1-RFI 2025-08-031 - AI-Based Food Waste Tracking Solutions.pdf

Request for Information (RFI) AI-Based Food Waste Tracking Solutions

Housing & Dining

AI-Based Food Waste Tracking Solutions

Request for Information

RFI No. 2025-08-031

Date of Issue:

Monday, August 26, 2025, 12:00 PM Central Time

Response Submission Deadline:

Monday, September 8, 2025, 5:00 PM Central Time

Table of Contents

1. About Rice University

2. Overview

3. Timeline

4. Scope of Work (SOW)

5. Key Requirements

6. Questions for Suppliers (Questionnaire)

7. Response Submission Instructions

8. Evaluation Criteria

9. Contact Information

1. About Rice University

Rice University is a prestigious private research institution located on a 300-acre campus in Houston, Texas, near the Museum District and Texas Medical Center. Serving over 12,000 individuals, including 4,400 undergraduate students, 4,000 graduate students, 3,500 faculty and staff, and campus visitors; Rice is recognized for its academic excellence and community engagement.

In October 2024, the university launched a 10-year strategic plan aimed at expanding graduate programs and advancing interdisciplinary initiatives aligned with Houston’s labor market needs. As part of its broader sustainability goals, Rice is investing in innovative food procurement strategies.

The Housing and Dining Department oversees five residential serveries and several additional dining venues across campus. In alignment with Rice’s long-term sustainability goals, and with plans to open two new dining facilities over the next two years, Housing & Dining is prioritizing food waste reduction through innovation, data-driven insights, and a focus on carbon impact reduction.

2. Overview

Rice University Housing & Dining is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to identify and evaluate AI-powered food waste tracking solutions to reduce food waste, optimize production, and improve data visibility across campus dining operations.

This RFI aims to:

● Assess current market solutions, capabilities, and integrations.

● Identify one or more vendors for pilot implementation by the end of September 2025;

● Inform of a potential future Request for Proposal (RFP).

Optional vendor presentations may also be submitted as part of the review process.

3. Timeline

● RFI Release Date: August 26, 2025

● Submission Deadline: September 8, 2025, at 5:00 PM CST

● Notification of Shortlisted Suppliers: September 12, 2025

● Online Presentations (Optional): September 15-17, 2025; available upon request

● Selection for Pilot / Next Steps Discussion: September 19, 2025.

Next Steps: Shortlisted suppliers may be invited to participate in a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) or considered for direct negotiation to support a pilot implementation.

4. Scope of Work (SOW)

Rice University is seeking AI-based solutions capable of tracking and analyzing food waste in high-volume campus dining environments.

Initial pilot implementation focus: Two serveries serving up to 1,800 meals/day Expansion potential: All five residential serveries and additional venues

Target technology includes:

● Smart waste tracking scales

● Overhead ID cameras or sensors

● Predictive analytics dashboards

● API/data export tools (for integration with Culinary Digital)

● Optional: carbon emissions tracking tied to food data

5. Key Requirements:

● Compatibility with bulk production and self-service dining formats

● Ability to track waste by item, recipe, station, or batch

● Real-time and historical dashboards

● Customizable exports (CSV, JSON, API) with timestamp, recipe ID, and weight

● Potential integration with Culinary Digital (batch/real-time)

● Support for pilots, training, and technical support

● Ability to scale across multiple kitchens with a centralized dashboard

● An optional emissions tracking component that aligns with AASHE STARS

● Adherence to ISO security requirements

6. Questions for Suppliers (Questionnaire)

Respondents are invited to answer the following questions.

1. Company Overview

● Provide your company name, headquarters address, website, and number of years in business.

● Identify your primary point of contact for Rice University.

● Briefly describe your mission, core capabilities, and experience providing AI-enabled or sustainability-focused solutions in institutional food service environments.

2. Product Availability & Capabilities

● Describe the components of your solution, including any hardware (e.g., smart scales, sensors), software, or integrated systems.

● What differentiates your solution from others in the market (e.g., accuracy, ease of use, analytics, innovation)?

● Is the system ready for immediate deployment and scalable to multiple dining venues?

3. Operational Fit

● Outline the typical workflow for kitchen staff using your system. Include steps, estimated time per interaction, and staff training requirements.

● How does your system adapt to bulk-prep or high-volume environments where food is often held in warming equipment before service?

● How does the solution support change management and user adoption over time?

4. Integration with Culinary Digital

● Do you have an existing integration with Culinary Digital? Describe the connection type (API, flat file, other).

● What data fields can be exported or shared (e.g., recipe ID, batch size, station

ID, timestamp, discard weight)? Specify format (CSV, JSON, etc.) and frequency (real-time vs. batch).

● Can your system link waste events to specific prep batches or menu cycles?

5. Data & Reporting

● What dashboards, reports, or analytics features are available? Can users filter by date, item, location, recipe, or station?

