Campus-Wide Beverage Vending and Pouring Rights

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is soliciting proposals for campus-wide beverage vending and pouring rights across all university campuses, facilities, and Charlotte 49ers Athletics venues under RFP 66-27012SB, with proposals due October 22, 2026. The mandatory pre-proposal conference and site visit is September 24, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. ET at the Auxiliary Services Building in Charlotte.

The scope consolidates fragmented current arrangements — Coca-Cola serves athletics, Pepsi serves dining and vending — into a single beverage partner providing exclusive pouring rights, beverage vending, marketing activation, and sponsorship services. The awardee will service 114 existing machines (60 Coca-Cola and 54 Pepsi) distributed across academic buildings, 19 residence halls (approximately 5,500 beds), administrative buildings, dining locations, libraries, and four athletics venues (Jerry Richardson Stadium, Halton Arena, Hayes Stadium, and Olympic facilities). All non-alcoholic beverage categories are included: carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, coffee, hydration beverages, sports drinks, tea, juice, and bottled water. All campus foodservice and retail outlets, including franchise concepts and the campus Barnes & Noble bookstore, must serve the selected vendor's beverages except for signature branded beverages integral to franchises, specialty coffee, fresh juice, and academic research beverages. The awardee must be registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State, provide three customer references for similar projects, demonstrate financial stability through certification, maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, and complete background checks.

The contract term is ten years, effective July 5, 2027 through July 4, 2037, with contract award expected December 15, 2026. The financial proposal (worth 35 of 100 evaluation points) must capture upfront consideration, annual sponsorship and marketing funding, commissions and rebates, performance incentives, equipment and capital investment, and non-monetary in-kind value with transparent pricing schedules including annual escalation terms and caps. Other evaluation criteria are vendor background and qualifications (5 points), beverage supply and operational approach (20 points), athletics and campus marketing activation (20 points), campus engagement and sustainability (5 points), and transition and implementation (15 points). The University reserves the right to carve out individual beverage categories or award to multiple vendors if doing so delivers greater financial or strategic value. Pre-proposal conference attendance is limited to three representatives per vendor; late arrivals are prohibited from participation. Proposals must be submitted in two separate files via the electronic Vendor Portal by 2:00 p.m. ET on October 22.