vending areas in a clean, sanitary condition consistent with all pertinent health and sanitary codes and authorized health authorities.

r. The Vendor shall maintain a consistent, high quality of soft drinks and food & snack products and the

County reserves the right to determine whether a product complies with this standard.

s. The Vendor shall have, and make available upon request, written restocking system procedures.

t. The Vendor agrees, upon direction from the County, to remove from service any of the vendor’s employees who are responsible for improper conduct under this Agreement or who are unable or unqualified to perform their assigned duties as determined by the County. The Vendor shall provide a replacement staff person, acceptable to the County.

u. The Vendor shall always maintain accurate computerized accounting records on the operation of this vending service contract. The accounting records shall be maintained by the Vendor, at its principal place of business, for a period of not less than five (5) years.

v. These records shall be supplied to the County upon request. Any accounting records, documents, inventories, and other related information shall be made available for the County inspection at any time during the term of this agreement, and for a period of one-year after the termination of the agreement. In addition to the right of inspection, the County shall have the right at any time to conduct a full audit of the Vendor’s records for any accounting year or period, including a certified audit by an independent accounting firm, on the financial records and business activities of the Vendor relative to the performance of this agreement. Should an audit be requested by the County, the County will be responsible for the cost of such audit.

1.1.19 ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE

a. The Contract Administrator, along with the contractor’s Account Manager will monitor vending machines twice per year to assess compliance with the contract. Monitoring will be rotated through various machines.

b. Vendors will be notified within 30 days of non-compliance with nutritional guidelines.

c. Vendor’s failure to comply with these nutritional guidelines shall be deemed a material breach of the Agreement, which may subject the Agreement to immediate termination at Wake County’s sole discretion or to such other remedies as determined appropriate by Wake County.

1.1.20 NON-EXCLUSIVE SERVICE

The County reserves the right to contract with other vendors for specialized vending products.

1.1.21 NON-PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES

Services shall be considered not to have been performed when, in the judgment of the Contract Administrator, any one or more of the following conditions exist:

a. The Services were not performed within the scheduled time M-F. This includes failure to refill machines on assigned scheduled. Schedules will be set on a weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly timeframe determined by the facility’s needs. Failure to refill sold out healthier slots with another healthier option (vs replacing it with an unhealthy option)

b. Failure to assign correctly uniformed and equipped workers.

c. Failure to remove any employee immediately upon County's request.

d. Failure to furnish equipment and material necessary for the performance of the Services under this Agreement.

e. Failure to perform an adequate and/or appropriate background investigation.

f. Failure to deliver Contract-specified deliverables in a prompt and timely manner as specified in other sections of this specification.

g. Failure to promptly address loss, damage, or misuse of County assets.

h. Failure to issue cash or cashless refunds in allotted timeframe.

i. Failure to resolve Service issues resulting in repeat performance concerns or issues.

j. Failure to perform monthly equipment inspections.

Failure to comply with these non-performance standards shall be deemed a service breach of the Agreement, which may subject the Agreement to immediate termination at Wake County’s sole discretion or to such other remedies as determined appropriate by Wake County. The proposer will be given 2 weeks to remove equipment from Wake County locations.

The Contractor will also provide a two (24) hour response time for urgent requests and a seventy-two (72) hour response time to correct complaints or problems of routine nature. Telephone numbers of the local Manager(s) and Supervisor(s) must be provided.

Nothing in this section shall limit the right of County to pursue legal or equitable remedies in addition to payment adjustments, nor shall the adjustments be deemed liquidated damages if actual damages exceed the amount of the adjustment. Any failure of the County to require adjustment upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing acts or omissions shall in no way affect the right of County to require such adjustments on subsequent occurrences.

1.1.22 RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID). Vendor must provide Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for all vending machines. RFID refers to a wireless system comprised of two components: tags and readers. The reader is a device that has one or more antennas that emit radio waves and receive signals back from the RFID tag.

Implementing this technology will result in better inventory management, contents, maintenance, and refunds.

Vendor/equipment will not be allowed to use Wake County WIFI network/access points. Vendor RFID must be on a standalone network access point to retrieve data at all times. Vendor should perform monthly inspections to ensure data is being transmitted.

1.1.23 FEE PROPOSAL

The County will not charge commission or rental fees based on equipment or sales since this is a service for the public and employees. As a result, the vendor should maintain very completive pricing.

