2-Request for Proposal - Cold Beverage Services.pdf

Request for Proposal (RFP):

Cold Beverage Vending Services

UNSPSC Code: 48101700 (Food and beverage dispensing equipment) UNSPSC Code: 48110000 (Vending Machines)

Issued by: City of Westerville, Ohio | March, 2026

RFP Deadline Dates

• Open Date: March 26, 2026

• Questions Due Date: April 8, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT

• Close Date/Deadline for Responses: April 21, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT

Contact Information

• Point of Contact: Michael Phillips, Recreation & Operations Superintendent

• Email: Bids@westerville.org

• Project Portal: https://westerville.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/228028 mailto:Bids@westerville.org https://westerville.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/228028

TABLE OF CONTENTS

● Checklist – pg. 3

● Purpose – pg. 4

● Organizational Overview – pg. 4

● Scope of Work – pg. 4

● Contract Term – pg. 12

● Proposal Content – pg. 12

● Submission Instructions – pg. 13

● Presentation, Demonstration, and Interview – pg. 15

● Review and Evaluation – pg. 15

● Right of Refusal – pg. 17

● Procurement Schedule – pg. 17

● Public Records – pg.17

● Non-Waiver of Rights – pg.17

● Relationship of the Parties – pg.17

● Termination – pg.18

● Expense of Preparing Responses – pg.18

CHECKLIST

Offerors are urged to complete this checklist to confirm that all required documents are included with their proposal.

I. REQUIRED PROPOSAL FORMS

APPENDIX A – QUESTIONNAIRE & PRICE FORM (download from Project Portal)

II. OPTIONAL PROPOSAL FORMS

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION (offeror supplied)

EXCEPTIONS LETTER (as needed – offeror supplied)

CONTRACT FORMS (download from Project Portal)*

*Offerors are urged to include completed Contract Forms (including a Noncollusion Affidavit and Personal Property Tax Affidavit) with their proposal. If not included with the proposal, the Successful Offeror will be required to execute and submit such forms prior to contract award. These forms are available for download at:

https://westerville.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/228028

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to inform the private sector of a potential business opportunity to provide Cold Beverage Vending Services for the City of Westerville’s nationally-recognized Parks and Recreation Department.

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Organization Background The City of Westerville (hereinafter “City”) is a dynamic and progressive city in the heart of the Columbus Region, which has been nationally recognized as one of "America's Best Places to Live" by Money Magazine, America’s Best Suburb by Movoto, and a two-time Global Top 7 Intelligent Community by the Intelligent Community Forum. The City offers reliable municipal utilities, excellent safety services, premier parks and recreation facilities, and 51 miles of trails to its 40,000 residents. Westerville is a special place to “live, work, and play.” Please visit the City’s website (www.westerville.org) for more information.

Glossary RFP: The request for proposal issued to solicit offers for the product or service described herein.

Offeror: Refers to the person or entity who submits an offer responding to the City’s RFP.

Offer: Refers to the response submitted by an offeror in reply to the City’s RFP.

Contract: The legal agreement between the organization and the offeror for furnishing and delivery of the products and services described in the RFP.

Laws Governing: Any contract resulting from this RFP, shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the State of Ohio. Venue for any action related to the City’s contract shall be in Franklin County, Ohio.

SCOPE OF WORK

The RFP respondent that is awarded a contract on the merits of their offer (hereinafter “Successful Offeror”, or “Contractor”) shall provide such Cold Beverage Vending Services as directed and authorized by the City of Westerville Parks and Recreation Department.

http://www.westerville.org/

Statement of Need/Specifications

Location

Product Pricing/Number of Units

The City desires to grant a vendor the right to exclusively provide cold beverage vending services and products as defined herein.

