ESBD_File_342329_RFP 24-08 - Snack Vending Services.pdf

RFP 24-08 Snack Vending 1

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) #24-08

SNACK VENDING SERVICES

PROPOSED SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

This schedule may be modified or changed at the sole discretion of SJCCD.

DATE ACTION

November 14, 2023 RFP issued.

November 28, 2023

Questions and/or Clarifications Deadline

Requests for questions and clarifications regarding RFP documents shall be submitted through the Questions tab in IonWave by 5:00 p.m. Central Time to be considered.

November 30, 2023 Issuance of final addendum, if necessary.

December 6, 2023

Proposal Submission Deadline

All proposal documents shall be submitted before 2:00 p.m. Central Time in IonWave.

Proposals will be digitally opened immediately following time due.

January 8, 2024 – January 12, Virtual Presentations / Interviews (top-ranked firms only) “may” be scheduled within these dates.

February/March 2024 Recommendation of award and approval to enter into contract.

Award will be announced after approval received.

IonWave:

https://sanjac.ionwave.net

PROCUREMENT CONTACT

Farrah Khalil, Buyer

281-998-6326 farrah.khalil@sjcd.edu https://sanjac.ionwave.net/ mailto:farrah.khalil@sjcd.edu

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SCOPE OF WORK AND SPECIFICATIONS

1. General

San Jacinto Community College District (“SJCCD” or “College”) is soliciting sealed proposals from qualified firms to provide snack vending services.

All work performed must be in compliance with existing federal, state and local codes, statutes and requirements.

This scope of service outlines the operation requirements for snack vending machines for SJCCD.

The College defines snack vending rights as the exclusive right to sell a distributor’s specific brand(s) on the College campuses, district offices and extension centers through vending machines, eliminating competition. Distributors without ties to a specific brand will not be affected by vending rights as they may provide the College with various brands.

The College will partner with a vendor who can provide the required services while maximizing revenue streams from sales. The College’s intent is to design a mutually beneficial relationship with a snack vending company that enriches the vendor’s image as well as the College’s. The overall objective is to select a supplier to assist the College with establishing the most cost effective and efficient business contract for the snack commodity while maintaining high standards of quality and service.

Services shall include, but are not limited to the following:

A. Vending Machine Requirements

1) Each vending machine shall offer nationally recognized brands and/or products as approved by the College.

2) Snack vending machines may be comprised of, but are not limited to, the following products:

• Chips (including baked options)

• Crackers

• Bag Cookies

• Peanuts/Trail Mix

• Chocolate Candy

• Pastries

• Popcorn

• Candy (non-chocolate)

• Gum

• Granola Bars

• Pretzels

• Donuts

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3) Frozen Ready-to-Eat Product vending machines may be comprised of, but are not limited to, the following products:

• Frozen Microwaveable Hamburgers

• Frozen Microwaveable Burritos

• Frozen Microwaveable Personal Pizzas

• Frozen Microwaveable Calzone-Like Sandwiches

4) The College “may” consider fresh vending services if available, or the College may determine to procure fresh vending services outside of the award of this RFP. Fresh Ready-to-Eat Product vending machines may be comprised of, but are not limited to the following products:

• Breakfast Bowls o Berries, Granola and Yogurt o Fruit and Pudding

• Lunch/Dinner Bowls o Pasta Bowls o Burrito Bowls o Noodle Bowls

• Snack Bowls o Cheese Bowls o Chips and Cheese or Guacamole Bowls o Fruit and Nut Mix Bowls

5) Snack vending product sizes may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Chips: (including baked options) 1.5 oz. – 2 oz.

• Crackers: 1.5 oz. – 2 oz.

• Bag Cookies: 1.5 oz. – 2 oz.

• Peanuts/Trail Mix: 1.5 oz. – 2 oz.

• Chocolate Candy: 1 oz. – 2 oz.

• Pastries: 4 oz. – 5 oz.

• Popcorn: 1 oz. – 2 oz.

• Candy: (non-chocolate) 1 oz. – 3 oz.

• Gum: 14 – 18 sticks

• Granola Bars: 1 oz. – 1.5 oz.

• Pretzels: 1.5 oz. – 2 oz.

