RFP - 3000012521 - Provision of Retail Dining and Catering Comp.docx

Proposal Number: 3000012517 Vendor: __________________________________________

Proposal Number: 3000012521 Vendor: __________________________________________

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for its Kenan Flagler Business School Request for Proposal #: 3000012521 Description: Provision of Retail Dining and Catering Services Date of Issue: 10-20-2025 Submit Acknowledgement of Receipt Letter by Date: 10-24-2025 NLT 1:00 PM EST Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference Date: 10-30-2025 NLT 1:30 PM EST See note on Acknowledgement Letter below.

Submit Question(s) by Date: 10-31-2025 NLT 1:00 PM EST Proposal Opening Date: 11-14-2025 NLT 1:00 PM EST Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:

Mark Thomas Sillman Associate Director Purchasing Services Email: mark_sillman@unc.edu

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT OF RFP NUMBER 3000012521

Date Proposal Document Received:

Will you be submitting proposal? (yes) (no) If not, why?

Contact person’s name:

This is the individual in your organization who shall be responsible for receiving any addenda (changes, additions, deletions, or additional information.)

Complete mailing address for this individual:

Phone:

Email:

I hereby request the below listed documents be sent to the above email address as soon as possible, APPENDIX 1: SITE PLAN OF BELL HALL PLAN AND EXTERIOR IMAGES

APPENDIX 2: BELL HALL, McCOLL HALL AND KENAN CENTER FLOOR PLANS

APPENDIX 3: BELL HALL KITCHEN EQUIPMENT SCHEDULE AND PLANS

APPENDIX 4: SUMMARY OF 2023, 2024 AND 2025 CATERED EVENTS

APPENDIX 5: SFY 2024 AND 2025 OPERATIONAL EXPENSE REPORTS

When complete submit this form via email to mark_sillman@unc.edu

NOTE: For the Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference, the Vendors must notify the Issuing Agency of the names, titles, telephone numbers and email addresses of its three (3) participants no later than two business days in advance of the tour. Access to visitor Parking will be from Mason Farm Road. Kenan Drive is not accessible during construction of the building. For those participating, parking vouchers will be issued at the reception desk at the Kenan Center or electronically and printed by contacting Maggie Rohrs at maggie_rohrs@kenan-flagler.unc.edu 24 hrs. prior to the meeting. Please be sure the parking voucher is printed and displayed on your vehicle’s dashboard.

All attendees shall sign in upon arrival. During the tour, Vendors are responsible for performing due diligence in understanding the operational capabilities of the facilities. Please note that the tour will be the Vendors’ only opportunity to observe and understand the back-of-house areas associated with the Dining Services Program. Photography will be allowed.

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Request for Proposal # 3000012521

For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of proposals, provide your company’s eVP (Electronic Vendor Portal) Number. Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public. This page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available for public inspection.

This page shall be filled out and returned with your proposal.

Failure to do so may subject your proposal to rejection.

Vendor Name Vendor eVP# Note: For a contract to be awarded to you, your company (you) must be a North Carolina registered vendor in good standing. You must enter the vendor number assigned through eVP (Electronic Vendor Portal). If you do not have a vendor number, register at https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login

Special Notice Electronic responses ONLY will be accepted for this solicitation through the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP).

Ver: 11/2023

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Mark Thomas Sillman Request for Proposal #: 3000012521

Proposals will be publicly opened: See front cover

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Request for Proposals (RFP), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein.

By executing this proposal, the undersigned Vendor understands that false certification is a Class I felony and certifies that:

· this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54),

· none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and

· it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1.

Furthermore, by executing this proposal, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor’s knowledge and belief, that:

· it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency.

As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this RFP, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system.

As required by Executive Order 24 (2017), the undersigned vendor certifies will comply with all Federal and State requirements concerning fair employment and that it does not and will not discriminate, harass, or retaliate against any employee in connection with performance of any Contract arising from this solicitation.

G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any University Employee associated with the preparing plans, specifications, estimates for public contracts; or awarding or administering public contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public contract of any gift from anyone with a contract with the University, or from any person seeking to do business with the University. By execution of this response to the RFP, the undersigned certifies, for Vendor’s entire organization and its employees or agents, that Vendor is not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization.