Prospective vendors must have the expertise and capabilities to meet all the needs of the organization, which include, but are not limited to, the following:

Vending machines will be required at the following locations:

1. Westerville Community Center (700,000+ patrons annually), 350 N. Cleveland Avenue (3 vending machines)

2. Westerville Sports Complex, 325 N. Cleveland Avenue (2 vending machines*)

3. Westerville’s Highlands Park Aquatic Center (85,000+ patrons annually), 245 S. Spring Road (2 vending machines*)

Additionally, the Successful Offeror shall provide a minimum of two (2) soda fountain dispensing machines with eight (8) dispenser heads and an attached ice bin to be located at the Highlands Park Aquatic Center.

*The two machines at the Westerville Sports Complex and the two machines at the Westerville Highlands Park Aquatic Center are seasonal.

The City and the Successful Offeror will mutually agree upon the price per credit for each machine. The vending machines must be in new (or like-new) condition and have a dollar bill validator and PCI-compliant card readers. The City also recommends that the vending machines accept contactless payment methods such as Apple Pay or Google Pay. The City and the Successful Offeror will mutually agree upon the price of items vended (fair market price). The current cold beverage vending machines range in price from $1.75 to $3.50.

The successful offeror shall provide a minimum of seven (7) cold beverage vending machines with a dollar bill validator and PCI-compliant card readers.

The City may request the addition or subtraction of service equipment and service areas as needed to best support City operations.

Equipment Installation/Servicing Requirements

Change Over

Stocked Products

The Successful Offeror will be responsible for installation, set up, maintenance and repair of all machines. The Successful Offeror shall service the machines within eight hours of any service call. If a machine breaks down an excessive number of times, the City shall have the right to request that the machine be replaced. All machines must be kept neat and clean at all times.

The Successful Offeror shall provide adequately trained service personnel. All employees of the Successful Offeror shall be in uniform and wear some type of apparel to be recognized easily when they are entering a City facility.

Machines are to be serviced between the following hours, excluding City recognized holidays:

o Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

o Saturday – Sunday, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Community Center Only)

If a machine malfunctions and a patron loses his or her money in the machine, the City will initially reimburse the patron. In return, the Successful Offeror shall be responsible for reimbursing the City for said money. The City will track patron reimbursements and will provide the Successful Offeror with a periodic statement.

The Successful Offeror shall place a card or sticker in each machine giving their name, address, and phone number.

If changeover to a new vendor is required, the Successful Offeror shall coordinate with the City’s current contractor to ensure a smooth and seamless transition in vending services by the start of the new contract on July 1, 2026. Changeover includes, at a minimum, the same number of dispensers presently at each City location. Changeover is to include all existing menu boards.

The City expects the following types of products to be stocked in the vending machines:

Advertising o Soft drinks/carbonated beverages: 12 oz., non-returnable cans, 24 cans per case and/or 20 +/- oz. plastic bottles.

o 100% juices or as close as possible: orange, apple, cranberry, fruit, grapefruit, grape, lemonade – 16 and/or 20 +/- oz plastic bottles.

o Bottled water – plain and flavored – 16 and/or 20 +/- oz.

plastic bottles.

o Energy, sports/fitness, ice tea drinks – 16 and/or 20 +/-

oz. plastic bottles.

o Returnable CO2 gas cylinders. State deposit, if necessary. The cylinder shall be no more than a 20-pound-type cylinder.

o Bag-in-Box: 5-gallon – cola/diet cola, lemon/lime, lemonade, root beer, orange.

o Pre-mix: 5-gallon canisters – cola and diet cola, lemon/lime, root beer, orange.

o Cups: Vendor cups – Various sizes 10 oz. to 32 oz.

The flavors and sizes listed may be flexible. The Successful Offeror should supply the city with a minimum requirement of cola (caffeine and decaffeinated), diet drink, and three other flavors. In addition to plain water, a minimum of two flavored waters. A minimum of three energy/sport/fitness drink flavors is recommended.

The City will grant the Successful Offeror the exclusive right to advertise beverages/products mutually agreed upon at the City locations outlined. The products shall be prominently identified with the appropriate trademarks/logos.

The City further agrees that all beverages will be dispensed in approved cups and that no other trademarked cups, coolers, or containers will be permitted. Both parties mutually agree on the size and location of any sponsor logos.

