26-P024R Vending Services

The City of Charleston
Procurement Division
2 George Street, Suite 3600
Charleston, South Carolina 29401
P) 843-724-7312 F) 843-724-7354
www.charleston-sc.gov
Proposal Number: 26-P024R Proposals will be received until: November 10, 2026 @ 12:00pm
Proposal Title: Vending Services
Mailing Date: October 8, 2026 Direct Inquiries to: Robin B. Robinson
Vendor Name: FEIN/SS#:
Vendor Address:
City - State - Zip:
Telephone Number: Fax Number:
Authorized Signature: _____________________________ Title: __________________________
Date: _________________________
I certify that this bid is made without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm, or person submitting a bid for
the same materials, supplies, equipment or services and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. I agree to abide by all conditions of
this bid and certify that I am authorized to sign this bid for the bidder. This signed page must be included with bid submission.
IMPORTANT
1. This solicitation seeks proposals responding to the Scope of Work for a Vending
Services. This solicitation does not commit the City of Charleston to award a contract, to
pay any costs incurred in the preparation of applications submitted, or to procure or
contract for the services. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any, all or any
part of any proposal received as a result of this Solicitation, or to cancel in part or in its
entirety this Solicitation if it is in the best interest of the City to do so. The City shall be
the sole judge as to whether proposals submitted meet all requirements contained in this
solicitation.
2. Offeror may mail, or hand-deliver response to the Procurement Division. Do Not Fax in
the proposal response. Please show the solicitation number on the outside of any mailing
package. The City of Charleston assumes no responsibility for unmarked or improperly
marked envelopes. If directing any other correspondence to the Procurement Division
not related to the solicitation, please do not include the solicitation number on the
envelope. If the Bidder chooses not to respond to this solicitation, it is recommended to
return the "No Proposal Response Form" to our office.
3. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF OFFER: Any proposal or offer received after
the Procurement Director or his designee has declared that the time set for opening has
arrived, shall be rejected unless the offer has been delivered to the designated purchasing
office or the governmental bodies' mail room which services that purchasing office prior
to the proposal opening.
4. Questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted in writing to Robin B.
Robinson, no later than 1:00pm on October 21, 2026. Questions may either be faxed
to 843-724-7354 or emailed to Robin B. Robinson, robinsonr@charleston-sc.gov.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
The City is seeking a proposal from a qualified and experienced contractor in the installation,
maintenance, service, repair, and upkeep of vending equipment to provide food, beverages, and
snacks to various Charleston City Facilities, The City wishes to contract with a full-service
vendor who can provide both traditional vending equipment and micro market vending and
equipment, based on the size of the allotted vending space for the facility.
PROCUREMENT PROCESS
The RFP (Request for Proposal) is not a bid. In the event the City elects to negotiate a contract
with the successful Vendor, any contract shall contain, at a minimum, the term and conditions (or
substantially the same term and conditions) as hereinafter stated. The City reserves the right, in
its sole discretion, to reject all submissions, reissue a subsequent RFP, terminate, restructure or
amend this procurement process at any time. The final selection and contract negotiation rests
solely with the City.
QUESTIONS
Every effort has been made to insure that all information needed by the Offeror is included
herein; however, questions are allowed and encouraged to clear up any information as described
herein, etc. The City will not accept telephone calls or visits regarding this RFP. All questions
shall be in writing and addressed to: Robin B. Robinson, City of Charleston, Procurement
Division, 2 George Street, Suite 3600, Charleston, South Carolina 29401, or email to:
robinsonr@charleston-sc.gov. All questions must be received before 1:00pm on October 21,
2026. No interpretation shall be binding upon the City unless in writing from the City's
Corporate Counsel.
ORAL STATEMENTS
No oral statement of any person shall modify or otherwise change, or affect the terms, conditions
or specifications stated in the resulting contract. The City of Charleston shall not be legally
bound by any amendment or interpretation that is not in writing.
NON-ENDORSEMENT
If a Proposal is accepted, the successful Offeror shall not issue any news releases or other
statements pertaining to the award or servicing of the agreement that state or imply the City's
endorsement of the successful Offeror's product or services.
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION
If an Offeror does not desire proprietary information in the Proposal to be disclosed, the Offeror
shall identify all proprietary information in the Proposal. This identification will be done by
individually marking each page with the words "Proprietary Information" or "Confidential" on
which such proprietary information is found. If the Offeror fails to identify proprietary
information, it agrees that by submission of its Proposal that those sections shall be deemed non-
proprietary and made available upon request through the Freedom of Information Act.
UNAUTHORIZED COMMUNICATIONS
Respondents' contact regarding this RFP with employees or officials of the City of Charleston
will result in disqualification from this procurement process. Any oral communications are
considered unofficial and non-binding with regard to this RFP. The only authorized contacts for
this procurement are any designated Procurement staff.