By executing this proposal, Vendor certifies that it has read and agreed to the INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS and the UNIVERSITY NORTH CAROLINA OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR SERVICES incorporated herein. These documents can be accessed from the ATTACHMENTS page within this document.

Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal may render proposal invalid and it MAY BE REJECTED. Late proposals shall not be accepted.

COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:

PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #21):

VALIDITY PERIOD

Offer shall be valid for at least one hundred twenty (120) days from date of bid opening, unless otherwise stated here: _____ days, or if extended by mutual agreement of the parties in writing. Any withdrawal of this offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this RFP.

ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL

If your proposal is accepted, all provisions of this RFP, along with the written results of any negotiations, shall constitute the written agreement between the parties (“Contract”). The NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS are incorporated herein and shall apply. Depending upon the Goods or Services being offered, other terms and conditions may apply, as mutually agreed.

FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accepted and Contract awarded this________ day of __________, 20____, as indicated on The attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________.

(Authorized Representative of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

Steven D. Bell Hall is a new state-of-the-art building located at 175 William Blythe Drive in Chapel Hill, NC. with 30,000 square feet of classrooms and total project area of 156,000 square feet and approximately four (4) acres of outdoor space for students and employees in the south quadrant of the campus. When completed, Bell Hall will allow the Business School to admit 50% more students into its Undergraduate Business Program and modernize the learning environment for students in its top-ranked Undergraduate Business, Specialized Masters, MBA and PhD programs.

Bell Hall includes four (4) stories of classrooms, program offices for our MBA and Undergraduate Programs, meeting, group study and interview spaces, a penthouse, and two (2) grade levels of parking (not included in the gross square foot). Bell Hall includes sixteen (16) tiered and flat teaching classrooms, an interview suite with meeting rooms, and student support, study and collaboration spaces. The scope of the project also includes renovations to the second floor of McColl where two existing classrooms have been removed and replaced with new Lounge seating and study rooms.

The level one main entry level of Bell Hall includes two (2) flat floor configurable multipurpose event spaces, the 5,200 square foot Quinton Maynard Event Forum with capacity for dining of 268 with a connected adjacent 6,800 square foot exterior plaza and the 3,100 square foot Callinicos Event Forum with flexible dining for 120 people, both with ceiling mounted Sky-fold motorized dividing walls and an adjacent catering 715 square foot catering kitchen area. The facility also includes the new fully upfitted Kenan Café which houses a Bistro Station, hot and cold food prep and serving stations for lunch service and hot and cold grab and go units with a 195 seat 3,500 square foot seated dining area and 1.700 square foot elevated exterior dining terrace overlooking the forest.

The intent is for the Bistro to be open from 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM and serve coffee, specialty drinks, breakfast, lunch and evening sandwiches as well as support the grab and go service. The lunch service station should operate from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM from Monday - Friday during spring and fall semesters and supports an island salad bar with hot and cold service during these hours.

We also operate a 3,200 square foot reconfigurable event space in the ground level of the Kenan Center which includes a 2,700 square foot exterior terrace immediately adjacent to the event space which can host sit down dinners and receptions. The 1,700 square foot Kenan Lounge is also available for catered day and evening events for Kenan-Flagler and University events which is served by an adjacent 100 square foot catering area.

a) Kenan-Flagler Business School is seeking a Dining Services Partner to manage its Dining Services Program, comprised of the following services:

· Retail Dining Services in Steven D. Bell Hall to support students and employees as well as visitors and guests to the Business School

· Catering Services to support catering activities for the Business School Programs as well as university and outside events held in all 3 buildings (Bell Hall, McColl Hall and Kenan Center) and adjacent exterior venues.

· Special Summer Programs and Events

b) The following services are excluded from this RFP request:

· Vending

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

The Contract shall have an initial term of five (5) years, beginning on the date of final Contract execution (the “Effective Date”). The Vendor shall begin work under the Contract within a reasonable number of business days to be mutually determined by the parties prior to award.

At the end of the Contract’s initial term, the University shall have the option, in its sole discretion, to renew the Contract on the same terms and conditions for up to five (5) additional one (1) year terms. The University will give the Vendor written notice of its intent to exercise each option no later than sixty (60) days before the end of the Contract’s then-current term. In addition to any optional renewal terms, and with the Vendor’s concurrence, the University reserves the right to extend the Contract after the last active term.

Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto.

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

This RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award, which are incorporated herein by reference.

NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS

It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read the Instructions to Vendors, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill General Terms and Conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFP and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors are also responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued in connection with this RFP.

If Vendors have questions or issues regarding any component of this RFP, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with the instructions in the PROPOSAL QUESTIONS Section. If the University determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an RFP addendum. The University may also elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question-and-answer period, prior to contract award.

Other than through the process of negotiation under 01 NCAC 05B.0503, the University rejects and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor’s proposal or otherwise. This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor’s proposal that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors’ instructions herein or to render the proposal non-binding or subject to further negotiation. Vendor’s proposal shall constitute a firm offer that shall be held open for the period required herein (“Validity Period” above).

The University may exercise its discretion to consider Vendor proposed modifications. By execution and delivery of this RFP Response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and will be disregarded unless expressly agreed upon through negotiation and incorporated by way of a Best and Final Offer (BAFO). Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject Vendor’s proposal as nonresponsive.

RFP SCHEDULE

The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. The University will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

*Note - FINALIST PRESENTATIONS (if required): Kenan-Flagler Business School may select bidder semi-finalists for Finalist Presentations. Those Vendors invited to present will meet with the Selection Committee to introduce regional and district management teams, the candidates for the position of the on-stie management team, and to obtain clarification of proposal sections. Additionally, finalists will be required to bring their key on-site candidates to the presentation.

The format of the Finalist Presentations will be as follows:

· Vendor Vision for UNC Dining Program (45 minutes).

i. Partnership and Program: Clearly articulate the advantages and benefits of your company and proposed program and the alignment with the University’s aspirations, objectives, and standards.

ii. Management: Discuss your proposed governance and management structure for the account, including your Onsite Management candidates and why they are a good fit for the University.

iii. Financial: Present key points of your financial proposal (Vendors may be asked to omit this presentation requirement)

· Selection Committee Q&A: Candidate Interviews, Positions to be determined. (These interviews shall be privately conducted between the University and the candidates. No other Vendor representatives shall be in the interview.)

· Wrap up and Next Steps by the University: For all scheduled presentations, the room will be available for set-up one hour prior to the presentation start time. Vendors are prohibited from providing food or beverages for the Finalist Presentations.

** Note - After the award of contract and prior to the commencement of service, the awardee shall be required to provide general coordination services regarding the planning and commencement of food service operation.

SITE VISIT or PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE A Pre-proposal Conference/Site Visit will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. on 10-30-2025. The assembly point will be the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in the lobby of the Kenan Center, at Kenan-Flagler Business School, 300 Kenan Center Drive, Chapel Hill, NC. 27599. Meeting will take place in Room 204 on the Second Floor of the Kenan Center.

The Pre-proposal Conference is MANDATORY for all prospective Vendors who wish to have their proposal considered. Proposals from prospective Vendors who are not attending, or who are not present for the entire pre- proposal conference portion will not be considered for award. Due to the complexity of this procurement the opportunity to ask questions of the using department will be extended as stated below. No other contact (regarding this RFP) with the using department during the bid process is allowed. Unauthorized contact with the using department during the bid process may subject your proposal to rejection. Answers to questions regarding the content and interpretation of this RFP shall be valid only when provided at the pre-proposal conference and by written addendum issued by the University.

For directions to the mandatory conference please call Dave Moore, AIA @ 919-962-3027

PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

Upon review of the RFP documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP in order to submit the best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the “Submit Written Questions” date and time provided in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum.

Written questions shall be emailed to mark_sillman@unc.edu by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter “RFP – 3000012521 – Company Name - Questions” as the subject for the email. Question submittals should include a reference to the applicable RFP section and be submitted in the format shown below:

Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the University’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the University will be posted in the form of an addendum to the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP), https://evp.nc.gov, and shall become an Addendum to this RFP. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any University personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in the RFP and an addendum to this RFP.

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Late bids, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered, and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. Vendor shall bear the sole risk of late submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay. It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to ensure its proposal has been received as described in this RFP by the specified time and date of opening. The time and date of receipt will be marked on each proposal when received. Any proposal or portion thereof received after the proposal deadline will be rejected.