Product Rights

Contractor Rights

Competitive Products

Experience

The City will grant the Successful Offeror the exclusive right to sell, distribute or sample beverages at the City locations listed.

The City shall purchase all products, cups, and carbon dioxide from the Successful Offeror.

The City will grant to the Successful Offeror the exclusive cold beverage vending and beverage rights at the City locations listed.

The Successful Offeror will have the exclusive right to advertise the products as the “Official” or “Exclusive” soft drink, energy/sports/fitness drink, water, and tea and/or juice drink of the Westerville Parks and Recreation facilities outlined in the agreement.

The Successful Offeror’s logo and/or product name may be placed on all custom equipment used to dispense products.

The Successful Offeror’s insulated barrels may be used at the programs and special events at various Parks and Recreation sites throughout the year.

The Successful Offeror will be named a sponsor of the Westerville Parks and Recreation programs and/or events in which the vendor’s incentive product or promotional merchandise is utilized.

The Successful Offeror may affix vendor or product name and/or logo on all coolers.

For the City locations identified, the City shall use its best efforts to stop competitor advertising or promotion to protect the exclusive association rights granted to the Successful Offeror in any agreement stemming from the RFP.

The City seeks a vendor with at least three (3) years of experience working with clients in delivering cold beverage vending services of a similar nature to those described in this

RFP.

Customer Service

Alternative Solutions

Energy Efficiency

Additional Requirements

Assignment

Compliance

The City expects the Successful Offeror to have customer service available to address any problems with the equipment, supply orders, delivery, etc. Customer service representatives should be available during regular business hours. If needed, the Successful Offeror should also offer dedicated account managers for immediate support.

As part of this effort, the City has an interest in exploring the availability of energy efficient equipment

Neither the Contractor nor the City shall, sell, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of the contract or any portion thereof, or of their right, title or interest therein, or the obligation thereunder, without written consent of the other party.

The Contractor shall observe and comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, and the rules and regulations of all authorities having jurisdiction over the City’s contract.

The Contractor shall comply, when applicable, with the U. S.

Department of Labor, Safety and Health Regulations identified as Chapter XVII of Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 1910 and 1926 and subsequent amendments. The Contractor shall meet or exceed all City, State, and Federal safety guidelines and standards. All OSHA applicable guidelines and standards.

The Contractor agrees that in the hiring of employees for the performance of work under the City’s contract or any subcontract, no contractor, subcontractor, or any person acting on his behalf shall, by reason or race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, familial status, military status, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, or any prohibition provided by federal or state law, Indemnification/ Insurance discriminate against any citizen of the State in the employment of labor or workers who are qualified and available to perform the work to which the employment relates, nor shall any contractor, subcontractor, or any person acting on his behalf, in any manner, discriminate against or intimidate any employee hired for the performance of work under the City’s contract on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, familial status, military status, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, or any prohibition provided by federal or state law.

Duty to Notify the City of Cybersecurity Incidents: Contractor shall promptly notify the City of any actual or suspected cybersecurity incident, data breach, security incident, or unauthorized access, use, or discloser involving any data or information provided by the City or generated in connection with the performance of this contract. Such notice shall be provided as soon as practicable and in no event later than three

(3) calendar days after discovery of the breach or incident.

Contractor shall cooperate fully with the City in investigating and mitigating the effects of any such breach or incident and shall bear all costs associated with the incident, including any notifications, remediation, and compliance required under applicable law.

To the extent authorized by law, the Successful Offeror shall indemnify and hold harmless the City, its officers, elected officials, agents and employees from and against all claims, damages, losses and expenses including attorney’s fees arising out of or resulting from the Successful Offeror’s performance, provided that any such claims, damage, loss or expense is attributable to bodily injury, sickness, disease or death, or to injury to or destruction of tangible property, including the loss of use resulting there from; and is caused in whole or in part by any negligent or willful act or omission of the Successful Offeror, their subcontractor, anyone directly or indirectly employed by any of them or anyone for whose acts any of them may be liable.

