RFP Scope and Spec 1-8824-REVISED.docx

City of Toledo One Government Center 640 Jackson Street Toledo, Ohio 43604

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Professional Services

Swayne Field Food Hub Pilot Project Purchase Requisition Number

Issued By Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD)

Date Issued Friday, July 17, 2026

Response Submission Date and Time Tuesday, August 4, 2026 @ 1:30pm EST Bids will be read at 2:00 PM EST

Submit online through PlanetBids: https://pbsystem.planetbids.com/portal/22576/portal-home

1. INTRODUCTION

The City of Toledo ("City"), through its Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD), is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to plan, launch, operate, and evaluate a pilot pop-up produce market at the Swayne Field redevelopment site in Toledo, Ohio.

The City seeks a vendor capable of delivering a community-centered food access initiative that increases access to affordable, fresh, and healthy food while also activating the Swayne Field site as a neighborhood gathering space. The selected vendor must have demonstrated capacity in food distribution, food safety, site operations, staffing, merchandising, payment processing, and pilot performance reporting.

The City anticipates entering into a professional services agreement with one qualified respondent for a pilot market season in Summer/Fall 2026, with services expected to support both implementation and post-pilot evaluation.

2. BACKGROUND

The Swayne Field redevelopment site and Monroe St. and Detroit Ave. is being advanced as a community revitalization asset, and the City intends to test whether a neighborhood-based food hub can improve food access, strengthen community activity, and inform the long-term feasibility of a permanent food hub at the site. The pilot food market is anticipated to operate from late Summer into Fall preferably on weekends to increase accessibility. The City reserves the right to negotiate final operating hours with the selected vendor.

The City has identified approximately $150,000 for this pilot initiative, subject to final authorization, contract negotiation, and compliance with all applicable procurement and funding requirements. The City expects the selected vendor to provide a turn-key operating model that includes market setup, staffing, food sourcing, food safety compliance, payment processing, outreach coordination, teardown, and performance reporting.

Project goals include:

· Increasing healthy food access.

· Improving neighborhood food distribution.

· Supporting local farmers when seasonally available.

· Building community engagement and activating the Swayne Field site.

· Supporting local economic development.

· Generating measurable data to guide future investments and long-term planning.

3. SCOPE OF QUALIFICATION

3.1 General Scope

The selected respondent shall provide all labor, supervision, equipment, materials, transportation, food products, technology, and operational systems necessary to conduct a pilot pop-up produce market at Swayne Field for approximately a ten-week period.

The pilot is expected to emphasize affordable fresh produce and other healthy grocery staples, with priority given to fresh fruits, vegetables, seasonal regional produce (including Ohio and Michigan), herbs, and other seasonal products as available.

3.2 Required Services

At a minimum, the selected vendor must be capable of providing:

· Market planning and project management.

· Weekly on-site setup and teardown for each market day.

· Commercial tents, tables, displays, and merchandising equipment.

· Product sourcing, procurement, transport, and inventory management.

· Refrigerated transportation and cold-chain management.

· On-site staffing, including market management, produce specialists, cashiers, logistics staff, and customer service personnel.

· Point-of-sale systems capable of cash and credit/debit transactions.

· Daily sanitation, waste management, product rotation, and end-of-day reporting.

· Food safety monitoring and documentation.

· Final pilot reporting and evaluation support.

3.3 Preferred Services

The City will give favorable consideration to proposals that can also provide or credibly phase in:

· SNAP/EBT acceptance and related transaction capability.

· Produce Perks or similar healthy food incentive programming.

· Nutrition education, cooking demonstrations, or community health programming.

· Partnerships with local growers, small businesses, or neighborhood organizations.

· Outreach strategies designed to increase repeat customers and neighborhood participation.

3.4 Food Safety Compliance

Respondents must describe their food safety protocols and demonstrate the ability to operate in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local food safety requirements.

At minimum, respondents should address:

· HACCP-based food safety procedures.

· Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), as applicable.

· Temperature monitoring and cold-chain compliance.

· Product traceability and recall readiness.

· Sanitation procedures and staff training.

· Required business licensing, insurance, and any needed health or temporary event permits.

4. Deliverables and Performance Expectations The selected vendor shall provide, at minimum, the following deliverables:

1. Pre-launch work plan and implementation schedule.

2. Site layout and operational plan.

3. Staffing plan and market-day operating procedures.

4. Food safety plan and incident response procedures.

5. Weekly market operations for the agreed pilot period.

6. Weekly activity summaries, including attendance and sales data.

7. End-of-pilot report evaluating performance, lessons learned, and recommendations for next steps.

Respondents must describe how they will track and report key performance indicators, which may include:

· Weekly customer counts.

· Total sales volume.

· Pounds of produce distributed.

· SNAP/EBT participation, if implemented.

· Customer satisfaction and repeat customer measures.

· Community partner engagement.

· Or other items determined upon vendor selection

5. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All proposals must include the following information:

1. Cover Letter Briefly summarize the respondent's interest, qualifications, and ability to provide the requested services.

2. Firm Description Provide an overview of the firm's history, ownership, office location(s), and organizational structure.