• Donuts: 6 - 8 mini-donuts per package

6) Frozen Ready-to-Eat product sizes may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Frozen Microwaveable Hamburgers: 8 oz. – 10 oz.

• Frozen Microwaveable Burritos: 8 oz. – 10 oz.

• Frozen Microwaveable Personal Pizzas: 6 in. – 8 in.

RFP 24-08 Snack Vending 4

• Frozen Microwaveable Calzone-Like Sandwiches: 8 oz. – 10 oz.

7) Fresh Ready-to-Eat Product sizes may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Breakfast Bowls o Berries, Granola and Yogurt: 8 oz. – 10 oz.

o Fruit and Pudding: 8 oz. – 10 oz

• Lunch/Dinner Bowls o Pasta Bowls: 8 oz. – 10 oz o Burrito Bowls: 8 oz. – 10 oz o Noodle Bowls: 8 oz. – 10 oz

• Snack Bowls o Cheese Bowls: 4 oz. – 6 oz.

o Chips and Cheese or Guacamole Bowls: 4 oz. – 6 oz.

o Fruit and Nut Mix Bowls: 4 oz. – 6 oz.

8) Vending machines shall be the same height and be compatible in terms of décor when two or more machines are placed in the same location except as otherwise mutually agreed upon by the College and the Contractor.

9) Vending machines must be installed in unified banks with necessary spacers, headings, paneling and decoration provided at the Contractor’s expense.

10) All vending machines must be approved by the College prior to installation. The College holds the authority to designate when machines in service need to be replaced.

11) The College requires all vending machines, at the time of install, to be in good operating condition, energy-efficient, no more than five (5) years old, of similar design, sturdy and equipped with the following methods of payment which shall include, but are not limited to the following:

• Electronic coin/bill changer

• Credit Cards

• Debit Cards

• Google Pay

• Apple Pay

• Near Field Communication (NFC) Pay

12) Contractor will be responsible for keeping all vending machines clean, orderly, in sanitary condition and in compliance with all applicable state, federal and local health and sanitization requirements.

13) Contractor is responsible for reconciliation of all account funds and will provide at least one petty cash fund per campus so refunds can be provided to customers.

Contractor will reimburse College employees, students and guests for any money

RFP 24-08 Snack Vending 5 lost through equipment malfunctions including, but not limited to non-delivery of merchandise, spoiled products, or incorrect change.

14) The Contractor shall conspicuously post at each vending machine location a procedure for patrons of vending services to receive refunds from the vendor for faulty working machines or any products that are not up to standard.

15) The Contractor shall provide vending machine maintenance and repair service support 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Vending machines which cannot be returned to full service within 72 hours of notification shall be replaced with comparable machines of like quality until original equipment is returned to service.

A telephone number to request service or product refills shall be prominently displayed on each machine.

16) A mutually agreed upon service schedule will be developed by the College and the

Contractor to ensure that the machines are supplied appropriately. All vending machines are to be adequately stocked on a timely basis to guarantee merchandise is always fresh.

17) Service personnel must be uniformed.

18) The Contractor must provide factory trained repair technicians and well-qualified, uniformed route personnel available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergencies.

19) The College has exclusive rights to designate where machines are placed and the number of machines at each location. Requests to remove or replace unprofitable machines from a location must be submitted in writing for approval.

20) Where necessary and agreed upon in writing, utilities to provide service to the vending machines shall be paid for by the College. The Contractor shall be responsible for paying the cost of connecting the machines to provide utility source and other installation costs.

21) Pricing for the first three (3) years of the term of this agreement, will remain firm.

22) Changes in product prices, portions and specifications must be submitted to the

Director of Auxiliary Services in writing for approval prior to implementation. All requests must be submitted at least 30 days prior to any price or product adjustment.

B. Reporting and Payment

1) Financial reports and commissions payments are due to SJCCD no later than 20 calendar days after the close of each accounting period. On a monthly and annual basis, the Contractor will submit a detailed financial statement and payment to SJCCD. At a minimum, the financials will include the following:

RFP 24-08 Snack Vending 6

• Sales by Campus

• Sales by Category

• Total Sales

• Cost of Products Sold

• Gross margin

• Profit/Loss

• Commissions o Commission rate to be paid to the College on gross sales (less applicable taxes/fees) on all snack machine products.