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CONTRACTOR SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR PERFORMANCE
Vendor shall be responsible for the performance of the services required by the contract. Vendor
is an independent contractor and does not act as the City's agent or employee.
DISQUALIFICATION OF OFFERORS
Offerors may be disqualified for any of the following reasons:
* Reason to believe collusion exists among the Offerors
* The Offeror is involved in any litigation against the City
* The Offeror is in arrears on any existing contract or has defaulted on a previous
contract with the City
* Failure to perform under previous or present contracts with the City
* Is currently debarred by the State of South Carolina Procurement Services
SUSPENSION AND DEBARMENT
The Offeror certifies, by submission of this proposal, that neither it nor its principals are
presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal, state or local agency. Where the
Offeror is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, such Offeror shall attach
an explanation to this proposal.
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS
The City will rank, based upon the evaluation criteria, all responsible and responsive Vendors.
The City will begin negotiations with the top ranked Vendors and will continue with negotiation
down the ranking until a satisfactory contract with the City is finalized, if any. The terms and
conditions of the contract will be no less advantageous than the provisions of this RFP or the
Vendor's proposal. The City reserves the right to make a partial award or to split the award at its
sole discretion.
CONTRACT TERMS
The initial term of the Agreement shall be for one (1) year. The City reserves the right to extend
the Agreement if the City determines the extension is in its best interest; said extension will be
on an annual basis and shall not exceed four (4) additional one (1) year periods.
VENDOR'S DUTY TO INSPECT & ADVISE AND DECLARE ALL COSTS
Each Vendor shall become fully acquainted with the City's requirements and the scope of
commodities and/or services to be provided. Vendor shall have a duty to request any
information from the City as it deems necessary to prepare the RFP. No change order will be
granted or additional compensation permitted if based upon information the Vendor knew or
should have known as part of the Vendor's duty to become acquainted with the City's
circumstances and requirements.
RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS
Proposals must be submitted to and received by the City no later than the date and time specified
within this RFP. Offerors mailing proposals should allow a sufficient mail delivery period to
insure timely receipt (12:00pm on November 10, 2026) of their proposal by the City. Proposals
received after the scheduled due date and time will not be considered. Proposals must be
completed and delivered in sufficient time to avoid disqualification for lateness due to
difficulties in delivery. The time and date stamp clock in the City Procurement Division is the
official clock for determining whether submittals are submitted on time. The City of Charleston
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is not responsible for delays in the delivery of mail by the U.S. Postal Service or private couriers.
It is the responsibility solely of the Offerors to ensure that its proposal reaches the City of
Charleston Procurement Division, by the designated date and time. Proposals received after the
scheduled due date and time will not be considered.
Late Proposal documents will not be accepted under any circumstances.
PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
To assure similarity in proposal presentation and allow the Selection Committee to easily
compare competing proposals, Offerors shall include, in the order described, the material
indicated below. It is not the intent of the City of Charleston to constrain Offerors with regard to
content, but to assure that the specific requirements set for in this RFP are addressed in a uniform
manner amenable to Evaluation and Selection Committee review. Offerors may include
additional information sections or appendices if desired, to present additional pertinent
information. Offerors should submit information in a concise and responsive manner for every
requirement. Non-responsive or incomplete submittals or inability to meet City requirements set
forth may lead to disqualification of the Offeror's submittal.
Only information presented in the Proposal will be used to evaluate the submittals.
Responses shall be completed in accordance with the requirements in the RFP. Statements
made by an Offeror shall be without ambiguity, and with adequate elaboration, where
necessary, for clear understanding.
Specific Requirements
Proposals should be as thorough and detailed as possible so that the City may properly evaluate
the Offeror's capabilities to provide the required services. Offerors are required to submit the
following items as a complete proposal:
Complete response to RFP, signed, completed and submitted as required with a
detailed outline and description of proposal, including a list of standard limitations and
exclusions.
A narrative summary of all the deviations from the specifications. The detailed explanation
and description of price quotation deviations should be submitted.
The submission of the Price Quotations.
Sealed package marked on the outside with the Offeror's name, address, and the solicitation
number.
All submittal forms.
PROPOSAL FORMAT
Proposals are to be prepared in a manner design to provide the Selection Committee with a
straightforward presentation of the capability to satisfy the requirements of this RFP.
All documentation submitted with the proposal shall be in a single volume. Documentation must
be on 8 12 x 11 pages.
Include the following items:
o RFP Cover Page listing title of project, RFP number, date of submittal, and name of company
o List of lead contact(s) for the City
o List of Qualifications and References: provide at least (4) clients similar to the request of the
City serviced in the past year. References are provided with accurate and up-to-date contact
information. *Reference form is provided.