All proposal responses shall be submitted electronically via the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP). Additional information can be found at the eVP updates for Vendors link: https://eprocurement.nc.gov/news-events/evp-updates-vendors.

If confidential and proprietary information is included in the proposal, also submit one (1) signed, REDACTED copy of the proposal. Such information may include trade secrets defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-152 and other information exempted from the Public Records Act pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §132- 1.2. Vendor may designate information, Products, Services or appropriate portions of its response as confidential, consistent with and to the extent permitted under the statutes and rules set forth above. By so redacting any page, or portion of a page, the Vendor warrants that it has formed a good faith opinion, having received such necessary or proper review by counsel and other knowledgeable advisors, that the portions determined to be confidential and proprietary and redacted as such, meet the requirements of the Rules and Statutes set forth above. However, under no circumstances shall price information be designated as confidential.

If the Vendor does not provide a redacted version of the proposal with its proposal submission, the Department may release an unredacted version if a record request is received.

Failure to submit a proposal in strict accordance with these instructions shall constitute sufficient cause to reject a Vendor’s proposal(s). Vendors are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to upload proposals.

Critical updated information may be included in Addenda to this RFP. It is important that all Vendors responding to this RFP periodically check the State’s eVP website for any Addenda that may be issued prior to the bid opening date. All Vendors shall be deemed to have read and understood all information in this RFP and all Addenda thereto.

PROPOSAL CONTENTS

Vendors shall populate all attachments of this RFP that require the Vendor to provide information and include an authorized signature where requested. Failure to provide all required items, or Vendor’s submission of incomplete items, may result in the University rejecting Vendor’s proposal, in the University’s sole discretion.

Vendor RFP responses shall include the following items and attachments, which shall be arranged in the following order:

a) Cover Letter, which shall Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the Proposal Number and contain the following.

(i) a statement that confirms that the proposer has read the RFP in its entirety, including all links, and all Addenda released in conjunction with the RFP,

(ii) a statement that the Vendor agrees to perform in accordance with the scope of work, requirements, and specifications contained herein; and

(iii) the Vendor’s agreement to comply with all instructions, terms and conditions, and attachments.

b) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – Maximum Length: 3 Pages - Provide an Executive Summary of your proposal. The Executive Summary should touch on all components of your proposal and highlight those features that you believe best demonstrate the advantages of selecting your firm for this contract.

c) PARTNERSHIP - Maximum Length: 3 Pages. - As a critical component of your proposal, we need to assess your ability to be a strategic partner to the Business School. Please carefully consider and respond to the following:

· Strategy:

i. What do you see as the current strengths of the Kenan-Flagler Dining Program, what are the areas you believe can be improved, and why?

ii. How are you going to make this happen?

· Innovation:

i. What food service industry trends do you see over the next 5 years, and how do you anticipate these trends will impact higher education dining?

ii. How are you innovating yourself as a company to address these trends?

iii. What innovations do you anticipate benefiting Kenan-Flagler, and why?

· Hospitality:

i. What does hospitality mean to you and how will you incorporate hospitality into the dining experience at the University?

· Standard of Excellence: Why are you the best choice for the University in comparison to your competitors?

d) PROGRAM – Maximum Length:40 Pages.

· Company Information:

i. Brief history and overview of your company.

ii. Company-wide organizational chart.

iii. Simple list of your business school, higher education and corporate accounts

iv. Key initiatives: Social responsibility, living wage employment; food insecurity.

· Culinary Approach and Product Sourcing:

i. Specific to the Kenan-Flagler Business School, articulate your approach to the following:

1. Menu composition.

2. Recipe development.

3. Scratch cooking vs. use of convenience foods.

4. Inclusion of organic and/or fair-trade products.

5. Incorporation of locally sourced farm and artisan products.

ii. Provide a recap of steps your company has taken over the past 5 years to reduce/eliminate growth additives and antibiotics from the foods you purchase and serve and identify what additional steps you intend to take over the course of the University’s contract term.

iii. Provide a recap of steps your company has taken over the past 5 years to incorporate humane sourcing practices into your purchasing and what additional steps you intend to take over for Kenan-Flagler contract term.

· Retail Dining:

i. For Bell Hall Kenan Café, provide the following:

1. Proposed menu and service concepts for each of the 4 stations (Bistro, Hot Lunch Service Counter, Salad Bar (to be added) and Grab and Go).

