Nutritional Services at MVH CT and MVHDJJ

Michigan Department of Veteran and Military Affairs and Michigan Veteran Homes are requesting proposals for comprehensive nutritional services at Michigan Veteran Homes Chesterfield Township (MVH CT) and Michigan Veteran Homes D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans (MVHDJJ) under RFP No. 260000002176, with proposals due September 9, 2026.

Bidders may propose to serve either facility independently or both, with the State reserving the right to award one or both facilities to a single contractor or separate contractors. MVH CT is a newly constructed skilled-nursing facility with maximum capacity of 128 members featuring a central commercial kitchen and four neighborhoods with satellite kitchens. MVHDJJ is a skilled-nursing facility in Marquette with current maximum capacity of 108 members that will relocate to a newly constructed replacement facility during the contract term.

The Contractor must provide all on-site nutrition services operations including food preparation, meal service, staff hiring and management, and procurement of all food, supplies, and equipment in compliance with CMS, Michigan Modified Food Code, IDDSI, and HACCP requirements. Service includes three daily meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) seven days per week meeting 2,100–2,400 calories daily with full-range diet types (regular, mechanically altered, therapeutic, tube-fed), five-week menu cycles, and always-available menu options. For MVH CT, a decentralized household-based dining model with meal finishing in eight household kitchenettes and a Bistro (capped at 15 percent profit margin, open approximately 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. seven days per week, estimated 100 employee and guest meals daily) is required. For MVHDJJ, centralized trayline production with satellite kitchen operations and transition to a household-based model at the new facility applies. The Contractor must utilize the State-provided MealSuite nutrition management system, maintain 100 percent tray accuracy with random audits of at least 10 percent of trays, implement comprehensive HACCP programs, and assign qualified Key Personnel including Contract Administrator and Nutrition Services Program Managers holding Certified Food Protection Manager credentials and either Certified Dietary Manager, Registered Dietitian credential, or food service management degree with minimum three years healthcare/long-term care supervisory experience. On-site leadership presence is required during all operating hours (5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., seven days per week). Subcontracted personnel cannot exceed 15 percent of total workforce. All personnel must complete background checks including OTIS, OIG Exclusionary List, iCHAT, and Michigan Long-Term Care Workforce Background Check systems.

The contract term is December 2, 2026, through January 31, 2029, with a transition-in phase from December 2, 2026, through January 31, 2027, during which no payments are made; contract activities commence February 1, 2027. The State may renew for up to four additional one-year periods at its sole discretion. Pricing operates under a passthrough cost model where disposable and consumable items for member meal service may be charged back to the State; all Bistro-specific expenses remain the Contractor's sole responsibility. Pricing must be submitted in modifiable Excel format with estimated annual costs across seven categories (food cost, consumable supplies, salaries and wages, payroll taxes and fringe benefits, equipment and service ware, overhead expenses, and fixed monthly management support fee); the Fixed Monthly Management Support Fee is the only competitively bid price. The Contractor is entirely responsible for Bistro sales tax compliance. Contractor staff at MVH CT are not currently unionized; Contractor staff at MVHDJJ are represented by a union.

Insurance requirements include Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 each occurrence / $2,000,000 general aggregate), Umbrella or Excess Liability ($5,000,000 each occurrence / $10,000,000 aggregate), Automobile Liability ($1,000,000 per accident with Hired and Non-Owned coverage), Workers Compensation per applicable law, Employers Liability ($500,000 each accident), and Crime / Fidelity Insurance ($1,000,000 employee theft per loss). All insurers must maintain an A.M. Best rating of A- VII or higher; the State of Michigan must be named as an additional insured on applicable policies on a primary and non-contributory basis. Insurance certificates are due within 10 business days of contract execution.

The Service Level Agreement incorporates a tiered penalty structure for non-compliance with service credits ranging from $100 to $1,000 per occurrence depending on severity and frequency of failures within a calendar year, assessed beginning with the second occurrence, with escalating penalties for third, fourth, and fifth-plus occurrences. The State Contract Administrator is Amanda Smart (SmartA1@michigan.gov, 517-730-8796). Program Managers are Jennifer Manning for MVH CT (ManningJ5@michigan.gov, 586-719-6791) and Christopher LaJoie for MVHDJJ (LaJoieC@michigan.gov, 616-213-4792). Undisputed invoices are payable within 45 days of State receipt via Electronic Funds Transfer only. All proposals must include a completed Confidential Treatment Form regardless of whether confidential treatment is requested; failure to submit may result in proposal rejection or full public disclosure without redaction. Proposals must also include completion of the Vendor Questions Worksheet, requiring company background, three project references from the past five years, Michigan contract experience, financial information, compliance certifications, and disclosure of labor law or discrimination violations within the past five years.