Pouring Rights & Beverage Vending Machines RFP

Mt. San Antonio College, a California community college district located in Walnut serving over 41,000 students, is soliciting proposals for comprehensive Pouring Rights and Beverage Vending Machine services through Request for Proposal #2026-042. The College seeks qualified suppliers to provide all carbonated and non-carbonated, non-alcoholic beverages for resale, distribution, and merchandising across campus locations including dining facilities, vending machines, convenience stores, kiosks, athletic events, and catering services under a five-year contract commencing July 1, 2026 and expiring June 30, 2031. Proposers must submit comprehensive pricing proposals that include one-time signing bonuses, annual cash sponsorships, scholarship contributions, title sponsorships, commission support with minimum guaranteed amounts, price increase ceilings for years two through five, rebate proposals, growth incentive bonuses, enclosure replacement contributions, advertising opportunities, free product contributions, and flex fund commitments. The College reserves the right to award all beverage categories to a single supplier or distribute awards among multiple suppliers at its sole discretion. Key requirements include supplying and installing all equipment at no vendor cost, including Energy Star-qualified vending machines, fountain equipment, and coolers; providing preventative maintenance with less than 24-hour response times; implementing real-time inventory monitoring; and ensuring weekly merchandising and compliance with sustainability requirements. The District is evaluating vendor capabilities to support state-of-the-art facilities including a 10,000-seat stadium complex and 2,000-seat aquatics center with LED video boards and enhanced concessions areas. Critical deadlines include a mandatory pre-proposal meeting on March 11, 2026 at 9:00 AM via Zoom, a Request for Information deadline of March 18, 2026 at 2:00 PM, proposal submission deadline of April 8, 2026 at 2:00 PM through Mt. SAC's eProcurement Portal, optional interviews on May 8, 2026, award recommendation on June 4, 2026, and contract commencement on July 1, 2026.

The RFP documentation does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular organizational categories, suggesting that all qualified beverage service providers may respond to this opportunity. Current vendor data indicates that Pepsi has been providing beverage services to Mt. SAC, with documented 2025 net revenue of $280,043 representing a 9.6% growth rate from 2024, and vending machine sales records from August 2025 show an established distribution network of 16 machines across campus locations dispensing various beverages including Pepsi products, Gatorade, Celsius, Rockstar, Aquafina water, Brisk tea, Starbucks Frappuccino, and Premier Protein. The College's existing infrastructure includes multiple vending machine locations throughout dormitories, dining facilities, gymnasiums, and outdoor areas, and prospective vendors will be required to integrate with the College's current operational framework while upgrading equipment and service capabilities. Financial compensation for the selected vendor(s) includes annual sponsorship fees based on minimum unit thresholds, rebates on postmix and packaged product purchases, growth incentive funds of $4.00 per case for annual purchases exceeding 11,001 cases, and supplemental payments for product donations, scholarships, athletic hydration products, and event sponsorships, though specific budget ranges or award values are not disclosed in the available RFP documentation. Vendors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage with minimum commercial general liability of $1,000,000 and aggregate limits of $2,000,000, naming the College as an additional insured, and demonstrate local representation with responsive service capabilities to support the comprehensive beverage program across the diverse student population.