2. Identify how you plan to make daily dining offerings non-repetitive and engaging and determine what items are successful versus what should be changed/ discontinued.

3. Proposed innovations and/or improvements to the current equipment or service stations or kitchen.

4. Identify how you can guide students and employees to develop healthy eating habits.

5. Identify practices and ideas on how your firm can keep the costs for eating affordable as costs for food continue to rise in the current and future environment.

6. Proposed delivery solution & implementation details.

· Kenan -Flagler Catering Services:

i. Provide the following:

1. Identify and describe the proposed software to be used for catering orders and invoicing and how you approach last-minute requests for internal daily events.

2. Techniques you will use to ensure that the accuracy and quality of food and service for all Catering events.

3. Proposed innovations and/or improvements to the current equipment or service stations and approaches.

4. Identify proposals for marketing and providing for catering services through your operations at Kenan-Flagler and how to build additional revenue by reducing catering by off-site food service vendors without Kenan-Flagler leadership requiring programs, students and employees to order through your company.

5. Identify how your firm can provide displays and set-up of food presentation for catered events that adjust for the quality expectations for various levels of client events such as box lunches to fully catered formal dinner and lunch events.

6. Describe how you plan to meet Kenan-Flagler’s zero-waste standard for sustainability.

7. Operating standards for planning, coordination, delivery, set-up, staffing, and clean up for Catering events in conjunction with our events staff.

8. Review and acknowledge UNC’s Alcohol Policy found at:

https://unc.policystat.com/policy/6993377/latest/

· Customer Feedback:

i. Describe the mechanisms you will use to measure satisfaction and capture customer feedback for:

1. Retail Dining Services.

2. Catering Services

ii. Describe the protocol you will use in responding to customer feedback.

· Marketing:

i. Provide your proposed Year One Marketing Plan.

ii. Based on your experience and knowledge of the Kenan-Flagler’s current operation, what are the top 2-3 marketing strategies you believe will be most impactful in engaging the community and driving participation?

iii. Describe the corporate staff support and resources the onsite team will receive in developing and implementing Marketing activities.

· Wellness:

i. Provide the following:

1. Wellness initiatives you will undertake in Year One, including indicating those you believe are an enhancement to the current program and why.

2. Specific examples of how you partner with Clients in promoting health and wellness.

3. Strategy for provision of nutritional counseling and allergen management support for customers with special dietary needs.

ii. For each of the following, what is your production and service strategy for allergen management?

1. Retail Dining Services

2. Catering Services.

3. Summer Programs and events.

iii. For each of the following, how will you provide allergen information?

1. Retail Dining Services

2. Catering Services.

3. Summer Programs and events.

iv. For each of the following, what nutritional information will you provide and how/where will it be provided?

1. Retail Dining Services

2. Catering Services.

3. Summer Programs and events.

v. Describe the corporate staff support and resources the onsite management team will receive in developing and implementing Wellness initiatives.

· Sustainability:

i. Provide your proposed Year One Sustainability initiatives including identification of those you believe are an enhancement to the current program and why.

ii. What additional sustainability initiatives would be beneficial to the University in reducing the Program’s carbon footprint and how would you lead these efforts?

iii. What strategies/tools would you use to measure the outcomes of your Sustainability initiatives?

· Technology:

i. Proposed customer facing technology for:

1. Retail Dining Services.

2. Catering Services

ii. Provide a URL to a demo website for Kenan-Flagler. Demo should include all features proposed. Include images of the webpages as a hard copy representation of the website capabilities.

iii. What other technology is available or in development that might be beneficial to Kenan-Flagler?

· Pre-Occupancy Transition Plan:

i. Provide a detailed pre-occupancy transition plan that describes your process and risk mitigation for transition and start up should your company be selected.

RFP – 11/30/20

· Investment Plan:

i. Provide your proposed investment plan for the Program over the base term of the contract. For each proposed investment, include:

1. Investment description (for example: “new small wares”, “new concept implementation” “servery renovation”, “trade dress enhancements”, etc.).

2. Timeline.

3. Where applicable, equipment images, updated equipment floor plans or other explanatory illustrations helpful in describing the investment.