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o Acknowledgement of any issued Addenda
o Proposal must be signed by an official authorized by the vendor's company to contractually
bind the vendor.
RESPONSE FORMAT AND ORGANIZATION
To assure similarity in proposal presentation and allow the evaluation team to easily compare
competing proposals, Offerors shall include, in the order described, the material indicated below.
It is not the intent of the City to constrain Offerors with regard to content, but to assure that the
specific requirements set forth in this RFP are addressed in a uniform manner amenable to
Evaluation and Selection Committee review. Offerors may include additional sections or
appendices if desired, to present additional pertinent information. Offerors should submit
information in a concise and responsive manner for every requirement and every question. Non-
responsive or incomplete answers to information requests and/or City requirements may lead to
disqualification of the Offeror's submittal.
REQUIRED FORMS AND SIGNATURE PAGES
Offerors shall include as an appendix, all ancillary forms required in this Request for Proposal
(RFP). Required forms include, but are not limited to the following:
* RFP Cover Page
* Certificate of Familiarity
* Any Addenda
COMPLETION OF REPONSES
Only information presented in the Proposal will be used to evaluate the services that best fits the
needs of the City.
Responses shall be completed in accordance with the requirements of this RFP. Statements
made by an Offeror shall be without ambiguity, and with adequate elaboration, where necessary,
for clear understanding.
QUANTITY AND IDENTIFICATION OF PROPOSALS SUBMITTED
Each vendor must submit the following:
o One (1) original un-bound, single-sided Proposal labeled as "ORIGINAL"
o Four (4) bound, double-sided Proposals
o One (1) electronic copy on a flash drive. Please have submittal on flash drive
divided into two documents: 1) the proposal; and 2) the cost.
o The Vendor must mark on the envelope or box containing the proposal the follow
information: "#26-P024R Vending Services"
o Note the RFP identification number on the outside of the envelope or box
o All Proposals, including original, copies and the flash drive, shall be submitted together
in one envelope or box
o Proposals must be submitted by mail or hand delivered to City of Charleston,
Procurement Division, 2 George Street, Suite 3600, Charleston, SC 29401, ATTN: 26-
P024R.
No more than one proposal may be submitted by any Vendor.
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PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS
An Evaluation and Selection Committee will be established to evaluate the Proposals and select a
proposal which represents the best value to the City. The Evaluation and Selection Committee
will be comprised of City personnel and any other persons as designated by the City. This
Committee will determine the responsiveness and acceptability of each proposal. The
Evaluation and Selection Committee may request additional information from Offerors.
The City will conduct a comprehensive, fair and impartial evaluation of all Proposals received in
response to this RFP. Each Proposal received will first be analyzed to determine overall
responsiveness and completeness to this RFP. Each Proposal will then be evaluated based on
each of the criteria as outlined in Proposal Evaluation Criteria Factors, and after which identified
as either reasonably qualified or unqualified. A Proposal may be declared unqualified if it
clearly fails to demonstrate, in any of the listed areas, a standard that the City believes necessary
to meet the requirements set forth in this RFP.
Following their review of all submitted Proposals, the Selection Committee may select a shortlist
of the highest ranked reasonably-qualified Offerors. Shortlisted Offerors will be invited to
present their Proposal to the Evaluation and Selection Committee.
After the proposals are evaluated, the City will determine whether formal presentations and
interviews are necessary, and if so, which vendors may be invited to make a formal presentation
and/or sit for a panel interview. The City may choose not to require formal presentations or
interviews. The City may choose to contact officials from other jurisdictions regarding the
vendor, their prior work experience and their ability to successfully complete the scope of
services. The City may request clarification or additional information from a specific vendor in
order to assist in the City's evaluation of a proposal. Finally, the City may require changes in the
scope of services as deemed necessary by the City, before execution of the contract.
PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA FACTORS
The following weighted criteria will be used to evaluate the Proposals for purposes of selecting
the Offeror(s) to negotiate with or to shortlist.
Criteria Factors
Experience and Extensive Qualifications in the Operation of Traditional and Micro
Market Vending
Detailed Operational Plan for Installation, Maintenance, Upkeep, Service Schedules,
and Response Time for Equipment
Offeror's proposal on Products, Availability, Pricing Schedules, Rotation of Products,
and Presentation of Products
Point of Sale Options, including card readers for all vending and self-service kiosks
for all micro vending setups
Compensation Rate
Offeror's plans to install new, like-new, state-of-the-art equipment for both traditional
and micro market vending
Offeror's maintenance repair plan which shall include, but not be limited to,
instructions, detailing repairs, equipment replacements, and response times for repairs
along with availability of loaner equipment without any issues to facilitate service.
It is the Offeror's responsibility to effectively communicate their qualifications, services, and
products to the City by thoroughly responding to each requirement contained in this RFP.
