Bookstore management services

Central Piedmont Community College is requesting proposals for managed bookstore services, including onsite operations at two physical locations, online fulfillment, and College Spirit Shop merchandise sales, with proposals due October 20, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET and written questions due September 22, 2026.

The scope encompasses operation of minimum two physical bookstore locations — Central Campus (1141 Elizabeth Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28204) and Levine Campus (2800 Campus Ridge Road, Matthews, NC 28105) — plus online services and smart-locker fulfillment at Harris, Harper, Merancas, and potentially Cato campuses. The College serves over 52,000 students annually across six campuses and two centers. The vendor must establish equitable access program pricing for curriculum courses with per-credit-hour rates, provide detailed cost proposals segregated by course materials, general merchandise, and technology categories, and submit commission structures as a percentage of commissionable sales or alternative arrangements such as scholarship funds or capital improvements. The vendor must maintain complete accounting records per nationally accepted bookstore industry standards, available for College audit at any time, and provide monthly operating statements within 25 days of each accounting period. Integration with FA-Link (Trimdata) and Ellucian's Colleague for point-of-sale connection to the College's financial aid system and mainframe is required. The vendor assumes all utilities costs.

The contract term is three years with two optional one-year renewal periods, with award expected around March 1, 2027. Evaluation follows a trade-off method prioritizing vendor conformity with business specifications, total cost of ownership including equitable access pricing, and risk assessment in Phase 1, with only the top two vendors advancing to Phase 2 evaluation of enterprise IT specifications compliance. Vendor presentations and demonstrations from finalists and Best and Final Offers from top-ranked vendors are anticipated. Financial stability documentation — three years of audited financial statements or certified public accountant attestations — is required. Offers will be opened publicly via Microsoft Teams immediately following the deadline.