The Contractor and their subcontractors shall secure and maintain Liability and Property Damage Insurance (1) in an amount not less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) for bodily injuries, including wrongful death, to any one person, subject to the same limit for each person, in an amount not less

Contract than Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) for bodily injury damages for any one accident; and (2) in an amount not less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) for property damages on account of one accident and in an amount not less than Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) for damages for all accidents. If the Contractor and their subcontractors maintain higher limits than the minimums shown above, the City shall be entitled to coverage for the higher limits.

The City shall be named as an additional insured. The Contractor will be required to submit a Certificate of Insurance and a current Worker’s Compensation Certificate to the City.

The offeror to whom the award is made will be required to execute a written contract with the City of Westerville, Ohio as required by the City Manager.

CONTRACT TERM

The initial term of the contract shall be for two (2) years, beginning upon contract execution (anticipated to occur on or before July 1, 2026) and extending through June 30, 2028.

The contract may be renewed at the expiration of the initial term at the request/option of the City. The renewal may be for up to three (3) additional one (1) year periods. The option to renew, if exercised, will be executed in the form of a renewal letter to be issued not sooner than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the current contract period, nor later than the final day of the current contract period.

All terms and conditions associated with the initial term shall remain unchanged and in full force and effect.

The award of any contract for 2027 and beyond is subject to appropriation of funds approved by Westerville City Council in future years/fiscal periods.

PROPOSAL CONTENT

Proposals should include concise, but complete information about your company, emphasizing why you believe your company to be best qualified to furnish cold beverage vending services for the City of Westerville.

At a minimum, the Proposal should include:

● Appendix A – Questionnaire (REQUIRED – download from Project Portal). Complete the provided Questionnaire to provide the City with information related to your company’s Responsiveness, Experience & Customer Service, Capability, Inventory Selection, Energy Efficiency of Vending Machines, and Pricing/Incentives.

● Supporting Documentation (OPTIONAL – offeror supplied PDF). Catalogs, product and equipment overview sheets, promotional materials, and any other offeror supplied PDFs.

● Exceptions Letter (OPTIONAL – offeror supplied PDF). Should your company take exception to ANY requirements, terms and conditions identified in this RFP or the related Questionnaire, a letter must be submitted with your response identifying ALL exceptions. Any exceptions will be part of the evaluation process. The City will not entertain any exceptions not previously submitted with the offeror’s response, at the time of contract negotiations.

● Contract Forms (OPTIONAL – download from Project Portal). Offerors are urged to

A non-mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held for all offerors on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM (EDT) via Google Meet.

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/yod-bfgq-csx Or dial: (US) +1 219-316-1042 PIN: 433 530 037# https://meet.google.com/yod-bfgq-csx include completed Contract Forms (including a Noncollusion Affidavit and Personal Property Tax Affidavit) with their proposal. If not included with the proposal, the successful offeror(s) will be required to execute and submit such forms prior to contract award.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Requested Information

Name Type # Files Requirement

Appendix A – Questionnaire (download from Project Portal)

File Type: PDF (.pdf)

1 File

Required

Supporting Documentation (offeror supplied – catalogs, product and equipment overview sheets, promotional materials, and any other offeror supplied PDFs)

Multiple Files Allowed

Optional

Exceptions Letter (offeror supplied)

File Type: PDF (.pdf) 1 File Optional

Contract Forms (download from Project Portal)

1 File

Optional

Requested Documents:

Please note the type and number of files allowed. The maximum upload file size is 1000 MB.

Please do not embed any documents within your uploaded files, as they will not be accessible or evaluated.

Upload your submission at: https://westerville.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/228028

You will not be able to prepare a submission unless you submit 'Yes' for your Intent to Bid.

The Q&A period for this opportunity is March 26, 2026, 3:00 PM (EDT) to April 8, 2026, 5:00 PM (EDT). You will not be able to send messages after this time. Questions may be submitted to the City at either Bids@westerville.org or via the Project Portal. Questions will be documented and an addendum will be issued with the City’s responses. The City will endeavor to have a copy of such addendum delivered to each person receiving a Request for Proposal;

however, it is ultimately the Offeror’s responsibility to check the City’s Bonfire/Euna Procurement Portal (https://westerville.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/228028) for verification of any issued addenda.

