Exclusive Event Utilities

The City of Phoenix, through its Phoenix Convention Center Department, is issuing a Revenue Contract Solicitation (RCS-PCC-26-0218) for exclusive event utility services at the Phoenix Convention Center campus and associated theatrical venues including Symphony Hall, Orpheum Theater, and Herberger Theater. The contractor will provide electrical, water, compressed air services, and related infrastructure support to exhibitors and clients, including temporary electrical connections, water supply and drainage, and compressed air system operations and maintenance. The selected contractor must possess a minimum of ten years of verifiable experience managing event utility services in a large-scale convention center environment and maintain active Arizona State electrical licenses (Category L-11 and A-17) for at least five years prior to proposal submission. All electrical work must comply with the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70E, and applicable City of Phoenix codes. Evaluation criteria consist of 1,000 total points, with commission rates submitted by respondents constituting 30 percent of the score based on financial return to the City, while firm qualifications and key personnel (35 percent), operational plan and technical approach (20 percent), and business plan and competitive rate structure (15 percent) comprise the remaining 70 percent. Critical dates include a mandatory pre-offer conference on March 27, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., a site visit at 10:30 a.m. the same day, written inquiry submission deadline of April 3, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., and sealed offer submission deadline of April 27, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. The resulting five-year contract will commence on or about October 1, 2026, with potential extensions at the City's discretion and is contingent upon City Council approval and City Clerk signature and recording.

The solicitation does not identify specific set-aside designations; however, contractors must comply with Disadvantaged Business Enterprise requirements under 49 C.F.R. Part 26, including prompt payment to subcontractors within seven days of receipt of payment from the City. The contractor must demonstrate compliance with extensive nondiscrimination and civil rights requirements derived from federal statutes including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, with prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including general liability with $2,000,000 general aggregate limits, workers' compensation insurance, technology errors and omissions liability, and network security and privacy liability, and must submit a $300,000 performance bond or surety upon notification of award. No incumbent contractor or existing infrastructure integration requirements are specified in the solicitation documents. While no specific budget or award value is disclosed, the financial evaluation component indicates the City will assess the contractor's proposed commission rates as a material factor in determining overall value and contract award.