Food and Beverage Vending Machine Services Request for Proposal (RFP)

View a video presentation of the information on this page.

Purpose and Background

The City of Seattle Parks and Recreation Department (SPR) is requesting proposals from qualified firms (proposers) to provide healthy food and beverage vending machine services at designated SPR facilities. SPR invites firms to submit proposals to install, maintain, operate and service food and beverage vending machines without cost to the Department. SPR will select the proposer who best demonstrates the ability to provide healthy, affordable, safe, and reliable food and beverage vending machine services to SPR patrons and employees while paying reasonable concession fees. The agreement period will be for five years and may be extended for an additional five-year term.

SPR is committed to providing healthy food and beverage choices to park guests and their employees. To aid potential firms with understanding our organization's values and goals, SPR has developed the following statements:

• Vision: Healthy people, healthy environment, financial stability, and strong community.
• Mission: Seattle Parks and Recreation provides welcoming and safe opportunities to play, learn, contemplate, build community, and promote responsible stewardship of the land.
• Core Values: Equity, access, opportunity, and sustainability.

SPR Concession Policy

It is the policy of SPR to provide, as appropriate and feasible, concession amenities and activities at our parks and facilities so that our park users' overall recreation experience is enhanced and enjoyable. To that end, concession opportunities shall be conducted in an open and inclusive process that is consistent with SPR's existing policies for concessions and request for proposals (Reference Operating Policies and Procedures Number 060-P3.9.1 and Number 060 P.3.9.1.1). Copies of these procedures can be furnished upon request.

Healthy Vending

Access to affordable, healthy, sustainable, and culturally appropriate food is a social justice issue. City of Seattle Healthy Vending Ordinance No. 124128 was adopted in 2013. The ordinance requires that any concessionaire that operates a food and/or beverage vending machine on City property shall stock 50 percent of the items within each machine with items that meet the "Healthiest" or "Healthier" product selection criteria adopted by Seattle King County Board of Health in the King County Healthy Vending Guidelines and shall clearly label such items to inform consumers that such item meet the guidelines. Please see Addendum 1 -Healthy Vending on City Property Ordinance No. 124128. These guidelines established nutritional and portions size standards for food and beverage vending sold on City Property.

SPR seeks proposals from qualified firms that can provide a variety of food and beverage choices that shall stock 100 percent of the items within each machine with items that meet either the "Healthiest" or "Healthier" product selection criteria adopted by Seattle King County Board of Health.

Application Materials

Please note: An updated RFP document was posted on 09/09/2021 to 1) correct a spelling error in Section 10; and 2) replace the word Concessionaire with the word Proposer in multiple sections of the document.

You must review these documents before submitting your proposal:

• Food and Beverage Vending Machine Services RFP Guidelines and Information
• Bid Response Packet
• Seattle Healthy Food Machines Ordinance
• King County Healthy Vending Guidelines
• Vending Locations
• Food and Beverage Vending Machine Agreement

Questions? Please read our FAQ before contacting us.

RFP Contact:

Terri Burns, Parks Concessions Coordinator
Email: terri.burns@seattle.gov
Phone: (206) 684-8008

Bid Response Submission Due Date

Bid Response must be electronically submitted and received no later than 4:00 pm on Wednesday, October 27, 2021. Pacific Standard Time. RFP Bid Response Packet is to be emailed to these RFP - Bid Response submission addresses:

Terri.Burns@seattle.gov
cc: Joanne Orsucci@seattle.gov

SPR reserves the right to modify this schedule. Changes will be posted on this page or as otherwise stated.