Catering Services for Ascend704 Event Center

South Piedmont Community College Services Corporation is requesting proposals to establish a list of preferred catering vendors for the Ascend704 Event Center in Monroe, North Carolina, with proposals due September 9, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. ET and a public bid opening scheduled for that same date and time at the Garibaldi Building Conference Room in Polkton.

The scope covers full-service catering for events ranging from 4 to 500 attendees at the 4,480-square-foot facility located at 4260 Student Success Place, Monroe. Vendors must provide continental and hot breakfast, lunch buffets, boxed lunches, dinner buffets, reception services, and beverages; handle event setup and breakdown; ensure adequate staffing; and guarantee a 20-minute maximum response time to the facility. Pricing must be transparent and all-inclusive with no hidden fees, delivery charges, administrative fees, or weekend surcharges. Vendors must hold Health Department and ServSafe certifications, proper alcohol-service licensing if applicable, and demonstrate experience serving events of 300–500 attendees. Insurance requirements include Commercial General Liability of $1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate, Automobile Liability of $1 million combined single limit, Workers' Compensation at state statutory limits, and additional insured status for SPCC with waiver of subrogation.

The contract carries an initial one-year term with SPCC's option to renew for up to two additional one-year terms; renewal notices are required 45 days before the end of each term. Cancellation provisions include no penalties for cancellations 48 hours in advance for groups over 40 or 24 hours in advance for groups under 40; late cancellations recover up to 75% of food costs if perishable food cannot be utilized; and no charges apply for cancellations due to college closures from weather or emergency.

Evaluation criteria in order of importance are Technical Approach, Project Organization, Menu Pricing, Vendor Experience and References, and optional Tasting and Site Visit evaluations for the top three finalists. Finalists will be selected for optional evaluations between September 16–18, 2026, with contract award anticipated by October 1, 2026. Written questions are due August 24, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. ET, with responses provided by August 28, 2026.