BID ADDENDUM 01.pdf

IMPORTANT BID ADDENDUM

November 4, 2024

FAILURE TO RETURN THIS BID ADDENDUM IN ACCORDANCE WITH INSTRUCTIONS MAY

SUBJECT YOUR BID TO REJECTION ON THE AFFECTED ITEM(S):

BID Number: 115-6175 ADDENDUM Number: 01 PURCHASER: Jane Alligood

COMMODITY: Snack & Beverage Vending Services USING AGENCY: Pitt Community College OPENING DATE/TIME: November 14 @ 2:00 pm EST

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Please make the following change(s) in the bid referenced above:

CORRECTION TO BID: Section 5.2 SCOPE OF WORK – “Currently, there are thirty-four (34) thirty-six (36) beverage machines…” and Section 5.4 SPECIFICATIONS – The College currently has 34 36 beverage machines…”

Campus Vending Snack Beverage Humber 1 2 Vernon White 1 3 Everett 1 Fulford 1 3 Reddrick 1 3 Whichard 1 2 Whitley 1 2 Welding 1 Leslie 1 2 Goess Student Center 1 3 Warren 1 1 Russell 1 3 Williams 1 3 Goess CIT 1 2 New Welding * * Smith 1 1 Main Campus Counts 13 30 32

Off-Campus Vending Snack Beverage

LET (Law Enforcement Training) 1 2 Greenville Center 1 2 Farmville Site * * Off-Campus Counts 2 4

Total Count of Vending 15 34 36

BID Number: 115-6175 Addenda No. 01

Q. In Section 1.0 page five it lists as of 2023 there were 18,000 students served by the Pitt

Community College campus. How many of those students are in person on campus and how many are taking classes remotely?

A. This is difficult to breakdown. The PCC campus consists of curriculum and continuing education students, plus high school students, who are taking classes in-person, hybrid and online, across our main campus and the other off-site campuses. The best calculation we could determine was close to 10,000 of students who take at least one course at the main campus, Greenville Center, or LET locations. Online courses were excluded from this.

Q. Section 1.0 page five - Currently what feedback do you get from the faculty/staff and students on your vending program?

A. Unfortunately, it is rare that we get positive feedback. It’s usually the drink or snack expired yesterday and tastes funny and they want a refund, my drink is not cold, my bag of chips is stuck, etc. The best feedback we get is typically from the instructors letting us know what the students are asking for, whether it’s a specific drink or more varieties of Skittles, or more spicy flavored chips.

This information is passed along respectfully.

Q. Section 1.0 page five - When was the Pitt Community College vending services last put out to bid? Why is this opportunity going out for bid currently?

A. The previous bid was posted October 1, 2019. The award began January 1, 2020 and will expire December 31, 2024.

Q. Section 1.0 page five - Would there be any opportunity for coffee services for any of the Pitt

Community College locations? If so, what is the current annual coffee spend per location? Can that be presented as part of the proposed onsite solutions?

A. Each building has a specific amount of space allotted for vending machines. If it’s cold brew coffee products, we currently have Starbucks products in most buildings in the glass front machines. If asking about hot coffee products dispensed from a machine, there is a possibility of 2-3 locations on campus. If looking at a separate coffee service run by an individual, we would have to compare it to our current cafeteria vendors and see what types of conflicts of interest there may be.

Q. Section 2.4 on page six - Would like to respectfully request a one-week extension to the proposal submission deadline from November 14th to November 21st to allow a sufficient time for evaluation and proposed solution development based on the response to the questions provided on November 6th?

A. PCC cannot make this adjustment. The current contract ends December 31, 2024; therefore, we need the month of December to award to selected vendor(s) and time to make the transition.

Students begin their break December 14 and the campus will be closed December 20 thru January

1. Classes will start back January 7. Buildings will be open for the transition.

Q. In section 3.4 on page ten - How will the four listed criteria be weighed for evaluation?

A. 25% each

Q. Section 3.4 on page ten - Who comprises the team that makes this decision? What are each of those team member key goals in this process?

A. Currently, Ricky Brown, VP of Administration Services & CFO and Scott Chauncey, Inventory Control, are the only two assigned members of the evaluation team. An additional member will be assigned in the coming weeks. Mr. Brown’s main goal will be the overall commission received whereas Mr. Chauncey’s main goals are a smooth transition and the awarded vendor(s) meeting the needs of the campus with minimal interruptions in its service.

Q. In section 4.1 on page eleven it mentions the student and faculty population being less than the summer. What is the current student and faculty population typically during the summer semester in total or percentage in comparison to Fall/Spring semester?

A. Again, this is difficult to determine. The closest approximation we can provide is, the fall and spring student count is roughly 5,500 per semester compared to the summer student count of roughly 2,900. Faculty/Staff for the fall and spring are approximately 700 compared to an estimated 500 during the summer months.

Q. Section 4.1 page eleven – What is the current product pricing for all snack and beverage products offered?

A. Snacks vary from $0.75 to $2.00; Drinks vary from $1.75 to $3.50.

Q. Section 5.1 page thirteen - In a perfect world what would your vending program look like?

A. Timely response to vending machine issues such as lost money or stuck product. In a perfect world this would not tie up our bookstore staff to take care of refunds but they have been great about it so far.