2) Reports should be provided in the required format required by the College. Reports should be submitted to:

Matt Prasifka, Director of Auxiliary Services matt.prasifka@sjcd.edu

3) The Contractor shall maintain separate and distinct records on each vending machine and post prominently on the inside of each machine the standard inventory of items.

4) The College reserves the right to accompany the Contractor’s employees on service calls and when meter counts and collections are made at a time solely determined by the College. Receipts collected from equipment may be jointly counted by a method mutually agreed on by the College and the Contractor.

5) The Contractor shall furnish the Director of Auxiliary Services a detailed accounting of each machine before the end of the subsequent month covering the operation of the preceding month for which commission/rebates will be paid.

6) All records and reports either generated, prepared, assembled, or maintained by

Contractor in relation to the Services will be available for review, inspection, and audit by the SJCCD and its auditors. Copies will be made available upon request and in conformity with FERPA, the FOIA, the PIA, and the RR laws.

7) The College retains the right to audit the records and performance of the Contractor during the term of the contract and for three years thereafter and for the Contractor to retain any and all records pertaining to the services under the contract for three years (or longer if required under the Texas Record Retention Laws) after the expiration or the earlier termination of the contract.

C. Delivery and Installation Requirements

1) Equipment must be delivered, installed and operational no later than July 26, 2024.

2) Awarded Contractor shall provide an Implementation Timeline detailing the dates and estimated window of time in which snack vending machines will be installed at each campus, district office or extension center.

mailto:matt.prasifka@sjcd.edu

RFP 24-08 Snack Vending 7

3) All equipment shall be assembled, set in place, and ready for College use upon delivery.

4) Pricing shall include equipment installation, calibration, and on-site technician set-up.

5) Contractor shall provide all accessories necessary for complete installation and operation of the snack vending machines.

6) The Contractor shall be responsible to remove all debris and haul-away of shipping and packaging debris.

7) Contractor shall coordinate all installation activity with the SJCCD contact person.

8) Contractor shall be responsible for all damage incurred as a result of Contractor’s fault or negligence, or that of its’ employees, agents or representatives upon installation of snack vending machines including but not limited to initial installation.

D. Delivery and Installation Locations

Central Campus 8060 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, TX 77505 South Campus 13735 Beamer Road, Houston, TX 77089 North Campus 5800 Uvalde Road, Houston, TX 77049 Maritime Campus 3700 Old Highway 146, La Porte, TX 77571 Generation Park Campus 13455 Lockwood Road, Houston, TX 77044 District Office 4624 Fairmont Parkway, Pasadena, TX 77504 District Annex Building 4620 Fairmont Parkway, Pasadena, TX 77504

E. Contact Person

Contractor shall appoint a representative who will be the single point of contact for all College services. The College must be immediately made aware of any main point of contact changes, and all information regarding main point of contact changes (i.e. resume and contact information) must be submitted to the College’s Director of Auxiliary Services for consideration and approval. The College reserves the right to reject point of contact changes; however, approval will not be unreasonably withheld.

2. Supplier Diversity Reporting

SJCCD does not give preference to historically underutilized or small business in the awarding of contracts. However, if the awarded contractor utilizes a subcontractor(s) to fulfill the proposed requirements, the contractor may be required to track and report the amount paid to each subcontractor along with the subcontractor’s supplier diversity classification. This information will only be used for the purpose of statistical tracking. The reportable classifications include:

RFP 24-08 Snack Vending 8

• African American

• Asian Pacific American

• Caucasian

• Hispanic American

• Native American

• Small Business

• Veteran Owned

• Minority Owned

• Woman Owned

• LGBTQ

• Other / Non-disclosed

3. Special Requirements

All contractors, subcontractors or company representatives working at any college property or college facility shall wear a clearly visible name tag, badge, embroidered or labelled uniform shirt, or other personal or company identification at all times. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in removal from the campus until corrected.

4. Contract Term

The contract term, if any, for contract(s) awarded from this solicitation will be three (3) years with renewal options of two (2) one-year time periods subject to the termination provisions as further described in the sample contract terms and conditions on the Attachments tab section of this solicitation.