4. Projected cost.

5. Funding source (Vendor, Kenan-Flagler or both – if both, specify the required contribution from the University).

Management:

ii. Account Management Structure.

1. Describe the proposed on-site management structure for this account and provide an organizational chart.

2. Describe the regional/district and corporate support personnel and provide an organizational chart.

3. Provide candidate resumes for:

(i) RDM/GM.

(ii) Chef.

(iii) Manager.

· Staffing:

i. Provide Proposed Staffing Plan.

ii. Provide your strategy, process, and objectives for:

1. Ongoing management and staff recruitment, training, and retention for the account.

2. Student hiring, development, and retention.

iii. If your proposal includes paid student internships, describe the types of positions proposed and the number of internships you will offer.

· SUPPLEMENTAL PROGRAM INFORMATION (No page limit) - As a separate document, provide the following:

i. Proposed menus and pricing for:

1. Retail Dining Services

2. Catering Services –for all event types (include budget, moderate and premium options/service levels, and a list of all proposed service charges).

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL: Complete Attachment 3: Financial Proposal Workbook to provide your financial proposal. Ensure that all formulas are correct on each of the spreadsheets in the workbook and notify the Issuing Agency immediately if you believe you find an error. When preparing your financial proposal, be sure to review the financial terms in Appendix 4 Sample Contract and be aware of the following University preferences:

· Financial Model All Services: Cost Plus Management Fee with a management fee for each year of the contract term.

· Vendor Funded Investments. The following to be Vendor funded, amortized on the client statement and subject to buyback at 0% interest:

i. Small wares and Trade Dress upgrades required to implement Vendor’s proposal.

ii. Technology purchases required to implement Vendor’s proposal.

iii. Facilities renovation required to implement Vendor’s proposal.

· Operational Transition & Start-Up Costs. To be a Vendor cost of entry, not subject to buyback.

· Purchase Discounts. For purchases made on behalf of this contract, Kenn-Flagler expects Vendor to include in its financial proposal a credit equal to the purchase discounts, rebates, allowances, and incentives it receives from its purchasing contracts for food, beverages and supplies. The credit is to be calculated as a percentage of product cost.

d) A sample copy of any proposed contract format.

e) Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP.

f) Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFP, if required to be returned.

g) Vendor’s Proposal addressing all Specifications of this RFP. See Section 4.0

h) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING

i) Completed version of ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION

j) Completed version of ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

k) Completed version of ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

l) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

m) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT H: ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COVID-19 VACCINATION AND TESTING POLICY

ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

Unless provided otherwise in this RFP, Vendor may submit alternate proposals for comparable Goods, various methods or levels of Service(s), or that propose different options. Alternate proposals must specifically identify the RFP requirements and advantage(s) addressed by the alternate proposal. Any alternate proposal, in addition to the marking described above, must be clearly marked with the legend: “Alternate Proposal #___ [for ‘name of Vendor’]”. Each proposal must be for a specific set of Goods and Services and must include specific pricing. If a Vendor chooses to respond with various offerings, each must be offered with a separate price and be contained in a separate proposal document. Each proposal must be complete and independent of other proposals offered.

2.10 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

Relevant definitions for this RFP are provided in 01 NCAC 05A .0112 and in the Instructions to Vendors found below which are incorporated herein by this reference.

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

North Carolina G.S. 143-52 provides a general list of criteria the University shall use to award contracts, as supplemented by the additional criteria herein. The Goods or Services being procured shall dictate the application and order of criteria; however, all award decisions shall be in the University’s best interest. All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and awards will be made to the Vendor(s) meeting the specific RFP Specifications and achieving the highest and best final evaluation, based on the criteria described below.

While the intent of this RFP is to award a Contract(s) to a single Vendor, the University reserves the right to make separate awards to different Vendors for one or more line items, to not award one or more line items or to cancel this RFP in its entirety without awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the University to do so.

The University reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in proposals received.

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

While this RFP is under evaluation, the responding Vendor, including any subcontractors and suppliers, is prohibited from engaging in conversations intended to influence the outcome of the evaluation. See the Paragraph 29 of the Instructions to Vendors entitled COMMUNICTIONS BY VENDORS.

