IRS_WV_Cafe_RFI_Questions.pdf

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS)

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

RFI QUESTIONS

WEST VIRGINIA CAFETERIA & VENDING SERVICES (IRS-WV_CAFE)

MARCH 13, 2026

INSTRUCTIONS

Vendors shall respond to the questions below. Responses should be concise, factual, and directly address the draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) for Cafeteria & Vending Services.

To support market research (including identification of the prospective vendor pool, potential contract vehicles, and potential set-asides), vendors are encouraged to provide sufficient detail regarding corporate capabilities, relevant past performance, staffing approach, security posture, and indicative pricing information.

Do not include any taxpayer information, personally identifiable information (PII), or other sensitive data in your response.

1. CORPORATE CAPABILITIES AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

1.1 Provide a brief overview of your company’s core capabilities relevant to operating cafeteria and vending services in office, campus, or other controlled-access environments.

1.2 Describe your experience providing cafeteria services (breakfast and lunch operations) within the last five years. Include at least two examples (Government or commercial). For each example, provide:

customer type (Federal/state/commercial), facility type (secure/campus/office), operating days/hours, estimated patron volume, service model (stations/lines), and key deliverables (menus, reporting, inspections).

1.3 Describe your experience providing vending services (stocking, repairs, cashless payments, refunds) within the last five years. Include at least two examples and provide: number of machines, locations, product mix approach, restock frequency, repair response approach, and refund process.

1.4 Describe your experience performing under performance-based requirements with measurable standards and Government surveillance (e.g., QASP). Include any examples of contractor quality control programs (QCP/QC plans), inspection readiness, and corrective action practices.

1.5 Identify any subcontractors or teaming partners you anticipate using for this requirement and the capabilities they would provide (e.g., vending maintenance subcontractor, POS/payment provider, deep-cleaning vendor).

2. TECHNICAL APPROACH: CAFETERIA OPERATIONS AND MENU PROGRAM

2.1 Describe your end-to-end approach to operating cafeteria services on-site, including management/supervision model (non-personal services), staffing coverage, and daily workflow from prep through serving and closeout cleaning.

2.2 The draft task language requires breakfast and lunch service during defined serving hours and operating days (Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays and Government-approved closures).

Describe your approach to reliably meeting required hours, including continuity planning for weather, staffing shortages, or supply disruptions.

2.3 Describe your approach to meeting minimum daily offerings and variety requirements, including (at minimum) four (4) breakfast offerings and eight (8) lunch offerings per business day. Identify any assumptions you would recommend the Government clarify (e.g., what counts as an “offering”).

2.4 The draft task language includes a “healthy choices” requirement and requires at least one (1) “healthy hot entrée” during lunch at least four (4) days per week. Describe your approach to defining and implementing “healthy” offerings and how you would document compliance (e.g., menu labeling, nutrition standards, ingredient standards).

2.5 The draft task language requires weekly menu submission and posting. Describe your approach to (a) menu planning and submission, (b) posting menus and prices for patrons, and (c) managing substitutions/sell-outs while maintaining required minimum offerings.

2.6 The draft task language includes quarterly promotional events to increase patronage. Describe examples of promotional events you would propose and any operational impacts (staffing, pricing, throughput).

2.7 Describe your approach to deliveries and receiving controls, including delivery windows, inspection of deliveries (quantity/condition/temperature/expiration), cold chain integrity, and security/access controls for delivery personnel.

2.8 Describe your approach to customer service performance and throughput, including how you would measure and manage checkout wait times and how you would capture, track, and resolve customer complaints through a complaint log.

3. TECHNICAL APPROACH: PATRON PAYMENT (CAFETERIA) AND REFUNDS

3.1 The draft task language requires acceptance of cash and major credit/debit cards and also requires contactless/NFC “tap” payment capability (e.g., mobile wallets and contactless cards). Describe your POS solution approach, including hardware, connectivity, and how you would ensure contactless capability is available and maintained.

3.2 Describe your approach to PCI compliance and payment security, including how you ensure payment card data is not stored in Government systems, contractor reporting, or other non-permitted locations.

3.3 Describe your continuity approach for POS outages (e.g., alternate terminal, offline mode where permitted, cash-only fallback), including how you would notify the Government and how you would avoid extended service disruption during serving hours.

3.4 The draft task language requires a written refund/adjustment process (incorrect charges, duplicate charges, card failures) and initiation of refunds within [X] business days after verifying an error. Describe your refund process, including patron communication, verification steps, and refund issuance timelines.

3.5 Describe your approach to transaction record retention and summary reporting (e.g., sales totals by meal period) while ensuring no PII or payment card data is included in deliverables to the Government.

4. TECHNICAL APPROACH: VENDING OPERATIONS, EQUIPMENT, AND REFUNDS

4.1 The draft task language requires vending service in designated locations to be available 24/7/365 except approved closures, with measurable performance standards. Describe your approach to providing continuous vending service, including restocking strategy and monitoring.

4.2 The draft task language includes a stocking threshold (e.g., minimum [80%] stocked capacity during normal occupancy periods) and requires removal of expired, damaged, or tampered items immediately upon discovery. Describe your stocking/freshness control approach, inspection frequency, and how you document restock/inspection actions.

