RFP PB-18-5 Common Use Airport Lounge PBIA

Palm Beach County's Department of Airports issued RFP PB-18-5 to procure a qualified concessionaire to develop, operate, manage, and maintain a full-service common use airport passenger lounge at Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA). The approximately 2,643-square-foot improved space will be located post-security with access to Concourses A and B, and will feature kitchen and bar facilities, lounge seating areas, meeting rooms, restrooms, and amenities including upscale furnishings, complimentary high-quality snacks and beverages (with healthy and gluten-free options), computer workstations, current periodicals, high-definition televisions, electric charging stations, and free internet access. The concessionaire must complete all leasehold improvements within twelve months of the effective date and operate the lounge seven days per week for a minimum of thirty minutes before the first departing flight through the last departing flight on Concourse A/B, with adjustable hours subject to department approval. Proposers must demonstrate relevant experience operating at least two full-service common use airport passenger lounges within the preceding five years and provide comprehensive financial documentation including balance sheets, tax returns, and certified financial statements, along with disclosure of any terminated airport lounge agreements within the past five years. The evaluation criteria allocate 100 points across five weighted categories: privilege fee for non-alcohol gross revenues (15 points), privilege fee for alcohol sales (5 points), experience, qualifications, and financial information (30 points), project approach (40 points), and Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise participation (10 points). The mandatory pre-proposal conference was held on March 7, 2018, with written questions due by April 18, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., and proposals due on May 16, 2018, at 3:00 p.m. local time; proposers must submit one unbound original, seven hard copies, and one electronic PDF copy along with a $5,000 proposal guarantee.

The RFP establishes a minimum 15% Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) participation goal, with proposers unable to meet this threshold required to submit a Demonstration of Good Faith Efforts schedule documenting contact logs, solicitation methods, and outreach efforts to certified ACDBE firms; Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 ACDBE documentation must accompany all proposals identifying proposed ACDBE firms and their letters of intent to perform. The concessionaire must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including $1,000,000 commercial general liability, $1,000,000 liquor liability, $1,000,000 business auto liability, worker's compensation, business interruption, and property/wind/flood insurance, and must post a security deposit equal to fifty percent of the Minimum Annual Guarantee. The concession agreement term is five years from the Date of Beneficial Occupancy with no renewal options, and the fee structure includes a Minimum Annual Guarantee of $65,000 for the first contract year, adjustable annually to the greater of 85% of the prior year's privilege fee or the previous year's minimum guarantee, plus a minimum privilege fee of 10% of annual gross revenues excluding alcohol sales and 15% of annual gross revenues from separately charged alcoholic beverages. All concessionaire staff working at the airport must pass criminal history records checks, and the selected proposer must comply with all federal aviation regulations, security requirements, and non-discrimination provisions. The specific award value or contract value is not explicitly stated in the RFP documents, though the financial commitment is evident through the Minimum Annual Guarantee of $65,000 annually and the concessionaire's obligation to make unspecified but significant Initial Leasehold Improvements to the 2,643-square-foot space.