Each Vendor submitting a proposal to this RFP, including its employees, agents, subcontractors, suppliers, subsidiaries and affiliates, is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency; issuing agency; other government agency office or body (including the purchaser named above, any department secretary, agency head, members of the General Assembly and Governor’s office); or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor’s proposal or qualifications, the content of another Vendor’s proposal, another Vendor’s qualifications or ability to perform a resulting contract, and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have the effect of directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals, the award of a contract, or both.

Any Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from evaluation and award. A Vendor’s proposal may be disqualified if its subcontractor and/or supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement until the date of contract award or cancellation of the procurement). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency for this RFP or inquiries directed to the purchaser named in this RFP regarding requirements of the RFP (prior to proposal submission) or the status of the award (after submission) are excepted from this provision.

3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

Only responsive submissions will be evaluated.

The University will conduct a One-Step evaluation of Proposals:

Proposals will be received according to the method stated in the Proposal Submittal Section above.

All proposals must be received by the issuing agency not later than the date and time specified in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and the University reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the University.

At the date and time provided in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum, the proposal from each responding Vendor will be opened publicly and all offers (except those that have been previously withdrawn, or voided bids) will be tabulated. The tabulation shall be made public at the time it is created. When negotiations after receipt of bids is authorized pursuant to G.S. 143-49 and 01 NCAC 05B.0503, only the names of offerors and the Goods and Services offered shall be tabulated at the time of opening. If negotiation is anticipated, cost and price shall become available for public inspection at the time of the award. Interested parties are cautioned that these costs and their components are subject to further evaluation for completeness and correctness and therefore may not be an exact indicator of a Vendor’s pricing position.

At their option, the evaluators may request oral presentations or discussions with any or all Vendors for clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the proposal. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification—and often do not. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor.

Upon completion of the evaluation process, the University will make award(s) based on the evaluation and post the award(s) to the State’s eVP website under the RFP number for this solicitation. Award of a Contract to one Vendor does not mean that the other proposals lacked merit, but that, all factors considered, the selected proposal was deemed most advantageous and represented the best value to the University.

The University reserves the right to negotiate with one or more vendors, or to reject all original offers and negotiate with one or more sources of supply that may be capable of satisfying the requirement, and in either case to require Vendor to submit a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) based on discussions and negotiations with the University.

3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA

In addition to the general criteria in G.S. 143-52 which may or may not be relevant to this RFP, all qualified proposals will be evaluated, and award made based on considering the following criteria, to result in an award most advantageous to the University:

SCORING AND EVALUATION CRITERIA: Proposals will be competitively evaluated based on the responses to all requirements in this RFP. The evaluation of a vendor’s ability to provide the required services will be based on Vendor’s written proposal. Finalists will have additional scoring on the presentations, candidate interviews, and reference checks/visits to Vendor’s client reference accounts.

a) Scoring:

Total Combined Score:

Technical Proposal: Following is the criteria that may be used in the evaluation of the proposals:

· Overall: quality and fit of Vendor.

· Partnership: strategy, innovation, hospitality, value proposition.

· Program:

· Culinary approach and product sourcing.

· Innovation and strategy for retail dining and catering

· Proposed initiatives: marketing, wellness, sustainability.

· Uniqueness of campus community reflected in program offerings.

· Technology.

· Food safety, quality, variety, diversity, and authenticity.

· Start Up plan.

· Business Continuity Plan (emergency services).

· Completeness of supplemental information.

· Sustainability

· Management: staffing plan, demonstrated application of regional/corporate resources at university level, leadership, and other intangible qualities.

· Expectations: minimal number and complexity of proposed exceptions to the University’s provisions.

Financial Proposal: Financial Proposal structured in such a way as to provide a high-quality dining and catering program while allowing for a reasonable financial return to Kenan-Flagler Business School.

3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR. In addition to any other evaluation criteria identified in this RFP, the University may also consider, for purposes of evaluating proposed or actual contract performance outside of the United States, how that performance may affect the following factors to ensure that any award will be in the best interest of the University:

a) Total cost to the University

b) Level of quality provided by the Vendor

c) Process and performance capability across multiple jurisdictions

d) Protection of the University’s information and intellectual property

e) Availability of pertinent skills

f) Ability to understand the University’s business requirements and internal operational culture

g) Particular risk factors such as the security of the University’s information technology

h) Relations with citizens and employees

i) Contract enforcement jurisdictional issues

3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

This RFP serves two functions: (1) to advise potential Vendors of the parameters of the solution being sought by the University; and (2) to provide (together with other specified documents) the terms of the Contract resulting from this procurement. The use of phrases such as “shall,” “must,” and “requirements” are intended to create enforceable contract conditions. In determining whether proposals should be evaluated or rejected, the University will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the University’s needs as described in the RFP. Except as specifically stated in the RFP, no one requirement shall automatically disqualify a Vendor from consideration. However, failure to comply with any single requirement may result in the University exercising its discretion to reject a proposal in its entirety.

