Looking for Food Suppliers for a New Business

Portland OR

Description

General Information: RFP for Vending Food Supplier 1.1 Statement of Purpose We are seeking proposals from the best local eateries, catering companies, and food wholesaling vendors for the provision of prepared boxed healthy meals for our vending services company at multiple locations throughout Portland, OR. Our goal is to partner with a vendor that can curate, prepare, and supply us with healthy foods. The successful vendor will be expected to provide orders daily and with offerings that include a variety of nutritious choices made with local ingredients when possible. 1.2 Company Background NewCo is part of a well-established private holding entity that owns and operates multiple companies. NewCo plans to serve customers in the Pacific NW, starting with the Portland Metro Area. At NewCo, providing a variety of high quality menu options quickly and with as much nutritional information as possible is the primary objective. Local sustainability is also important. These values inform our priority to partner with a food service vendor that has demonstrated success balancing food costs with taste and nutritional value in the PNW area. The NewCo target customers are affluent, culturally diverse and have a range of dietary needs and preferences. We would like our food offerings to reflect that diversity with choices for world cuisines. 1.3 Company Overview NewCo seeks to solve the problem of finding high quality, inexpensive, fresh, nutritional food options for lunch or dinner combined with the added convenience of vending machines primarily through exclusive partnerships with established and reputable local food vendors. We believe that quality is paramount, and that our carefully curated food offerings will be one of the keys to our success and what differentiates us from traditional vending machine operators. To provide healthy and fresh food options, NewCo will put together a logistical network to restock vending machines regularly. Our vending machines will not look or operate like traditional vending machines which are limited to a handful of features. We plan on sourcing multiple vending machines with the latest technologies such as 50-inch touch screens, cloud-based inventory systems, and both refrigerated and (possibly) heated food storage options. Below are some photos of the machines we plan on using. 1.4 Regulatory Compliance NewCo’s vending machines will be classed as a Class I mobile food unit under OHA regulation. These machines will be refrigerated to 5°C (41°F) and will display the current temperature on the touch screen. Any ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food in the vending machines will be discarded if not consumed within seven (7) days, where day 1 is the day the food is prepared by the food vendor. NewCo will work with our food vendors to prepare and maintain written procedures to be made available to the regulatory authorities upon request. 1.5 Customer Channels NewCo’s primary customer channel will be high foot traffic locations such as gyms, airports, office spaces, residential buildings, and universities. Our target customers would be individuals who want to eat healthier and higher quality food on the go. Our customers live in Urban/Suburban areas where vending machines can be accessed easily (hotels, hospitals, gas stations, schools, commercial/residential buildings, etc.) 1.6 Scope of Work The vending food Contractor will be responsible for providing nutritional food or drinks daily for the length of the contract. The Contractor will also be responsible for costs including ingredients, packaging and other materials required to deliver food services at NewCo locations. 2. Contract Terms & Conditions This document is a request for proposal and not an offer to purchase. Nothing contained in this RFP creates a contractual relationship between NewCo and any supplier. NewCo makes no commitment in or by virtue of this RFP to purchase products or services from any supplier. Such commitment may be made only in and through a properly executed agreement. 3. Proposal Requirements To be considered, respondents to this food services RFP must submit timely, written proposals that fully address all questions and requirements. It must include the following components: - Executive Summary: Provide a general overview of your proposal and how your company’s approach is best suited to the needs and requirements of NewCo. - Company History: Provide a brief description of your company, date of establishment, its current customers, locations, size of team, organizational structure, any press mentions, and any other relevant information. - Description of current facility: Provide a description of where the food currently being manufactured, size of your facility, capacity, hours of operation, and excess capacity. - Certification: Provide details of your current certification from USDA or ODA, and your HACCP plan. Include holding temperature details, any disclosures or footnotes - Executive Team: Provide bios of the executive management team, executive chef, and relevant experience of the team. - Quantity: Provide minimum and maximum quantities that your company is able to offer for each suggested item. - Ingredient sourcing: Provide an explanation of your procurement process and source of your ingredients. - Menu items: Provide a list of items with detailed descriptions, product photographs, nutritional information, ingredients, OHA compliant food label, shelf life, common allergens, and weight of each suggested product. - Logistics: Provide an explanation of how you plan to handle cold deliveries (under 40°F) of the products to multiple sites throughout the Portland Metro area. Alternatively, please detail a plan of how you can work with our logistical network to facilitate the restocking of the Vending Machines. - Packaging: Provide a detailed description and photographs of the intended packaging that you plan to utilize. - Bid: Provide the per unit cost of producing specific food items with the minimum order quantity that NewCo must meet, and how that per unit cost will decrease with increases in quantity. 3.1 Offerings Our vending product list will include items from the following food categories: - Sandwiches - Salads - Entrees - Snacks - Drinks - Desserts Furthermore, to keep up with changing demands and seasonal trends, NewCo seeks to work with a supplier who can create new recipes and curate new food items in a timely, cost-efficient manner. 4. Evaluation & Awards Timeline ● RFP Issue Date.................................................... 10/08/2021 ● Questions Submitted By..................................... 11/02/2021 ● Proposal Submissions Due.................................. 11/08/2021 ● Initial Menu Tasting............................................ 11/23/2021 ● Review of Submittals.......................................... 11/28/2021 ● Notice of Award.................................................. 12/08/2021 5. Contacts 5.1 Inquiries & Responses All questions must be submitted to Aginsky Capital Group via email. In-person meetings may be scheduled by calling 206-356-8777. In order to be considered, you must submit one (1) electronic copy of your bid proposal no later than 11/04/2021 to the email address provided.