Public Institutions: Draft Food Service Management Contracts

The parties in a food service contract are the institution purchasing the food and its selected management company. After an institution has selected a management company through the RFP process, the institution and management company enter into contract negotiations.

Individuals involved in drafting and negotiating the contract should understand the public institution’s commitment to values-based procurement and treat it as a priority throughout the process. These participants are critical to successful negotiations because they typically have the deepest knowledge of the institution’s food operations, purchasing policies, and values-based goals.

Institution representatives involved in contract negotiation may include:

• The dining or food operations director;
• Procurement and purchasing personnel, including food service managers, chefs, and procurement officers;
• Other members of the values-based procurement team, such as DEI personnel, sustainability office members, and other involved faculty or employees;
• Executive leadership committed to values-based procurement, such as the CEO, CFO, president, dean, or provost.