Snack Vending Services

Trident Technical College (TTC) in Charleston County, South Carolina, is seeking a single snack vending service provider through a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the State Fiscal Accountability Authority's Division of Procurement Services. The procurement involves placing approximately 35 new or like-new state-of-the-art vending machines across multiple TTC campuses, including Thornley, Berkeley, Dorchester, Mt Pleasant, and Palmer locations. The contract requires machines that accept multiple payment forms, including cash, coin, debit/credit cards, and mobile payment platforms, specifically for snack vending services and excluding beverage vending. Potential contractors must have a minimum of three years of experience in managing similar-scale vending services and will be evaluated on technical proposal quality (50 points), organizational experience and capabilities (30 points), and business proposal (20 points). Key dates include a pre-proposal conference via Microsoft Teams on February 14, 2025, at 10:00 AM, with site visits available by appointment through February 19, 2025, and proposals due by March 19, 2025, at 11:00 AM. The contract term is one year with four potential one-year renewals, spanning May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2030.

While no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises were explicitly mentioned, the solicitation requires contractors to submit a monthly commission payment to TTC based on gross sales, with a minimum acceptable percentage of 15%. Historical sales data demonstrates significant growth, from $46,570 in 2021 to $117,593 in 2023, with estimated 2024 sales of $169,022, suggesting a potentially lucrative opportunity for qualified vendors. The vending machine locations are strategically distributed across 23 specific spots, with the majority (18 locations) concentrated on the Main Campus, including various buildings and floors. Bidders must propose their percentage of gross sales for each of the five potential contract years and provide additional incentives, with details to be referenced in Section IV of the solicitation. The contract will be awarded on April 11, 2025, with the successful vendor expected to manage a comprehensive vending service program that meets the diverse needs of TTC's multi-campus educational environment.