RFQ-DBPR-08-25.26 Question and Answer.pdf

2601 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, FL 32399 | (850) 487-1395 | MyFloridaLicense.com

DATE: April 6, 2026

BID: RFP-DBPR-08-25/26

BID TITLE: Food Service Employee Training

SUBJECT: Questions and Answers

The enclosed has been issued for consideration in the preparation of your response to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) No. RFP-DBPR-08-25/26, “Food Service Employee Training”.

Sincerely, Ashley Strickland, Procurement Manager

QUESTION #1

The Mandatory Non-Profit Certification Form (Attachment B) states that the Department “reserves the right to request documentation verifying nonprofit status” and that “acceptable documentation may include an IRS Determination Letter confirming tax-exempt status or other official documentation verifying non-profit status.” Does the Department require a Respondent to have received an IRS Determination Letter prior to proposal submission, or would proof of nonprofit incorporation under Florida law together with a pending IRS application satisfy the eligibility requirement at the time of submission?

ANSWER #1

The Department will only consider responses from entities that are non-profit at the time of proposal submission. The Department does not require submission of an IRS Determination Letter with the proposal but reserves the right to request documentation verifying nonprofit status. See Addendum 1.

QUESTION #2

Will the Department consider a Respondent that is a nonprofit organization without prior experience administering a statewide food service training program, provided it demonstrates sufficient operational capacity, industry support, and the ability to meet all requirements of the Scope of Work?

ANSWER #2

The Department will consider responsive proposals from responsible vendors. Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with Attachment C.

QUESTION #3

May a Respondent propose to utilize a food safety curriculum developed by a DBPR-approved third-party provider, provided the Respondent holds is legally authorized to administer the program and issue certifications under that curriculum?

ANSWER #3

Yes. The curriculum does not need to be pre-approved at the time of proposal submission;

however, the awarded Provider must obtain Division approval prior to implementation of the training program. Under the contract, the awarded Provider, not the curriculum developer, will remain fully responsible for all program obligations.

QUESTION #4

If a Respondent proposes to use a curriculum licensed from a third-party provider, will the Department review and approve that curriculum as part of the proposal evaluation process, or must the curriculum already hold Division approval at the time of submission?

ANSWER #4

All proposals will be evaluated in accordance with Attachment C of the Request for Proposals.

QUESTION #5

Attachment B includes a Subcontracting Form, and Section 3.6 requires Respondents to list intended subcontractors. May the awarded Provider subcontract operational components of the program—such as training delivery, technology platform operations, or administrative services—to affiliated or third-party organizations, provided the Provider retains overall responsibility for compliance, reporting, and certification issuance as required by the Scope of Work?

ANSWER #5

The RFP does not prescribe a specific approach. Respondents may propose their own approach, provided they demonstrate how all requirements of Attachment A will be met. The Provider remains fully responsible for contract performance. All proposals will be evaluated in accordance with Attachment C of the Request for Proposals

QUESTION #6

Attachment A, Section F requires the Provider to “establish, host and maintain an online training platform.” Does the Department require the Provider to directly own and operate this platform, or may the Provider utilize a licensed Learning Management System operated by a subcontractor, provided the Provider maintains contractual responsibility for platform availability, data security, and Division reporting requirements?

ANSWER #6

The RFP does not prescribe a specific approach. Respondents may propose their own approach, provided they demonstrate how all requirements of Attachment A will be met. The Provider remains fully responsible for contract performance. All proposals will be evaluated in accordance with Attachment C of the Request for Proposals

QUESTION #7

Attachment A states that “The Provider shall not be required to directly administer in-person training sessions at each establishment” and that training may be administered by a Certified Food Manager using the Provider’s approved curriculum. For purposes of the Statewide Implementation evaluation criteria (Attachment C, Section 5), does the Department expect the Provider to maintain a direct physical training presence across all regions of Florida, or is it acceptable for statewide coverage to be achieved primarily through online training and authorized Certified Food Managers at licensed establishments?

ANSWER #7

The RFP does not prescribe a specific approach. Respondents may propose their own approach, provided they demonstrate how all requirements of Attachment A will be met. The Provider remains fully responsible for contract performance. All proposals will be evaluated in accordance with Attachment C of the Request for Proposals.

QUESTION #8

Attachment A requires the Provider to “maintain a secure database” of training records and “make all training records available to the Division upon request.” Does the Department require the Provider to maintain a single centralized database, or may the Provider fulfill this requirement through integrated systems—for example, a primary database supplemented by records from authorized training partners—provided all records are accessible to the Division within required timeframes?

ANSWER #8

The RFP does not prescribe a specific approach. Respondents may propose their own approach, provided they demonstrate how all requirements of Attachment A will be met. The Provider remains fully responsible for contract performance. All proposals will be evaluated in accordance with Attachment C of the Request for Proposals

QUESTION #9

The Scope of Work requires the Provider to “establish a printed food service curriculum program.” Does this requirement necessitate the distribution of physical printed training materials, or would a printable digital curriculum—such as a PDF training guidebook available for download or on-demand printing—satisfy this requirement?

ANSWER #9

The RFP does not prescribe a specific approach. Respondents may propose their own approach, provided they demonstrate how all requirements of Attachment A will be met. The Provider remains fully responsible for contract performance. All proposals will be evaluated in accordance with Attachment C of the Request for Proposals.

QUESTION #10

Attachment D requests a “Printed Training Program Price” and an “Online Training Program Price” for each contract year. Should these prices reflect the total annual cost to the Department for administering each delivery method, or the per-participant price that will be charged to food service establishments and employees for each training format? If per participant, should the price include or exclude any applicable materials or certification fees?

ANSWER #10

Prices shall reflect the cost per student, inclusive of all required materials and fees, and shall represent the publicly available price with no discounts applied. The Department does not guarantee any minimum volume of participation. See Addendum 1.

QUESTION #11

I noticed in the RFP that you are looking for non-profit organizations to provide these services, however, the Florida statute does not require that the provider be a non-profit. Can you explain the non-profit requirement please?

ANSWER #11

Section 509.049, Florida Statutes, requires the Division to contract with a private nonprofit provider

QUESTION #12

Also, pricing for training is volume based. Can you share how many people you need this training for?

ANSWER #12

The Department is unable to estimate the number of trainings that will be required at this time. Therefore, Respondents must provide the publicly available price per student, without the application of volume-based or other discounts. Pricing should reflect standard rates.