Concordia’s request for beverage service proposals is now public

Concordia’s request for proposals (RFP) from beverage service providers has been made public, and interested parties have until March 31 April 17 at 2 p.m. to submit a bid.

The contract is university-wide with certain exclusions, such as student-run areas.

Who was involved in determining the criteria in the contract?

A Food Advisory Working Group which represents key areas of the university, was struck to develop the food-service RFP. This same working group was tasked with determining the criteria for the beverage-service contract.

See the beverage services FAQ for more on the composition of the working group.

How were the requirements determined?

The RFP is based heavily on feedback from the Concordia community, including results of a survey held in late January.

Nearly 5,000 responses were received, and the results highlighted the importance of sustainable initiatives, and a variety of healthful and locally sourced options on the shelves.

What did the survey tell us?

Responses suggest the community is less interested in soda and soft drinks than they are in juice, tea, and organic and natural options.

Water ranked high in cold beverage preferences. In addition to the water-bottle filling stations around campus, other water products will be made available, such as flavoured, coconut, carbonated and vitamin water. Plain bottled water has been unavailable in vending machines since May 2012, and will be removed from all food service locations as of June 1, 2015.

Also, small-size beverage formats will be offered, in addition to regular and larger formats.

Half of the respondents said the energy efficiency of vending machines is an important factor to consider. The new contract requires that all beverage vending machines be Energy Star certified, with smart technology that includes an energy-saving mode when not in use, and must meet the standards set out by Natural Resources Canada.

While cash remains the payment method of choice, other payment options will be considered, such as debit and credit cards. Respondents showed interest in the concept of a student ID card that could carry a monetary balance.

Next steps

The current contract ends in May 2015. Interested parties have until March 31 April 17 to submit a proposal for the beverage service contract.

The selection will be made in April 2015 by a committee comprised of representatives of the Office of the Vice-President of Services, Hospitality Concordia, Recreation and Athletics, an external member who brings a wealth of food and beverage service experience to the table, and a student. This selection will be presented to the Board of Governors for approval in May.

Access the beverage services RFP. Questions about the RFP should be directed to Daniela Di Paola, senior buyer in Purchasing Services, at Daniela.DiPaola@concordia.ca or at 514-848-2424, ext. 3629.