● How can data be used to support trend analysis, staff coaching, or decision-making?

● How long is data stored, and who owns the data?

● Is mobile access or real-time alerting available?

6. Cybersecurity & Compliance

● Describe your hosting environment (e.g., cloud-based, on-premises, multi-tenant, single-tenant).

● Confirm compliance with relevant standards such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, and whether data is encrypted in transit and at rest.

● Do you support Single Sign-On (SSO), audit logging, and data deletion policies aligned with higher-ed or GDPR requirements?

● Confirm that no firmware or hardware components originate from vendors restricted under NDAA §889.

7. Hardware & Installation

● Describe installation requirements, including equipment footprint, power/network needs, and whether drilling or permanent modification is required.

● Does your system include temperature capture? If so, indicate the sensor type

(IR, probe, etc.) and accuracy.

● What certifications does your hardware carry (e.g., NSF, UL)?

● What are your expectations for cleaning, calibration, and maintenance?

● What offline or failover capabilities does your system have in case of network loss?

8. Pricing & Delivery

● Provide a sample pricing model for a 3,000-cover/day campus dining environment, including all hardware, SaaS, training, installation, and maintenance costs.

● Do you offer a pilot program? If so, please describe the scope, duration, pricing structure, and standard KPIs used to evaluate success.

● What pricing incentives are available for multi-year or multi-site contracts?

● Share any estimated ROI data based on previous deployments (e.g., pounds of waste avoided per 1,000 meals, dollar savings, labor savings).

9. Support & Scalability

● Describe onboarding and training programs available before and during implementation, including resources for pilot phases.

● What support is offered post-deployment (remote troubleshooting, success check-ins, analytics reviews)?

● How many kitchen stations can be managed by dashboard? Can multiple sites be viewed in a consolidated campus dashboard?

● Can stations in the same kitchen sync in real time? Are there licensing or network limitations?

● What is your largest active deployment (by number of kitchens or daily transactions)?

● Can your platform support consolidated waste and sustainability reporting across an institution?

10. Implementation & References

● Provide a typical implementation timeline from contract execution to go-live.

Include milestones such as site prep, installation, staff training, and data testing.

● What support is required from Rice staff (IT, culinary, facilities) during implementation?

● Attach a sample implementation plan.

● Provide at least two references from higher education or institutional clients who have used your solution, including name, title, institution, and contact details.

● Share example outcomes from a recent client pilot or rollout, including quantitative results or lessons learned.

11. Institutional Experience

● What are peer institutions doing? Share successful use cases.

● Describe your experience serving higher education, healthcare, or similarly scaled institutional clients.

● What commercial structures (lease, subscription, hybrid) have proven most effective in these settings?

● What best practices or common pitfalls should we consider when structuring agreements?

● Are you part of any cooperative contracts or group purchasing agreements (e.g., OMNIA, E&I, Sourcewell)?

12. Strategic & Contractual Fit

● What KPIs do you typically include in service-level agreements (SLAs)?

● Do clients retain full access to historical data upon contract termination?

● What exit terms and data portability options are available?

13. Optional: Emissions Tracking

● Can your solution estimate or report the carbon footprint of discarded items or recipes?

● What methodology or database is used to calculate carbon impacts?

● Are your reports compatible with AASHE STARS or similar sustainability reporting frameworks?

Please submit your answers to the questionnaire in Euna Procurement, formerly Bonfire.

Suppliers may also propose any other solutions that they feel may be beneficial to the University in addressing its stated needs.

7. Response Submission Instructions

Please submit your response by August 6, 2025, using the following methods:

● Required Documents: Please submit the completed Questionnaire using Euna Procurement.

● Supplementary Materials (Optional): Suppliers may include any relevant brochures, seasonal product lists, certifications, or additional documentation to support their submission. All responses should be submitted electronically in PDF format.

● Submission Method: Responses must be submitted via Euna Procurement.

● Euna Procurement Assistance: For guidance on using Euna Procurement, refer to the following video tutorials:

o Creating an Account https://customer.eunasolutions.com/public/s/article/creating-a-bonfire-account-video o Accessing the Supporting Documentation o Vendor Training Resources

8. Evaluation Criteria

Rice will evaluate responses based on:

● Technical fit and operational usability

● Integration with Culinary Digital

● Security, data ownership, and infrastructure

● Pricing structure and support for pilot

● Sustainability/emissions capabilities (optional)

● Higher education experience and references

● Alignment with ISO requirements

Please note: This RFI is for information-gathering purposes only. No awards will be made as a result of this solicitation.

9. Contact Information

For any inquiries and communications regarding this RFI, please contact Adriana B.

Jimenez, Procurement & Contracts Manager for H&D, through the Euna Procurement platform.

https://customer.eunasolutions.com/public/s/article/accessing-the-supporting-documentation-video https://customer.eunasolutions.com/public/s/knowledge-base/bonfire-hub/vendor-registration