CCCS RFP 15-011 Exclusive Beverage Agreement

The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) Purchasing Office issued RFP 15-011 to procure an exclusive non-alcoholic beverage supply agreement covering 13 statewide colleges and the Lowry Campus. The procurement seeks a single vendor to supply beverages through vending machines, fountain units, coolers, food service programs, cafeterias, retail facilities, and concession stands across approximately 110 buildings serving 117,000 students and 7,500 employees, with an additional 7,700 daily visitors. Current operations include 104 vending machines, 8 fountain units, and 32 coolers generating annual volumes of 11,110 cases of full-service vending products, 4,576 gallons of fountain beverages, and 20,675 cases of bottle and can products. The contractor must furnish modern vending equipment at no cost to CCCS, maintain all equipment with a maximum 24-hour repair guarantee, and pay all state, county, and city licensing fees and sales taxes. Pricing proposals must include guaranteed annual rights fees for each college, commission levels based on gross sales, and detailed vending pricing at specified price points. The contractor shall also demonstrate environmental sustainability practices, maintain workers' compensation and liability insurance with CCCS named as additional insured, and comply with E-Verify employment verification requirements. Evaluation criteria include guaranteed annual payments, commission and pricing structures, vending equipment quality, marketing plans, delivery capabilities to remote campuses, disaster preparedness, and value-added offerings such as scholarships, educational resources, or athletic support programs. The proposal submission deadline is January 9, 2015, at 12:00 noon, with written inquiries due by December 16, 2014. A vendor conference and demonstrations are scheduled for the week of February 2, 2015, by invitation only. The contract term runs from March 1, 2015, for one year with four one-year renewal options.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions on organizational types eligible to respond, and no specific disadvantaged enterprise provisions are detailed in the available documentation. Vendors must be registered with Colorado Vendor Self Service (ColoradoVSS) as of the submission deadline to be considered responsive. The RFP references the incumbent provider's historical data as informing volume projections and operational requirements, though no specific incumbent vendor is named. Certain campus locations operate third-party cafeterias and bookstores managed by entities such as Sodexo that are exempt from the contract, while several other third-party operations have indicated willingness to work with the awarded vendor. Security for payment must be proposed and may include letters of credit, surety bonds, Fortune 500 guarantees, security agreements, or nonpayment insurance. The RFP does not provide a specific award value or budget range; instead, compensation structure relies on guaranteed annual rights fees and commission payments based on gross sales volumes, with commissions and sponsorship or scholarship payments due within 30 to 45 days of the contract anniversary date, paid directly to each of the 13 colleges on a 13-period annual payment cycle.