Public Institutions: Draft Requests for Proposals for Food Service Management Companies

Note: The following sample language is from a resource written by Maine Food for U Maine to support local food purchasing in the University of Maine system. It is not from an actual RFP. 

“The Vendor meets or exceeds the University’s commitments to increase local, organic and ecologically sound, humane, and fair procurement. A minimum of 20% of food purchases will be sourced from producers and suppliers based on the Real Food criteria, and 20% of food purchases will be sourced from Maine, with an additional priority placed on food purchases sourced from within New England (outside of Maine), based on definitions and criteria included in this section. There is likely to be, and can be, significant overlap with these commitments. Proposals that outline a plan to exceed the 20% goals are encouraged.”

“Specific, measurable goals established by the…SFA[:]
[ . . .]
C. Local and Sustainably Produced Food
• A commitment to purchasing and promoting local foods.
• Quarterly local purchasing reports provided to the district stating quantity and dollar value of local purchases. A minimum of 10% combined spend on local fresh produce and protein with a goal of 30% within five years of contract start date. “Local” is defined as within 100 miles of Chapel Hill.
• Menus that reflect seasonal availability of local produce.
• Development of meaningful partnerships with local growers and producers.
• Partner chef and/or farmer engagement with each school.
• Preference, when feasible, towards products listed as organic or using organic practices.
• Documentation of percentage and expenditure on products produced in North Carolina.

G. Progressive Food Initiative
• [Management Company] agrees to a $25,000 annual commitment set aside for progressive food initiatives that promote supporting the local food economy, reduction of processed foods, increasing fresh produce consumption, food justice and food equity initiatives. The fund will be administered in partnership with the [Management Company] and the district.”

“Alameda County is vitally interested in addressing the social and environmental impacts of our supply chain. It is ACSO’s objective for the food service bidder to support this mission by developing a Sustainable Food Service Action Plan (the Plan) that identifies strategies, goals and metrics that will measurably reduce the impacts associated with all aspects of this contract, and provides a baseline for sustainability metrics.

Within sixty (60) days of contract start, and annually thereafter, Bidder shall provide a Sustainable Food Service Action Plan (the Plan) for how to reduce the environmental impact of food service delivery and operations associated with this contract to reduce environmental impacts. This plan shall be developed in consultation with the [Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO)] and [the Alameda County General Services Agency (GSA)]. At minimum, the Plan shall identify efforts the bidder will take to minimize the generation of waste, divert waste that is generated from landfill, and strategies to minimize the life cycle environmental and social impacts associated with the provision of food.

Bidder shall update the Sustainable Food Service Action Plan annually in consultation with ACSO and GSA. The annual update to the plan shall incorporate a summary of the metrics from previous contract year(s), a summary of the environmental and social footprint improvements achieved, and seek to identify opportunities for continuous improvement in addressing the environmental impacts of the food service operation.”

“[D]evelop and track metrics that measure and evaluate achievement in meeting the [sustainability] goals of the plan. Metrics shall be collected on an ongoing basis, and shall be reported quarterly[.] Metrics shall include:
(1) Kitchen food waste, assessed monthly;
(2) Purchase of disposable food ware items for use in Officers’ Dining Room, by case/count; and
(3) Produce purchased from local (within 250 miles) vs. non-local farms, by case.”

“[The Management Company] will provide a velocity report by month, quarter and/or year as requested by the District. The velocity report will include the following: item description, total cases purchased for the period, total pounds purchased for the period, total cost of each item purchased for the period, overall total amount purchased for the period. The vendor will provide a velocity report by month, quarter and/or year as requested by the District that identifies the amount of produce purchased with the District’s definitions of local.”

“[Management Company] will provide a quarterly summary report, stating which farm supplies the locally grown or raised agricultural products, amount, and type purchased for that period.”

“Rebates shall be disclosed on a quarterly basis, and disclosures will provide the total dollar value of rebates received and the suppliers from which they were received.

The [Management Company] will provide full transparency regarding the value and nature of food rebates from its purchasing contracts. Rebates shall be disclosed on a quarterly basis, and disclosures will provide the total dollar value of rebates received and the suppliers from which they were received.

Provide examples of the form and format of regular volume rebate disclosures, including exact dollar value; where such reporting doesn’t currently exist, please describe the strategy that will be employed to develop such a reporting mechanism.”

“During the term of the contract, the [Management Company] shall ensure that all discounts, rebates, and credits received by the [Management Company] from its suppliers are fully disclosed to the District. The [Management Company] is required, by law, to provide documentation to the District of any discount, rebate, and other applicable credits, including but not limited to, price reductions due to product promotions, volume purchasing, online ordering or other electronic ordering systems, prompt payment or advance pay, or any activity that results in lowering the product cost paid by the District.”

“4. The Selected [Management Company] must identify the amount of each discount, rebate, and other applicable credit on bills and invoices presented to the SFA for payment and individually identify the amount as a discount, rebate, or in case of other applicable credits, the nature of the credit. The SFA may permit the Selected [Management Company] to report this information on a less frequent basis than monthly, but no less frequent than annually.
5. The Selected [Management Company] must identify the method by which it will report discounts, rebates, and other applicable credits. The Selected [Management Company] must maintain documentation of costs and discounts, rebates, and other applicable credits and must furnish such documentation upon request.”

“[The Management Company] will work to develop partnerships and purchasing relationships with Indigenous, Minority, and New American producers. Making up approximately 5% of the state’s population, and often bringing extensive agricultural knowledge to the state, many farmers and cooperatives in these communities lack the pre-existing social networks or language skills to access institutional markets. As such, the [Management Company] will make special effort to reach out to entities, organizations, and intermediaries connected to Indigenous, Minority, and New American farmers and will strive to achieve, over the length of the contract, a level of purchasing from these producers commensurate with their demographic representation in the state, currently 5%.

[Management Company] will demonstrate steps taken to develop these partnerships and purchasing relationships to the University of Maine System Food Working Group.”

“6.3 Contractor shall have meaningful partnerships with local growers and producers.”

“[Community Purchasing Alliance Cooperative] and participating [DC-area] SFAs are committed to servicing healthful, delicious, and nutritionally sound meals to students to promote a healthy lifestyle and diet. Each SFA’s goals are detailed below, and the group seeks an FSMC that is able and enthusiastic to work with contracted SFAs to achieve these goals. All activities of Community Purchasing Alliance Cooperative reflect our belief that economic, racial, and environmental justice are three threads of the same strong social fiber.”