Your submission must be uploaded, submitted, and finalized prior to the Closing Time of April 21, 2026, 5:00 PM (EDT). We strongly recommend that you give yourself sufficient time and at least ONE (1) day before Closing Time to begin the uploading process and to finalize your submission.

Important Notes:

Each item of Requested Information will only be visible after the Closing Time.

Uploading large documents may take significant time, depending on the size of the file(s) and your Internet connection speed.

You will receive an email confirmation receipt with a unique confirmation number once you finalize your submission.

Minimum system requirements: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox.

Javascript must be enabled. Browser cookies must be enabled.

It is the sole responsibility of the offeror to see that their proposal is received in the proper time. Proposals received after the specified time will not be considered.

Adherence to the rules set forth in this RFP is mandatory to ensure a fair and objective analysis of all proposals. Failure to comply with or complete any portion of this request may result in rejection of a submitted proposal.

Receipt of a proposal by the City or submission of a proposal to the City confers no rights upon the offeror nor obligates the City in any manner.

Need Help?

The City uses a Bonfire/Euna Procurement portal for accepting and evaluating proposals digitally. Please contact Bonfire/Euna Procurement at Support@GoBonfire.com for technical questions related to your submission. Please direct general questions to bids@westerville.org.

mailto:Bids@westerville.org mailto:support@gobonfire.com mailto:bids@westerville.org

PRESENTATION, DEMONSTRATION, INTERVIEW, AND SECURITY REVIEW

Selected offerors may be elevated to the discovery portion of the City’s competitive process and invited to submit product samples/sample materials and/or make presentations to City personnel. Representative(s) attending/hosting these presentations must be qualified to respond to questions related to any component of the proposal.

Discovery may also include a security review with the City’s IT and Cybersecurity team.

REVIEW AND EVALUATION

The City will use a Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) comprised of project stakeholders and other City personnel to review all proposals received as part of a documented evaluation process. For each decision point in the process, the PEC will evaluate offerors on a variety of quantitative and qualitative criteria and will then elevate a select number of offerors to compete in the next level. Offerors not previously elevated may be elevated at a later date. The lowest price proposal will not necessarily be selected.

The sole purpose of the proposal evaluation process is to determine which offeror can provide the best value to the City (highest level of service and desired deliverables in the most cost effective manner that most closely meets the City’s needs). The evaluation process is not meant to imply that one offeror is superior to any other, but rather that the selected offeror can best support the City’s needs, based on the information available and the City’s best efforts of determination.

● Evaluation Criteria The proposal evaluation criteria should be viewed as standards that measure how well an offeror’s approach meets the desired requirements and needs of the City. The criteria that will be used to evaluate proposals may include, but are not limited to the following:

Title Points Type Description

Responsiveness 10 pts Rated - Scale [0 - 10] The degree to which the offeror’s proposal has responded to the purpose and scope of the RFP—e.g., services to be provided;

including, but not limited to, conformance in all material respects to the RFP. Scored by

PEC.

Experience & Customer Service

25 pts Rated - Scale [0 - 10] Offeror's experience in providing services and deliverables as requested in this RFP as well as their customer service offerings;

including, but not limited to quality of references/reference checks and the moral/business integrity to assure good faith performance. Scored by PEC.

Capability 25 pts Rated - Scale [0 - 10] Offeror's capability, flexibility and skill to meet the City’s requirements and perform the work identified in the RFP; including but not limited to, approach to business processes, service methodologies, creative alternatives and value-added services. Scored by PEC..

Inventory Selection 10 pts Rated - Scale [0 - 10] The degree to which the offeror’s proposal demonstrates a wide range of product options for patrons. Scored by PEC.

Energy Efficiency of Vending Machines

5 pts Rated – Scale [0 – 10] The degree to which the offeror’s proposal demonstrates the use of energy-efficient equipment resulting in savings to the City.