Q. Section 5.2 page thirteen – It mentions the offering of healthy choices. What criteria is used to determine if an item is a healthy choice? Are there product examples of healthy choices you would like to see in your machines?

A. This will not be a deciding factor; use best judgment.

Q. Section 5.2 page thirteen – Are there any product restrictions on either the snack or beverage side?

A. No alcohol, cigarettes, or e-cigs

Q. Section 5.3 page thirteen – Is it the desire of the Pitt Community College campus to maintain exclusivity with one brand of beverage?

A. No

Q. Section 5.4 page sixteen – Can you please provide a breakdown of the 34 beverage machines how many are glass front machines? How many are traditional stack vendors?

A. Correction to number of beverage machines: 36 instead of 34. Of the 36 beverage machines, 22 are stacked and 14 are glass-front.

Q. Section 5.4 page sixteen – Can you please provide a total annual revenue and per machine annual revenue breakdown for both snack and beverages from the listed locations for FY22, FY23 and FY24?

A. This information is not available.

Q. Section 7.0 page nineteen - What was the current commission % provided in FY22, FY23 and FY24 for your snack vending services?

A. PCC Vending was the awarded vendor for the snacks vending with a rate of 8% for the Fall and Spring semesters and 5% for the Summer semester with a guaranteed annual minimum amount of $4,000 for all three fiscal years.

Q. Section 7.0 page nineteen - What was the current commission % provided in FY22, FY23 and

FY24 for your beverage vending services?

A. Minges Bottling Group was exclusively awarded the beverage vending contract at a rate of 40%/35% (depending on the product) for the months of Fall and Spring semesters with a guaranteed annual minimum amount of $26,000 and 40%/35% for the Summer semester for all three fiscal years.

Q. Section 7.0 page nineteen - What were the commission dollars provided in FY22, FY23 and FY24 from your snack vending portion?

A. FY22 $905.15, FY23 $1,265.97 FY24 $1,348.44

Q. Section 7.0 page nineteen - What were the commission dollars provided in FY22, FY23 and FY24 from your beverage vending portion?

A. FY22 $25,594.46, FY23 $29,699.88, FY24 $32,059.41

Section 7.0 page nineteen – Similar to questions 14-17 what was the commission % and dollars provided in FY22, FY23 and FY24 for the Summer Semester + December?

A.

FY22 Snack 5% Commission = $167.95 FY22 Beverage 40/35% Commission = $5,422.55 FY23 Snack 5% Commission = $188.05 FY23 Beverage 40/35% Commission = $7,517.02 FY24 Snack 5% Commission = $174.20 FY24 Beverage 40/35% Commission = $6,403.43

Q. Section 7.0 page nineteen – On the commission dollars you receive what are they currently used for? Are there any additional funds or incentives provided by your current beverage or snack provider to the college? If so, what are they and how are they provided?

A. Unrestricted funds used for any general purpose; no incentives received.

Q. 5.4 Specifications, pg. 16 - Can you please provide the current vend rates for beverages by package?

A. $1.75 – $3.50 per item

Q. 5.4 Specifications, pg. 16 - Can you please provide the last 12-month volume for beverages by location and by package?

A. This information is not available.

Q. 5.4 Specifications, pg. 16 - How many of the beverage vending machines are glass fronts?

A. Note change to number of beverage machines from 34 to 36; 14 have glass fronts.

Q. Would it be possible for us to conduct a survey of all planned vending machine locations to test cellular signal strength to ensure reliable remote monitoring and connectivity? Our goal is to complete this survey before January 1, 2025. Could you confirm if we will have access to the necessary areas, and are there any specific requirements or permissions needed to conduct this survey?

A. On-campus surveys to test cellular signal strength is allowed during normal business hours, Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. We ask that you notify the Purchasing Dept prior to your survey so the Police Dept can be made aware of the visit.

Q. In the event that our self-contained cellular devices encounter connectivity issues due to weak cellular signals in certain locations, would Pitt Community College be able to provide an internet connection for those specific areas? This backup connectivity would be essential for maintaining continuous machine monitoring and support.

A. PCC will not provide an internet connection. Currently, all vending areas utilize the internet without any interruptions.

Q. Our new vending machines require a 24-hour acclimation period before they can be plugged into an electrical outlet. This ensures proper functionality and reduces the risk of potential malfunctions.

Could we arrange for the machines to be delivered to their designated locations a day prior to activation to allow for this acclimation period?

A. The campus will be closed to student, staff and faculty December 20 through January 1. This should give ample time for this acclimation period.

Q. We propose a phased approach to the installation process, allowing us to gradually introduce vending machines across various locations. This would help us address any unforeseen challenges on a smaller scale before full deployment. Could we discuss a phased schedule that aligns with campus operations and minimizes any potential disruptions?

A. Yes

Execute Addendum:

BIDDER: _____________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS (CITY & STATE): _____________________________________________________

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: __________________________________ DATE: _____________

NAME and TITLE (Print): _________________________________________________________