RFP 24-08 Snack Vending 9

EVALUATION CRITERIA

An Evaluation Committee will review all proposals according to the criteria stated herein. The committee’s evaluations will be based on all available information, including qualification statements, subsequent interviews/presentations, reports, discussions, reference checks, and other appropriate review.

Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

Qualifications and Price Max Points

Section 1: Qualifications and Experience of Firm and Personnel 20

Section 2: Product Line/Product Mix 15

Section 3: Maintenance Plan and Delivery Schedule 10

Section 4: Value Added Services 10

Section 5: References 10

Section 6: Financial Return to College 20

Section 7: Price of Products 15

Total 100

The College’s Evaluation Committee will evaluate and rank each submittal based on the criteria detailed above. The highest rated proposer(s) evaluated by the Committee may be invited to be interviewed by the Evaluation Committee. If interviews occur, they will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Interviews Max Points Overall Interview 40

If interviews are held, the final score for selection of a firm will be obtained by combining the Evaluation Committee’s total points of the qualifications, price, and interviews as follows:

Qualifications and Price 100 points maximum Interviews 40 points maximum Total 140 points maximum

RFP 24-08 Snack Vending 10

PROPOSAL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

All proposal response requirements must be submitted through IonWave. The system does not allow a proposal submission unless all requirements have been met, including Attributes and Response Attachments. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:

Written Proposal:

Proposal response shall be submitted as a Response Attachment in IonWave and shall include responses to Section 1 – 4. Proposal responses shall be a single PDF document with a maximum of thirty (30) pages (numbered 1-30). Sections must be in order and clearly labeled as outlined below.

Include a coversheet that includes your firm’s name, representative, and contact information.

Coversheet and attachments do not count towards the 30-page limit.

1. Qualifications and Experience of Firm and Personnel

a. Include a description of the firm including firm’s history and size. Provide information regarding how long the proposer has provided the services requested in this RFP.

b. Describe previous experience with SJCCD or other public entities and/or colleges. Include how many public entities and/or college accounts are in your current client base. Did your company perform satisfactorily to the terms and conditions of the last award given to your company? Were there any discrepancies, issues or complaints reported concerning your organization’s performance?

c. Address customer service strategies for delivering a high level of customer service and handling customer complaints. Describe how your organization handles complaints, comments, or suggestions received.

d. Include a project-staffing plan and organizational chart for all proposed key staff members who will be assigned to this project. Identify their respective responsibilities for this project. If personnel substitutions are contemplated on a contingency basis, they should also be identified.

e. Provide a brief resume for the main point of contact, outlining direct qualifications and experience. If a personnel substitution is contemplated for this position, provide all resumes as applicable.

2. Product Line/Product Mix

a. Provide a listing of proposed product mix and a description of the product line for College review and acceptance. Sizes of each product type should be provided. This list will also be used to evaluate Section 7A. Pricing Attachments of this RFP.

RFP 24-08 Snack Vending 11

b. All snack vending machines shall accept currency (i.e., coins and bills), credit cards, debit cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay and Near Field Communication (NFC) Pay. If your firm’s vending machines accept additional methods of payment, please list those payment methods here.

c. Provide the College with a written plan to include a proposed placement of all vending machines at the locations listed in Section 1D in Scope of Work no later than July 26, 2024. Proposed plan should be based upon your company’s experiences and sales history.

3. Maintenance Plan and Delivery Schedule

a. Provide a written plan of preventive maintenance which will be instituted and carried out during the term of the contract.

b. Provide a written plan detailing the replacement of worn, damaged, or malfunctioning equipment which will be instituted and carried out during the term of the contract.

c. Contractor shall submit any special installation requirements with their proposal stating the electrical power requirements for protection from loss of power and other power line interferences.

d. Provide an example delivery schedule ensuring that the machines are adequately supplied.

All machines are to be stocked on a regular and timely basis and merchandise must always be fresh.

4. Value Added Services

a. Describe any additional services (including equipment/product for Athletics, Sponsorship of specific events, etc.) that will be provided and that are above and beyond those required in this RFP and which are included in your proposal.

b. Free Product – Indicate the quantity and frequency vendor will provide the College with a designated amount of free product for use by the College (optional).

c. Does your company represent or outsource Fresh Ready-to-Eat Product Vending Machines?

If so, please address this question, and include details of your company’s Fresh Ready-to- Eat Product vending machines in your written proposal.

