Food Waste Composting Services

Los Alamos County is requesting proposals for food waste composting services under RFP27-13, with proposals due August 20, 2026. The County seeks collection, transport, and processing of source-separated food waste from commercial generators including schools, grocery stores, and restaurants, with potential future expansion to public drop-off sites and residential curbside collection. Because the County lacks property and infrastructure to operate a composting facility, the selected contractor will process collected food waste using County-provided green waste mulch where appropriate and deliver finished compost to the County for distribution.

Local-vendor preference and other preferences are available under Los Alamos County Code Section 31-261(b) and New Mexico State Statute Section 13-1-21 et al. Offerors may request preference status for Local (Los Alamos) Business, Resident (New Mexico) Business, Native American Resident Business with annual gross revenues up to six million dollars, Native American Resident (New Mexico) Business, Resident Veteran Business with annual gross revenues up to six million dollars, or Native American Resident Veteran Business with annual gross revenues up to six million dollars. Local preference applicants must hold a current Los Alamos County Business License and maintain their principal office within Los Alamos County.

The contract term is seven years. Offerors must submit pricing for Years 1 through 7 and may propose price escalation mechanisms using specified dollar amounts, percentages, capped not-to-exceed amounts, or formulas such as the Producer Price Index or Consumer Price Index. Cost-plus-a-percentage-of-cost contracts are prohibited. Travel expenses must comply with County guidelines, including lodging at $250 base rate per night, meals at $90 per diem for multi-day travel or up to $40 daily for one-day travel, and mileage at $0.45 per mile minimum.

Offerors must provide detailed information on a minimum of three previous or current clients for similar services performed within the last 3–5 years. Certification regarding debarment, suspension, and other responsibility matters is required. Deviations from or exceptions to the County's standard Services Agreement must be formally submitted with proposals. Offerors must also complete a Request for Preference Form and a Campaign Contribution Form with their proposals.