Scored by PEC.

Pricing/Incentives 25 pts Rated – Scale [0 – 10] How the offeror’s pricing and ability to deliver a comprehensive rebate/incentive program compares to the other proposals. Scored by

PEC.

Prior to making a contract award recommendation, the PEC may elect to use cost to perform a trade-off analysis to determine if the technical differences between proposals justify paying a cost or price differential.

The City reserves the right to determine the suitability of proposals on the basis of any or all of these criteria or other criteria not included in the above list. This detailed evaluation process may result in one or more finalists. The City may request presentations by finalists and may carry out contract negotiations for the purpose of obtaining best and final offers.

● Validity of Proposals Proposals are to be good for ninety (90) days from the proposal due date. The City may hold the proposals for ninety (90) days after the proposal due date, and may award a contract at any time during that period. Should there be reasons why a contact cannot be awarded within the specified period; the time may be extended by mutual agreement between the City and the selected offeror.

● Contract Negotiations/Award The City reserves the right to (a) reject any or all proposals, or to make no award, (b) request modifications to initial proposals or (c) make partial or multiple awards. In addition, the City reserves the right to obtain other supplemental information concerning the offerors. The City further reserves the right to excuse technical defects in a proposal when, in its sole discretion, such excuse is beneficial to the City. The City may award based on initial proposals received, without discussion of such proposals.

RIGHT OF REFUSAL

The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals in their entirety or to select certain applications from the proposals. The City reserves the right to award a contract in any manner deemed in the best interest of its citizens.

PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE

RFP Date 3/26/2026 Pre-Proposal Conference 4/2/2026 Deadline for Submission of Written Questions 4/8/2026 Date of City Response to above mentioned Questions 4/14/2026 Proposals Due 4/21/2026 Evaluation of Proposals 4/29/2026 Presentations/Interviews (if needed) 4/30/2026 – 5/12/2026 Contract Negotiations/Award 5/13/2026 – 5/22/2026 Commencement of Services 7/1/2026

PUBLIC RECORDS

In entering into a contract with the City (or responding to a City solicitation), all offerors are hereby notified that all bids, proposals, quotations, RFI responses, agreements, invoices, correspondence and any other documents submitted to the City become public property and are subject to public disclosure in accordance with Ohio Public Records Law. All public records will be made available upon request, at the earliest time permitted by law.

Ownership of all data, materials, and documentation originated and prepared for the City pursuant to this RFP shall belong exclusively to the City and be subject to public disclosure in accordance with Ohio Public Records Law.

NON-WAIVER OF RIGHTS

No failure of either party to exercise any power given to it hereunder or to insist upon strict compliance by the other party with its obligations hereunder, and no custom or practice of the parties at variance with the terms hereof, nor any payment under this agreement shall constitute a waiver of either party’s right to demand exact compliance with the terms hereof.

RELATIONSHIP OF THE PARTIES

The relationship between the parties to a contract resulting from this solicitation shall be that of independent contractors. Nothing contained herein shall be interpreted or construed as establishing an agency or employer/employee relationship between the parties or between either party and the employees or representatives of the other party. The Successful Offeror is responsible for all Social Security taxes and Bureau of Workers Compensation contributions for itself and any of its employees.

TERMINATION

The City reserves the right to terminate any contract resulting from this solicitation in whole or in part for default (termination due to the Contractor’s failure to perform satisfactorily) or convenience (termination due to the best interests of the City). After 10 days from delivery of a written notice to the Contractor, the City may, without cause and without prejudice to any other right or remedy, elect to terminate the contract. In such case, the Contractor shall be paid for work executed, goods delivered and accepted, and any expense sustained plus reasonable profit, unless such termination was due to the act or conduct of the Contractor.

EXPENSE OF PREPARING RESPONSES

The City accepts no responsibility for any expenses incurred by the responders to this RFP;

including cost associated with RFP responses and presentations. Such expenses are to be borne exclusively by the responders.