Food and Beverage Service Consultant for the Alliant Energy Center of Dane County

Dane County, Wisconsin is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure consulting services for food and beverage operations at the Alliant Energy Center (AEC), a 164-acre county-owned campus that hosts over 300 events annually with approximately 750,000 guests and an estimated economic impact exceeding $80 million. The Food and Beverage Service Consultant will assist AEC management in evaluating current food and beverage operations, drafting and issuing an RFP for food and beverage service providers, evaluating vendor responses, negotiating term sheets with the selected bidder, and managing the transition to the successful vendor. The consultant's deliverables include pre-RFP release work (assessing current operations, drafting the RFP document, and conducting pre-release marketing), RFP analysis and evaluation of responses with recommendations, and term sheet negotiations. Key objectives include supporting the transition from the current provider, Sodexo Live!, whose agreement expires June 30, 2027, to a new food and beverage service provider beginning July 1, 2027. The contract runs from approximately June 15, 2026, through July 31, 2027, with the food and beverage service provider RFP scheduled for release August 1, 2026, and responses due September 30, 2026. Questions regarding the consulting opportunity must be submitted by May 18, 2026, and proposals are due June 4, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. via the County's eProcurement Portal. Evaluation criteria total 105 points, including introduction (5 points), organizational capabilities (15 points), staff qualifications (20 points), project approach (35 points), timeline (5 points), cost (20 points), and local vendor preference (5 points).

Local vendor preferences are available to organizations located within Dane County, which receive five automatic preference points, while vendors in adjacent counties (Columbia, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock, and Sauk) receive two points. Respondents must submit cost proposals broken down into three categories: pre-RFP release work, RFP analysis and recommendation, and term sheet negotiations, with the option to provide hourly rates for additional services on an as-needed basis. The successful proposer may be required to make oral presentations if requested by the County and must maintain Commercial General Liability insurance ($1,000,000 minimum), Commercial/Business Automobile Liability insurance ($1,000,000 minimum), Environmental Impairment Liability insurance ($1,000,000 minimum), and Workers' Compensation insurance at statutory limits. Vendors must submit a W-9 form and Certificate of Insurance prior to contract execution and comply with fair labor practice certifications and non-discrimination requirements. The RFP does not specify a total budget or award value range; pricing will be evaluated based on individual vendor proposals across the three defined service categories. No specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises are mentioned in the available documentation, and standard Dane County terms and conditions apply to all respondents.