3. Relevant Experience Describe prior work operating produce markets, mobile markets, community food hubs, food distribution programs, or similar initiatives, especially those involving neighborhood-based service delivery, food access, or public-sector partnerships.

4. Technical Approach Describe the proposed approach for planning, market operations, staffing, food sourcing, merchandising, payment processing, food safety, outreach coordination, and pilot evaluation.

5. Staffing Plan Identify key personnel, their roles, and relevant experience. Include any subcontractors or partners expected to support implementation.

6. Food Safety and Compliance Documentation Provide documentation or narrative describing food safety systems, relevant certifications, insurance coverage, and permitting readiness.

7. Equipment and Infrastructure Capacity Describe the equipment, vehicles, cold storage, technology, and site infrastructure the respondent will provide for the pilot.

8. Project Schedule Provide a detailed timeline for startup, implementation, market operations, and final reporting.

9. Cost Proposal Provide a complete budget and pricing narrative not to exceed the City's available budget, inclusive of labor, transportation, equipment, inventory, insurance, outreach support, reporting, and all other project costs.

Incomplete responses may be considered non-responsive.

6. REVIEW AND SELECTION

6.1 Evaluation

Proposals will be evaluated on:

· Demonstrated experience with food distribution, produce market operations, or similar public-facing food access initiatives.

· Operational capacity to launch and manage the pilot within the required timeframe.

· Strength of the proposed technical approach and work plan.

· Food safety readiness and risk management capacity.

· Ability to collect, manage, and report performance data.

· Reasonableness and completeness of the proposed budget.

Additional consideration may be given to firms with strong local or regional sourcing relationships, neighborhood engagement experience, and the ability to expand services such as SNAP/EBT, education, or local vendor participation.

6.2 Interviews and Clarification

The City may request additional information, conduct interviews, or invite one or more respondents to provide clarifications or presentations prior to award.

6.3 Award Term

The City anticipates awarding one vendor for the Summer/Fall 2026 pilot period, including startup, operating, and closeout activities. Any award and contract will be subject to approval by the City and successful adherence to procurement policies.

7. CITY RIGHTS & RESERVATIONS

The City reserves the right to:

· Amend, suspend, or withdraw this RFP at any time.

· Reject any or all proposals.

· Waive informalities or irregularities in proposals.

· Request additional information from any respondent.

· Negotiate scope, schedule, and compensation with the selected respondent.

· Issue future solicitations for similar services.

The City is not responsible for any costs incurred in the preparation of proposals or participation in the procurement process.

8. SUBMISSION

Proposals for this project can only be accepted via electronic submittal through the City of Toledo’s PlanetBids website. Bid submittals or other transmissions of information have not been completed until an email confirmation of the transmission has been issued by PlanetBids. Bids prices shall be to two (2) decimal places (i.e. $0.00). Only one (1) price per line item will be accepted with this bid.

In order to be awarded a contract, the City requires all of the following documents must be submitted with each bid your company submits in 2026 in PlanetBids:

-Acknowledgement and Acceptance of Conditions and Contract Specifications -Living Wage Contract Addendum -Primary/Subcontractor Agreement Certificate

• City of Toledo Professional Services Agreement*

*Located on the “Documents” tab in PlanetBids

Beginning with bids advertised on or after March 13, 2026 the following documents will only need to be submitted once for your company for the duration of all contracts with the City. If any information changes, it is the company’s responsibility to notify the city and update the applicable documentation.

City Paperwork:

· Vendor Registration Form, if your company is new to doing business with the city

· Business Tax Registration Form, if your company is new to doing business with the city

· Child Support Affidavit, notarized

· Vendor Utility

Beginning with bids advertised on or after March 13, 2026 the following documents will only need to be submitted once for all bids your company submits in 2026. If any information changes, it is the company’s responsibility to notify the City and update the applicable paperwork.

Annual Paperwork:

· W-9

· Insurance Certificate, naming the City of Toledo as an additional insurer – requirements available on the “Documents” tab of PlanetBids

· EEO Compliance

· Debarment Certification

· Living Wage Affidavit, updated no later than February 1st

· Bureau of Workers Compensation Certificate

9. BID OPENING MEETING

Bids will be open at 2 PM EST on the due date of this bid via Zoom Meeting at:

https://link.edgepilot.com/s/72026a0a/vScHndadGUqgTn8jHzPYJQ?u=https://toledo-oh-gov.zoom.us/j/96570601158

Preliminary Bid results will be available within 1-2 business days on the PlanetBids website after bid opening. Bid results will be published to the PlanetBids website once awarded.

Questions regarding the project must be submitted through the PlanetBids’ Q & A tab for the project manager to respond.

