DPS Food Management Services

The New Mexico Department of Public Safety (DPS) is soliciting sealed proposals through RFP 26-790-1000-00003 to establish a one-year contract with options to extend year-to-year for up to nine additional years (not to exceed ten years total) for comprehensive food management services at the DPS and New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy (NMLEA) facilities. The contractor shall provide three meals daily (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and three scheduled snacks (morning, afternoon, and evening) seven days per week from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. during class sessions and special events, including on-site cafeteria operations, off-site meals for shooting range activities, special event catering, emergency meals, and cash cafeteria services for personnel and visitors. Services must include development and maintenance of a four-week rotating menu cycle approved by DPS designees, accommodation of dietary restrictions including allergies and religious observances, and adherence to specific nutritional requirements per the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030, with protein targets of 160+ grams daily for male recruits and 120+ grams for female recruits. Contractor qualifications must include demonstration of financial stability with an Equifax or Experian credit score of 660 or higher and/or a Dunn & Bradstreet Composite Score of 1 or 2, maintenance of all state and local health certifications and federal food safety standards, provision of background checks and drug testing for all employees, and evidence of organizational experience and references. Evaluation criteria total 1,000 points distributed across Technical Specifications (700 points) encompassing organizational experience (225 points), organizational references (75 points), and mandatory specifications (400 points); and Business Specifications (300 points) based solely on cost, with pass/fail requirements for financial stability, letter of transmittal, campaign contribution disclosure, food sample demonstration, and New Mexico resident preferences. Key procurement dates include a mandatory pre-proposal conference and site visit on February 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.; written question deadline of February 12, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. MST/MDT with responses posted by February 16, 2026; and proposal submission deadline of March 6, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. MST/MDT via the Bonfire system, with proposal evaluation beginning March 10, 2026, followed by finalist selection, oral presentations, and a mandatory food sample demonstration for the top four ranked offerors.

New Mexico resident preference is available if offerors qualify, offering 80-100 bonus evaluation points for businesses meeting resident status requirements. All contractors must comply with New Mexico's campaign contribution disclosure requirements and submit either an IRS W-9 or New Mexico State Substitute W-9 form as part of their business specifications. Contractors shall be compensated through fixed rates per meal and per snack for on-site class services, off-site class services, special events, and emergency meals, with pricing broken into separate line items for food, beverages, supplies, direct labor with benefits, operating costs, management fees, consultant fees, overhead, and other costs, plus New Mexico gross receipts tax; the fixed price per meal shall remain constant for the first twelve months and may increase annually by the Yearly Percentage Change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (Food Eaten Away from Home category). DPS shall provide all on-site fixed and movable equipment, utilities, and facility maintenance, while the contractor assumes responsibility for all operational costs including food procurement, transportation, supplies, employee expenses, daily cleaning, routine sanitation, and deep cleaning operations. Monthly compensation shall be determined by actual meal counts by class, location, and event type as documented in detailed monthly invoices reconciled with usage reports, with payment tendered within thirty days of DPS certification. The RFP does not identify an incumbent contractor, and no specific award value or budget range is provided; pricing shall be determined through competitive bidding based on the cost proposal submitted by each offeror.