4.3 The draft task language requires repairs within [24] hours (or replacement within [X] days if not feasible) and a monthly uptime target of [98–99%] excluding Government-directed outages/restrictions.

Describe your maintenance and repair approach, including preventive maintenance, service dispatch, parts availability, and replacement strategy.

4.4 If cashless acceptance is required for vending, the draft task language requires credit/debit and contactless/NFC payments. Describe your vending payment hardware approach, including EMV/contactless capability, maintenance of payment readers, and handling of payment reader failures.

4.5 The draft task language requires a posted refund/transaction error process at each vending location and a written SOP provided to the Government. Describe your vending refund process, including patron request channels, response times, and refund issuance timeframes.

4.6 The draft task language contemplates Government-directed changes to vending machine locations and equipment, and requires CO/COR approval as applicable. Describe your approach to executing moves/adds/removals, including timeline assumptions and any facility access considerations.

5. QUALITY CONTROL, FOOD SAFETY, AND INSPECTIONS

5.1 The draft task language requires a written Quality Control Program (QCP) describing the contractor’s methods for ensuring services conform to PWS standards, including inspection checklists, defect definitions, corrective action, and record retention. Describe your QCP approach and provide a sample table of contents or outline.

5.2 Describe your food safety compliance approach (including permits/licenses, employee practices, temperature controls, sanitation, and recall response). Identify any standards you typically use (e.g., FDA Food Code principles) and how you demonstrate compliance.

5.3 Describe your approach to supporting and documenting inspections by regulatory authorities and the Government, including how you provide inspection reports to the Government within required timelines and how you develop/execute corrective action plans (CAPs) when findings occur.

5.4 Provide recommended quality metrics and/or acceptance criteria the Government should consider using in its QASP for cafeteria and vending services (e.g., service hours compliance, menu compliance, sanitation checklist score, vending uptime, repair response times, complaint response timeliness).

6. SECURITY, COMPLIANCE, AND FACILITY ACCESS

6.1 Describe your approach to performing services in controlled-access Federal facilities, including staff onboarding, badge/access controls, escort procedures (if applicable), and adherence to facility rules.

6.2 Describe any anticipated requirements and lead times for background investigations, suitability determinations, or “staff-like access” approvals for your personnel (if required by the facility/security posture), including how you plan to mitigate schedule risk.

6.3 Describe your approach to safeguarding any Government-provided operational information you may receive (e.g., facility points of contact, operational schedules), and how you ensure your deliverables do not include PII or payment card data.

6.4 Identify any assumptions or constraints related to connectivity for POS/payment systems (e.g., cellular vs. hardline vs. facility-provided network access) and recommended Government clarifications for the solicitation.

7. STAFFING, WORKFORCE CONTINUITY, AND TRANSITION/PHASE-IN

7.1 Provide a notional staffing model for cafeteria operations that supports required serving hours, including key roles (e.g., on-site manager, cooks, cashiers) and how you provide coverage for absences/turnover.

7.2 Provide a notional staffing/service model for vending operations (stocking, maintenance/repair coverage), including response time capability for outages.

7.3 Describe your approach to workforce continuity and minimizing turnover risk for key personnel, including recruiting pipelines and cross-training.

7.4 Describe your recommended phase-in approach to achieve successful start of performance on day one, including initial staffing, menu planning, supply chain setup, POS setup/testing (including contactless capability), and vending machine placement/initial stocking.

7.5 The draft task language contemplates additional services (e.g., special events, extended hours, catering-type services) authorized in writing by the CO with typical notice (e.g., 14 days). Describe your approach to surge staffing and operational planning for additional services.

8. PRICING INPUTS FOR IGCE (BUDGETARY INFORMATION ONLY)

8.1 Provide budgetary pricing information to support IGCE development (not a proposal). Where possible, include indicative pricing models appropriate for cafeteria and vending services (e.g., fixed-price service, concession model, revenue-share/commission structures, hybrid approaches). Identify the assumptions under which your pricing is provided.

8.2 Identify key cost drivers (e.g., staffing, food costs, POS equipment/fees, cleaning supplies, vending equipment ownership/leases, repair parts, logistics) and how you typically structure these costs in your commercial or Government contracts.

8.3 Recommend a pricing and CLIN structure that best aligns with this requirement and explain tradeoffs (e.g., separate CLINs for cafeteria operations, vending operations, additional services, preventive maintenance, repairs, or reporting).

9. ACQUISITION STRATEGY INPUTS

9.1 Recommend appropriate NAICS code(s) and Product Service Code(s) (PSC) for cafeteria and vending services and explain your rationale.

9.2 Identify existing Federal contract vehicles through which you could perform this work (e.g., GSA MAS, GWACs). Provide contract number(s) and labor categories or service descriptions relevant to cafeteria and/or vending operations.

9.3 Provide your business size and any socioeconomic status (e.g., small business, 8(a), SDVOSB, HUBZone, WOSB).

9.4 Provide any feedback on the draft PWS Task Revisions: ambiguities, risks, missing definitions (e.g., bracketed [X] values), or recommendations to improve clarity, measurability, and performance management.