25-8520_-_Authorization_to_Advertise_v3.pdf

This is an Authorization to Advertise document issued by the Collier County Board of County Commissioners Procurement Services Division for the Facilities Management Division requesting emergency catering services. The solicitation, numbered 25-8520, was authorized for advertisement on December 6, 2025, with a proposal due date and time of January 7, 2026 at 3:00 pm. The Request for Proposal seeks qualified proposers to provide emergency catering services for county operations during disaster situations. Historical context indicates that under the current contract, emergency catering services were activated four times for Hurricanes Ian, Idalia, Helene, and Milton, with meal volumes averaging approximately 2,615 meals per day over 13 days for Hurricane Ian and 1,200 meals per day over 3 days for Hurricane Milton. No specific site visits or bidders' conferences are mentioned in this authorization document.

The solicitation is grant-funded and utilizes local vendor preference. The total historical expenditure for emergency catering services across the four hurricane activations was approximately $800,000, provided for context only and not as a guarantee or minimum purchase level. A cost estimate and opinion of cost were obtained prior to authorization, with budgetary resources identified to fund any resulting award. The Grants Office confirmed that required grantor conditions were provided in the solicitation and grantor approvals were obtained. The project manager is Todd Fiedorowicz, the division director is Brian Delony, and the procurement strategist is Valeska Escobar. All required signatures for authorization were obtained as of December 1-6, 2025.