DABS Statewide Market Study

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing is requesting statements of qualifications for a statewide market study to be conducted by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services under Utah Procurement Code 63G-6a Part 15, with qualifications due July 16, 2026. This is a qualifications-based selection; vendors must not include pricing in their submissions, and the highest-ranked vendor will be selected to negotiate a contract at compensation determined to be fair and reasonable by the state.

The scope encompasses analysis of retail access needs for alcoholic beverages across Utah; evaluation of package agency operations and placement under Utah Code Title 32B, Chapter 2, Part 6; assessment of distribution infrastructure capacity and potential need for a secondary distribution center off the Wasatch Front; modeling of how DABS's forthcoming e-commerce platform will influence retail demand and operations; identification of locations for new state-owned stores; lease-versus-build financial analysis; and comprehensive analysis of state-owned store performance and operational efficiency. The contractor must conduct a minimum of one on-site visit to the DABS distribution center, provide bi-weekly status updates, and deliver preliminary modeling by August 29, draft study by October 3, and final executive briefing by October 23, 2026. The total contract award may not exceed $300,000, inclusive of all labor, subcontractor costs, data licensing, software, travel, and site visits.

The project lead must hold a graduate degree or professional certification in urban planning, public administration, economics, real estate, geographic information science, or a closely related field. Minimum qualifications include five years conducting market studies for government entities or alcoholic beverage control agencies; demonstrated GIS and spatial analysis proficiency; demographic modeling experience using U.S. Census Bureau and state-level data; retail performance analytics; distribution and logistics analysis; e-commerce operational impact analysis; real estate and lease-versus-build expertise; and facility condition assessment experience. Proposals must include three references from comparable public-sector engagements within the last seven years, with at least one involving distribution logistics or warehouse capacity analysis.

Evaluation criteria weight firm experience and key staff credentials at 50%, GIS spatial analysis and demographic modeling at 25%, and real estate, facility condition, and financial analytics at 25%. Contractors must maintain workers' compensation insurance, commercial general liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence and $3 million aggregate, and commercial automobile liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence. The contract term is one year, with a project kick-off meeting scheduled for July 7–11, 2026, and agency data transfer by July 25, 2026.