2026-2027 Storm Response Services-Meals & Catering

Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CFEC), serving 37,130 active services across Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy Counties in north central Florida, is issuing a Request for Proposal for qualified catering contractors to provide storm response meals and services during the 2026-2027 storm season. The procurement seeks catering services accommodating a minimum of 100 people up to a maximum of 800 people across four separate service options: Option A (breakfast service with two menu choices), Option B (bagged lunches), Option C (dinner service with four menu options), and Option D (snack service). Contractors may submit bids for any or all options, with meals delivered to a single catering site per option and flexibility to prepare food on-site or off-site with delivery to the location. Required qualifications include proof of insurance, resumes, three mandatory letters of reference, a completed CFEC rate sheet, and an Exhibit A affidavit, along with disclosure of any litigation, debarment, termination, or default in the past five years. Proposals will be evaluated on a 100-point scale with a minimum qualification score of 70 points using weighted criteria including Cost/Price (0-30 points), Prior Experience (0-20 points), References (0-20 points), Technical Merit (0-15 points), and Responsiveness to Proposal (0-15 points). The question deadline is February 11, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., with proposals due by February 27, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. through the VendorLink portal; proposal evaluation will occur on March 11, 2026, with contract award anticipated by April 3, 2026.

Insurance requirements for responding contractors include Comprehensive General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate, Excess Liability of $2,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, Business Automobile Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate, Workers' Compensation at statutory limits, and Employer's Liability of $500,000 per accident, with CFEC named as additional insured on all applicable policies. The RFP does not identify any specific set-aside designations or restrictions on organization types eligible to respond, nor does it list incumbent vendors or current contractors. Pricing rates must remain effective through December 31, 2027, and service start dates and duration will be determined by CFEC on an as-needed basis. No specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the procurement documents. CFEC reserves the right to award to the most advantageous proposal rather than the lowest price and reserves the right to cancel the solicitation. As CFEC is not a state and local government agency, bid tabulations will not be publicly shared.