SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Food Services RFP: Request for Industry Input

DESCRIPTION:

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (“SLAC”) is a multipurpose research facility located in Menlo Park, California, and operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy.  SLAC is seeking a café operator (“Subcontractor”) to provide comprehensive food services, including managing and operating the on-site cafeteria in Building 53 for up to 1,600 SLAC employees and guests and providing catering services. This Request for Information (RFI) is to seek industry feedback for this upcoming solicitation.

SLAC anticipates awarding a subcontract on a straight profit and loss basis with the Subcontractor. Subcontractor shall collect and retain all revenue generated from operating the on-site cafeteria and any catering services provided.  SLAC will provide the facility (Building 53 cafeteria) and all utilities (electrical, gas, and internet).  Kitchen equipment, dining room furniture and fixtures will also be provided to the Subcontractor as Government Furnished Property (GFP).  A preventative maintenance program for all GFP provided to the food service operator, in performance of the anticipated subcontract, will be established and financed by SLAC with full cooperation from the Subcontractor.

Refer to the attached draft Statement of Work for more information.

REQUEST FOR INDUSTRY INPUT:

SLAC seeks the following input from industry for this upcoming solicitation:

1. Provide feedback on the attached draft Statement of Work (e.g. what’s missing?)

2. Provide feedback on the following anticipated subcontract format and requirements:

• Period of Performance: three (3) year Base Period, plus two separate Options for one (1) year each, for a total possible contract term of 5 years.
• Quarterly Business Reviews required
• Service Contract Act applicable
• Randolph Shepard Act applicable

3. Are you interested in also providing site-wide vending machine operating services?  If so, please provide capability narrative for this scope. Note that vending machine operations is not currently included for this anticipated solicitation.

4. The following items will be requested as part of the formal solicitation and will be required for the proposal submission. 

• Qualifications of the Firm, including resumes for the proposed on-site management team, corporate experience, and past performance references
• Proposed Business Model, including approach to balancing affordability with quality, menu variety, food and operational safety, innovation and technology, marketing and employee engagement
• Transition Plan Approach, including methodology and submission of a transition schedule with key milestones
• Pricing – submit proposed menu with pricing for both on-site dining (breakfast and lunch) and catering services (lunch and dinner)
• Audited and Certified Financial Statements for the past two years.

Submit any input to the above AND your interest in participating in this upcoming solicitation to the SLAC Subcontract Administrator, Jennifer Aral at jaral@slac.stanford.edu by December 13, 2024.

PRELMINARY Solicitation Schedule:

Activity:                                                               ECD:

RFI                                                                       November 25 – December 13, 2024

RFP Release                                                     January 8, 2025

Site Walk(s)                                                       To be scheduled w/o January 13-17, 2025

Questions Due                                                   January 21, 2025

SLAC responses                                                January 24, 2025

Proposal Due                                                     January 31, 2025

Award                                                                    February 10, 2025

Transition Period                                                ARO + 4 weeks

Start of Operations                                             March 17, 2025

PRE-SOLICITATION DISLAIMER:

Please note that any responses to this pre-solicitation posting is purely on a voluntary basis. SLAC is not requesting a proposal nor any pricing or any other information that could be considered confidential or proprietary to be submitted in response to this posting or any part of this posting. Any submissions that contain pricing, proprietary information or confidential information will be discarded by SLAC.