Western State/Central State Hospital Foodservice Management

The Commonwealth of Kentucky's Finance and Administration Cabinet, Office of Procurement Services, on behalf of the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, issued this Request for Proposal for comprehensive food service management operations at Western State Hospital/Western State Nursing Facility and Central State Hospital located in Clark County. The procurement seeks qualified vendors to provide complete food service operations including meal preparation, service, staffing, dietary management, and related administrative functions for one or both facilities. Western State Hospital operates a 175-bed psychiatric facility with an estimated daily census of 149 patients, while Western State Nursing Facility operates a 144-bed nursing facility with an estimated daily census of 97 residents, collectively requiring approximately 22,140 meals monthly consisting of three meals and three snacks daily, seven days per week. Central State Hospital is a Joint Commission-accredited psychiatric facility serving 50-60 patients daily with approximately 250 employees. Contractors must demonstrate a minimum five-year history as a food service provider, maintain appropriate staffing including a food service manager, administrative assistant manager, and minimum three clinical registered dietitians at Western State, and comply with all applicable federal regulations including 42 CFR 482.28 and 483.60 for nutrition standards. The initial contract term is two years with four optional two-year renewal periods. Site visits were conducted on October 21, 2024 at Central State Hospital in Louisville and October 22, 2024 at Western State Hospital in Hopkinsville, written vendor questions were due October 23, 2024, and proposals are due November 7, 2024 at 3:30 PM ET. The contractor will be responsible for all food, supplies, equipment maintenance, permits, inspections, personnel wages and benefits, uniforms, insurance, and quality control programs, while the Commonwealth furnishes the building, equipment, utilities, and pest control services.

The solicitation does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that may respond, and no incumbent vendor information is provided in the documentation. The cost proposal requires per diem meal pricing structured by census ranges, with Western State Hospital census-tiered pricing for census ranges from 195 and below through 225 and above, and Central State Hospital pricing tiers ranging from 50 and below through 76-85; employee meals are charged at $2.00 per person collected by the contractor, and double portion meals are charged at half the per diem rate. The contractor must provide proof of general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate and workers' compensation insurance, along with a performance bond equal to five percent of one year's contract value upon award selection. No price increases are permitted during the first twelve months of the contract; thereafter, increases may be requested with documented justification. The Commonwealth is tax-exempt and will not reimburse federal excise tax or state and local sales taxes. While specific budget ranges are not disclosed in the solicitation, the contract value can be estimated based on the meal volume and per diem pricing structure established for the facility census levels.