Implement
Public Institutions: Draft Requests for Proposals for Food Service Management Companies
- Public Institution
- FSMC-Operated
Introduction
While procurement laws and policies shape the strategies that public institutions employ when altering their procurement practices, they do not prevent public institutions from incorporating values-based purchasing into their food procurement. For public institutions working with a food service management company, selecting a management company is a critical step in establishing and expanding values-based procurement practices. On this page, you can:
- Find model recommendations and alternative language for including values-based procurement principles in RFPs.
- See examples from public institutions using RFPs to set values-based expectations and evaluation criteria for prospective management companies.
- Learn about institution-specific considerations for public institutions drafting RFPs.
Keep In Mind:
Because the applicable laws vary depending on the type of institution, level of government, and geographic location, teams incorporating values-based procurement into their RFPs must consult closely with their legal and procurement teams. In addition, this Toolkit focuses on highlighting and incorporating values-based procurement throughout an RFP. It does not provide a full, step-by-step guide for creating an entire RFP.
This stage includes model recommendations and sample language for incorporating values-based procurement into an RFP for a management company. Clearly communicating expectations and evaluating bidders’ capacity to deliver are essential to building a strong values-based purchasing program. Many public institutions have established RFP templates and may require certain sections or topics be included in the document. These model recommendations and language can be added to an existing RFP template to incorporate values-based purchasing into the procurement process.
Keep these key terms in mind:
- Vendor: a producer, food hub, aggregator, or distributor selling to a management company. “Values-based vendor” refers to a vendor that meets an institution’s food purchasing guidelines or standards.
- Management Company: a food service management company submitting a proposal in response to an RFP to manage food operations for an institution.
- Institution: the institution conducting the RFP process and seeking a management company.
A public institution’s RFP that incorporates values-based procurement should:
- Identify applicable procurement laws.
- Signal institutional commitment.
- State implementation expectations.
- Solicit information demonstrating capacity to deliver.
- Set evaluation metrics.
Guiding Activities
Identify Applicable Procurement Laws
The first step for public institutions drafting RFPs is to identify applicable procurement laws that will govern the selection process and the institution’s food purchasing.
Signal Institutional Commitment to Values-Based Procurement
The RFP should introduce the public institution and its values to the management companies competing for its business.
State Expectations for Values-Based Purchasing Implementation
Including values-based procurement expectations in the RFP makes compliance with those expectations a central part of securing the contract.
Solicit Information Demonstrating Management Company’s Capacity to Deliver
An RFP can be used to gather information about a prospective management company and its ability to work with a public institution to achieve its values-based procurement goals.
Set Values-Based Evaluation Metrics
Including values-based evaluation criteria in RFPs enables a public institution to assess responses from management companies more holistically and prioritize alignment with institutional values.