Required Information

I. Organization

a. Correct legal name, address, and general telephone number.

b. Brief historical sketch of the organization.

c. Number and location of offices.

d. Brief description of the organization of the firm, the number of employees, the locations at which it performs its activities and identities of the members of the board or directors (or owners of a partnership) and principal management (if not otherwise listed).

e. Enclose the portion of the employment manual committing the organization to employ and promote without consideration as to race, religion, national origin or sex.

f. Provide a statement of assurance that your organization is not currently in violation of any regulatory agency rules to a degree that it may have material impact on the firm’s operation.

g. State whether you intend to engage, either as an employee or independent contractor, in performing the services contemplated by the proposal, any employee of the City, or any person who has been an officer or employee of the City, or any entity as to which such an officer or employee (i) is a partner, if the entity is a partnership, (ii) owns or controls more than five percent of the outstanding shares, if the entity is a corporation or (iii) owns, holds or controls more than five percent of the total indebtedness of such entity. If your response is in the affirmative, identify the person or persons and list the details of the activities contemplated to be secured from them.

II. Required Forms City forms must be filled out and attached to the proposal: Project Paperwork (Acknowledgment and Acceptance of Conditions Contract Specifications; Primary and Subcontractor Certificates and Living Wage Contract Addendum); Professional Services Contract; Current Worker’s Compensation Certificate; If not previously provided, City Paperwork: Vendor Registration Form; Business Tax Registration Form; Child Support Affidavit, notarized; Vendor Utility. If this is your first bid with COT for 2026, the following will be required, Annual Paperwork: W-9; Insurance Certificate, naming the City of Toledo as an additional insurer – requirements available on the “Documents” Tab of PlanetBids; EEO Compliance; Debarment Certification; and Living Wage Affidavit.

The following items will be required prior to awarding the contract: Independent Contractor PERS forms; and additional Insurance as Required.

LOCAL PREFERENCE

The description of and procedure to apply local preference to complainant bids received by the City of Toledo can be found under Toledo Municipal Code section 187.34.

The Toledo Municipal Code can be found by searching for the City of Toledo webpage toledo.oh.gov and clicking the “Government” link, then clicking the “City Code” link.

Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria

The review of each proposal will be based upon ten criteria. Zero to fifteen points will be awarded for each category per TMC 187.24. Each category will be assigned a rating factor, which will be multiplied by the points awarded. Award will be made to the proposal with the highest cumulative point total. That notwithstanding, the City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals for its convenience. The proposal should respond directly to each criterion. Those responses will be used to award points. The proposal should also provide the required information requested in the evaluation criteria.

Criterion #1 Background and related experience – Factor 15.

The proposal should include a review of the professional services background and experience of the firm and principal(s). It should include a history of the firm and principal(s) and the number of employees. It should include a listing of previous experiences similar to the requested work.

Criterion #2 Location – Factor 5 The proposal should include the location of the primary office and whether or not a local office will be available. It should also include discussion on staff accessibility for the project. This should also include the amount of work to be performed within the City of Toledo. It should also list the location of the home office inside the City of Toledo, as well as the primary office if located elsewhere. The location where the primary work will be done must be designated. If a portion of the work will be done at a location other than the primary location, designate the other location and the type of work to be done there. Note: A partial assessment of location points [no more than four (4)] can be given to those businesses which are located within a joint economic development zone of which the City of Toledo is a participant.

Criterion #3 Familiarity with local, state, and federal standards – Factor 5 The proposal should include a description of the firm or principal’s familiarity with all City of Toledo, State of Ohio, and applicable federal standards and requirements.

Criterion #4 Current work load – Factor 5 The proposal should describe the firm or principal’s current workload. This should include a listing of all major projects inside the City of Toledo and outside its boundary. Specific listing of any subcontracting work that the firm or principals have with another company or project should also be included in this section.

Criterion #5 Performance on previous projects – Factor 15 A specific listing of previous contracts with the City of Toledo or similar offices in the State of Ohio, State of Michigan or Federal Government should also be included. In this listing should be a summary of performance for each project relevant to timeliness, performance and any savings or benefits that were provided to the contractee. List the last ten (10) completed projects similar to the requested work.

Criterion #6 Understanding of the project – Factor 15 The provider shall completely describe in detail the services to be rendered to complete the project, including all alternative considerations and evaluations which may be prudent to undertake in order to effectively minimize the project budget and most satisfactorily achieve the project goal. Specific points of understanding should be listed to include the professional approach to the project with any related economic benefits which may impact efficiency and effectiveness.

Criterion #7 Schedule, staffing – Factor 10 This criterion shall have a project advancement schedule, including all tasks specifically listed for the project. Identify timeframes, review times, as well as timing for meetings with citizens and public meetings. List your key personnel who will work on this project and their qualifications and experience. Designate the person who will manage this project. Designate your other personnel along with their experience and background who will also work on the project.

Criterion #8 Fee – Factor 15 The specifics of the fee shall be listed. The cost can be prepared in an hourly format to include a not-to-exceed figure.

Criterion #9 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Participation – Factor 10 Include a description of any joint ventures, partnerships or subcontracts with DBEs that are certified by the City of Toledo’s Office of Affirmative Action. The description should include the name of the company(s), the description of the work to be performed by the DBE and the amount and percentage of the contract that will be awarded by provider to DBEs.

Criterion #10 Other factors or attributes of your firm – Factor 5 The proposal should list any other factors or distinguishing characteristics of the firm that would provide benefit or advantage to the City.

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