Café Provider for Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is requesting proposals from food-service providers to operate the existing cafe space at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia, with proposals due September 18, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. A 10-point participation goal for Small, Women-owned, and Minority-owned (SWaM) businesses is embedded in the evaluation criteria.

The scope includes daily cafe operations serving faculty, staff, students, and visitors at the main campus location (205 Duck Pond Drive), utilizing existing food-service equipment already in place. The contractor manages staff, inventory control, food preparation, food-safety compliance, product sourcing, customer pricing, and nutritional information for all offerings. The contractor is responsible for all equipment cleaning, maintenance, and replacement if damaged beyond repair; employee training and safety compliance; tax collection and remittance; and FIFO inventory rotation. All contractors must obtain and maintain health permits, register with the eVA electronic procurement system, carry general liability insurance of $2 million, and comply with criminal background checks for all employees.

The contract term is two years with an option for four two-year renewals, or as negotiated. Virginia Tech covers lease fees and utilities; the contractor bears all other operational costs. No price increases are authorized for 365 calendar days after the contract effective date; subsequent increases require 30 days advance notice and documented substantiation of general market changes.

Evaluation weights are pricing and cost proposals (15 points), quality of products and services (25 points), qualifications and experience (25 points), specific plans and methodology (25 points), and SWaM participation (10 points). Questions are due September 1, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. to Levi Henry at lhenry29@vt.edu or (540) 231-7852. Site visits are encouraged and can be scheduled through Bryan Felts at 540-446-6745 or bryanf@vt.edu. Proposals are submitted through https://bids.sciquest.com/apps/Router/PublicEvent?CustomerOrg=VATech.