RFP 24-08 Snack Vending 12

5. References

Include references in the Attributes tab in IonWave for the following:

a. The proposer shall provide at least five (5) references on recent projects for which the proposer's company is currently providing or has provided the same type and level of service required in this RFP within the past three years. Include the name, telephone number, and valid email address of a reference person who may be contacted for further information. It is highly preferable that these references are other colleges or public sector accounts comparable in size or larger.

b. All references will be contacted by email. Evaluations will be based on responses received from references. It is advisable to notify your references ahead of time that a reference will be requested by email.

6. Financial Return to College

The College requires a reasonable financial return from the successful vendor to be used to achieve College goals and priorities, while maintaining a fair and reasonable commission structure and rebate schedule.

A. CASH INCENTIVE: Include pricing on the Line Items tab in IonWave for the following:

1. Cash Incentive Year 1

2. Cash Incentive Year 2

3. Cash Incentive Year 3

4. Cash Incentive Year 4

5. Cash Incentive Year 5

B. COMMISSION OPTIONS: Include pricing on the Line Items tab in IonWave for only one (1) of the following Commission Options. Your firm must “only” respond to Commission Option 1 or Commission Option 2. Please be sure to check the “No Bid” box for all remaining commission options that were not applicable to your firm’s response.

Commission Option 1

6. What is the percent commission the Proposer offers to pay the College on gross sales?

and/or

RFP 24-08 Snack Vending 13

7. What does the Proposer offer to pay the College as an annual guarantee of all snack vending machines?

Commission Option 2

8. What is the percent commission the Proposer offers to pay the College on gross commission sales?

C. COMMISSION BASED ON NET SALES: Include pricing on the Line Items tab in

IonWave for Commission based on tiered percentages of the following established net sales levels. Please refer to Exhibit A Vending Sales Data on Page 15 of this solicitation for reference.

9. Commission percentage (%) for net sales < $100,000

10. Commission percentage (%) for net sales < $150,000

11. Commission percentage (%) for net sales < $200,000

12. Commission percentage (%) for net sales < $250,000

13. Commission percentage (%) for net sales < $300,000

14. Commission percentage (%) for net sales > $325,000

7. Price of Products

The College requires a reasonable financial return from the successful vendor to be used to achieve College goals and priorities, while maintaining a fair and reasonable price point of all products provided.

A. PRICING ATTACHMENTS: Upload Response Attachment documents in IonWave as follows:

• List of All Product and Pricing (required): Provide a list of all products offered with product sizes, current pricing and date current pricing will be held through. This list will also be used to evaluate Section 2a. Product Line/Product List of this RFP.

• Additional Costs (optional), if needed, to provide details of any costs not listed in the Line Items section. Any costs not explicitly stated in a proposal response shall not be charged to the College.

RFP 24-08 Snack Vending 14

List of Response Attachments:

Include the following documents in the Response Attachments tab in IonWave.

All forms are available to download under the Attachments tab in IonWave. Except when listed as Optional, all Response Attachment documents are required and failure to provide a required document may deem the proposer non-responsive and disqualify the response from consideration for award.

1. Written Proposal

2. Conflict of Interest form

3. Proof of Insurance Requirements

4. List of All Products and Pricing

5. Additional Costs (optional)

6. Exceptions to Terms and Conditions (optional)

RFP 24-08 Snack Vending 15

EXHIBIT A

SNACK VENDING SALES DATA

Annual data is based on the College’s Fiscal Year (FY), beginning September 1 through August 31 for each respective year.

FY 2021-2023 Estimated Net Sales

Vending Machines Net Sales for the Following Campuses:

Central and Maritime Campuses South Campus North Campus Generation Park District Offices

Total

FY 21 - $71,979; FY 22 - $258,588;

FY 23 -$332,729

Vending Machines (#) Central Campus - 33 South Campus - 17 North Campus - 16 Maritime Center - 2 Generation Park - 2 District Offices - 2

Total

(Approximately

75)

Academic Year Headcount FY 2020-2021 FY 2021-2022 FALL 2023 Central and Maritime 23,443 22,024 9,193 South 22,195 20,094 7,786 North 19,397 19,003 6,001 Generation Park 5,744 184 Total 65,035 66,865 23,164