Brand Line of Products (insert the brand name of proposed products and size or portions offered)

2. DETAILED SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

PROPOSAL FORMAT

Proposers shall prepare their proposals in accordance with the instructions outlined in this section. Each Proposer is required to submit the proposal in a sealed package. Proposals should be prepared as simply as possible and provide a straightforward, concise description of the Proposer’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Utmost attention should be given to accuracy, completeness, and clarity of content. All parts, pages, figures, and tables should be numbered and clearly labeled. The proposal should be organized into the following major sections:

a. Title Page

b. Letter of Transmittal

c. Table of Contents

d. Executive Summary

e. Fee Proposal

f. Scope of Services

g. Company Background & Qualifications

h. Client References

Instructions relating to each part of the response to this RFP are defined in the remainder of this section. Response information should be limited to pertinent information only. Marketing and sales type information is not to be included.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This section of the response should be limited to a brief narrative summarizing the Proposer’s proposal. The executive summary shall, at a minimum, include an identification of the proposed project team, responsibilities of the project team, and a summary of the proposed services. This section should highlight aspects of the proposal that make it superior or unique in addressing the needs of the County. Please note that the executive summary should identify the primary engagement contact. Contact information should include a valid e-mail address, fax number, and telephone number.

FEE PROPOSAL

Please include the percentage of gross monthly retail sales, a flat rate fee, or a response to any or all options as described in the “Fee Proposal located in Section 1.2.24.” Use additional pages to thoroughly describe the item or product and options. Include product and machine specification literature with proposal.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

This section of the response should include a general discussion of the Proposer’s overall understanding of the project, and the scope of work proposed.

In addition to the minimum standards set forth by Wake County, vendors will also be evaluated on the criteria below.

The panel will base their review and recommendation on the following criteria:

2.1.1 APPROACH TO SERVICE DELIVERY-

The Proposer’s overall methodology for successfully providing the Services will be assessed for its feasibility, responsiveness to the Scope of Services, effectiveness and thoroughness. Proposals will be evaluated on, but not limited to:

a. Transition, installation, and timeframe plan

b. Suitability, nutrition and variety of products offered that meet the needs of the County

c. Plan for supporting the County’s health initiatives by offering healthy products

d. Ability to provide high quality products, services and equipment.

e. Proposed schedule for refreshing and restocking products.

f. Age of machines, type, size, energy efficiency, power requirements & maintenance, if any.

g. Service response time for routine and emergency calls.

2.1.2 COMPANY QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

a. Meet minimum qualifications relative to business and technical competence

b. Financial and historical experience as demonstrated by the Contractor’s submittal.

c. The experience and qualifications of the staff proposed to manage and operate this account and their experience on similar types of accounts.

d. Firm’s qualifications and experience in successfully providing the specified services

e. Hiring, screening, training and background checks.

f. Uniforms, fleet and the use of company logo on fleet vehicles.

g. Contractor’s proposed plan for the management and operation of the account.

h. References of three (3) current clients with a successful history of providing similar services. For each reference submitted, the Proposer shall provide a brief description of the services provided.

i. Reasonableness of the product pricing compared to current provider and local market rate

j. Ease and expediency of providing refunds and a written plan to support this process.

k. The product pricing will not be used as the sole deciding factor but will be considered as a factor in the selection process.

COMPANY BACKGROUND AND ENGAGEMENT TEAM EXPERIENCE

This section of the response should include a general discussion of the Proposer’s overall Company’s background, qualifications, and its engagement team’s experience.

CLIENT REFERENCES

This section of the response should include a list of current clients to include, number of machines provided, clients’ name, address, contact person, telephone number, email address, and number of years providing services.

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA

EVALUATION CRITERIA

An evaluation review panel will review the submitted proposals. The selection committee may choose to shortlist up to (3) three companies responding to this proposal for further consideration. Each company should be prepared to be interviewed and provide a presentation on their company and specifically, on their proposal. If the County is unable to successfully negotiate a contract with the highest ranked firm, negotiations will be initiated with the second-ranked firm.

The panel will base their review and recommendation on the following criteria:

3.1.1 APPROACH TO SERVICE DELIVERY

The Proposer’s overall methodology for successfully providing the Services will be assessed for its feasibility, responsiveness to the Scope of Services, effectiveness and thoroughness. Proposals will be evaluated on, but not limited to:

a. Transition, installation, and timeframe plan

b. Suitability, nutrition and variety of products offered that meet the needs of the County

c. Ability to provide high quality products, services and equipment.

d. Proposed schedule for refreshing and restocking products.

e. Age of machines, type, size, energy efficiency, power requirements & maintenance, if any.

f. Service response time for routine and emergency calls.

3.1.2 COMPANY QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

a. Meet minimum qualifications relative to business and technical competence

b. Financial and historical experience as demonstrated by the Contractor’s submittal.

c. The experience and qualifications of the staff proposed to manage and operate this account and their experience on similar types of accounts.

d. Firm’s qualifications and experience in successfully providing the specified services

e. Hiring, screening, training and background checks.

f. Uniforms, fleet and the use of company logo on fleet vehicles.

g. Contractor’s proposed plan for the management and operation of the account.

h. References of three (3) current clients with a successful history of providing similar services. For each reference submitted, the Proposer shall provide a brief description of the services provided.

3.1.3 PRICING

a. Reasonableness of the product pricing compared to current provider and local market rate

b. Ease and expediency of providing refunds and a written plan to support this process.

c. The product pricing will not be used as the sole deciding factor but will be considered as a factor in the selection process.