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

This Section lists the requirements related to this RFP. By submitting a proposal, the Vendor agrees to meet all stated requirements in this Section as well as any other specifications, requirements, and terms and conditions stated in this RFP. If a Vendor is unclear about a requirement or specification or believes a change to a requirement would allow for the University to receive a better proposal, the Vendor is urged to submit these items in the form of a question during the question and answer period in accordance with the Proposal Questions Section above.

The vendor shall provide a complete and seamless Retail Dining and Catering Services operation for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Kenan Flagler Business School as the requirements show below.

PARTNERSHIP AND PRIORITIES

a) The University seeks a company that will act as a true strategic and operational partner in ensuring that the Dining Services Program fully aligns with the Kenan-Flagler Business School’s needs, culture, and standards of excellence.

b) The following are the Kenan-Flagler Business School’s key aspirations and priorities for the Dining and Catering Program to which the awarded vendor shall provide.

· Provide a program that delivers an outstanding dining experience for the Kenan-Flagler and University guests while driving increased participation and revenue. The Business School currently operates at a loss.

· Develop menu options with a variation in affordable price points which are less than current market costs to eat off-campus and provide well-presented and healthy nutritional food to our students and employees while also achieving a financial return to sustain and support and grow the dining and catering program for the business school and its guests.

· Provide creative, cost-effective menu plans that change daily or weekly to support variation in healthy dining offerings to maintain and add pleasant food experiences for our students, employees and guests.

· Provide marketing of catering options with wide choice of food options and price points and develop easy ordering and quick response and delivery systems to support daily on-site class and program events to supplement the daily life experiences of students and employees and create an increased financial return through catering events at the school to increase overall dining revenue to create a profit center for the Business School.

· Provide and review monthly financial reporting of both food and staffing costs and propose real time changes to both food options and staffing revisions to support best financial returns for our dining and catering programs.

· Develop, support and report sustainable practices and operations, including use of compostable service wares and compostable waste to support our goal for zero waste for both retail dining and catering offerings including potential for on-site growth of food products and sourcing ingredients from local and regional sources.

· Hire and develop staffing in support of a livable wage for all employees including benefits to support their health and wellbeing.

· Review proposed changes and estimated costs including added revenues anticipated to support modifications to existing equipment in both dining and catering kitchens with updated yearly planning proposals.

c) Kenan-Flagler intends to work collaboratively with the successful Vendor to create an arrangement that drives continuous improvement to food services and holds the Vendor accountable to achieve excellence in all areas.

4.1 PRICING

Proposal price shall constitute the total cost to the University for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including all applicable charges for handling, transportation, administrative and other similar fees. Your Financial Proposal shall be structured in such a way as to provide a high-quality dining and catering program while allowing for a reasonable financial return to Kenan-Flagler Business School. The pricing provided by you or resulting from any negotiations, is incorporated herein and shall become part of any resulting Contract.

4.2 INVOICES

Vendor shall invoice the Purchasing Agency. The standard format for invoicing shall be Single Invoices meaning that the Vendor shall provide the Purchasing Agency with an invoice for each order. Invoices shall include detailed information to allow Purchasing Agency to verify pricing at point of receipt matches the correct price from the original date of order. The following fields shall be included on all invoices, as relevant:

Vendor’s Billing Address, Customer Account Number, NC Contract Number, Order Date, Buyer’s Order Number, Manufacturer Part Numbers, Vendor Part Numbers, Item Descriptions, Price, Quantity, and Unit of Measure.

INVOICES MAY NOT BE PAID UNTIL AN INSPECTION HAS OCCURRED AND THE GOODS OR SERVICES ACCEPTED.

4.3 FINANCIAL STABILITY

As a condition of contract award, the Vendor must…