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Food, beverage, and snack vending Traditional and Micro
Market vending services
CITY'S INTENT:
The City is seeking a proposal from a qualified and experienced contractor in the installation,
maintenance, service, repair, and upkeep of vending equipment to provide food, beverages,
and snacks to various Charleston City Facilities, The City wishes to contract with a full-
service vendor who can provide both traditional vending equipment and micro market
vending and equipment, based on the size of the allotted vending space for the facility.
The Contractor is expected to provide service for several facilities outlined in this request for
proposal, herein referred to as an RFP. The Contractor will be responsible for the entire
operation at each facility and maintain the vending services to the City's expectations at all
times. The Contractor should utilize a mix of traditional vending and micro market vending.
Traditional vending generally consists of beverage machines and traditional snack machines,
as well as other food items displayed in vending equipment for sale for purchase. The City
requests that, for any site with traditional vending equipment, the Contractor provide a card
reader for each piece of equipment installed, allowing customers to purchase using options in
addition to cash.
Micro market vending resembles a modem convenience store but functions as a fusion of
vending, food service, and refreshment services, A micro market is an unmanned retail space
where individuals can purchase food, beverages, and a variety of sundries, Micro markets
consist of open rack displays, refrigerated coolers and/or freezers, and self-checkout kiosks.
Micro markets include a wide variety of healthy foods, fresh, perishable foods, and perishable
frozen items as well as traditional and specialty beverages, which are restocked regularly by a
local food and beverage vending operator that manages the micro market. Micro markets are
custom fit to the size and shape of a designated area and packed with enticing options to keep
employees both happy and healthy. A micro market should include an adequate number of
intuitive, self-checkout kiosks that offer a variety of convenient payment options such as
credit/debit cards, cash, fingerprint reader, and rewards pay applications for registration and
automated payment. All transactions take place through a secure and stable network. The
City requests that self-pay checkouts must come with a camera to record all transactions.
Equipment Requirement:
All equipment is provided, maintained, and serviced by the Contractor. The Contractor shall
be responsible for the equipment used for this Contract. The City is not responsible for the
maintenance and upkeep of any vending equipment placed in any Charleston City facilities.
PRODUCT- EXPECTATIONS, PRICING/PRESENTATION:
* A list of all drinks, food, both perishable and nonperishable, will be provided to the
procurement office at the beginning of the Contract. Price schedules and changes
thereto must be approved by the procurement office in writing before the change.
The City reserves the right to request items for sale in the Contractor's vending setup
in coordination with the Contractor.
* Product pricing shall be kept as low as feasible in order to provide favorably priced
items to City of Charleston staff and visitors.
* A list of all snack products to be stocked in machines and their selling prices will be
provided to the City's procurement office at the beginning of the Contract, and any
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additions to and/or deletions from the list will be communicated to the procurement
office in writing before installation of the product or removal of product from the
micro market machines.
* All nonperishable items sold in micro markets must be presented neatly in appearance
and marketed appropriately to encourage purchases, with strict attention paid to
freshness.
* The Contractor shall provide a variety of snacks and sundries products, which shall
include a choice of healthy alternatives. No products that have exceeded the
recommended sales date of the manufacturer may be stocked, or remain stocked, in
machines under the conditions of this Contract.
EQUIPMENT/MACHINES:
* The City shall approve the specific type of machine(s) before installation in
coordination with the contractor. The City will allow the contractor to present the
suggested equipment for each site; however, the City is allowed to negotiate what is
in the best interest of the City.
* Machines must be new or like new condition, with style and size best suited for each
given location. The machines will be ADA-compliant for accessibility.
* All machines installed shall be the latest state-of-the-art model featuring high
performance and technology at the beginning of the contract. All vending equipment
must comply with the NAMA MDB (National Automated Merchandising
Association) interface specification. All machines shall be energy efficient in design.
* All machines shall be capable of vending items at more than one price.
* The machines must be attractive, sanitary, safe, and reliable vending equipment of a
type approved by the National Automatic Merchandising Association or a
recognized State or local health department or test laboratory.
* All machines shall present a neat and well-cared-for appearance.
* All machines must be well-lit, and the contractor shall maintain all lighting in the
machines.
* Service calls for out-of-order machines should require no longer than three (3) hours
response time. The City must be provided with a twenty-four (24) hour service on
per per-week basis, be that Monday-Friday or Monday-Sunday, based on the City's
dictated schedule.
* Any damage to City-owned property shall be the responsibility of the contractor.
Examples include elevators, stairs, doors, windows, walls, flooring materials,
sidewalks, curbing, and landscaping.
* The contractor shall furnish/deliver applicable loaner equipment in the case of a
major breakdown, at no charge to the City.
* The contractor shall furnish equipment and advertising materials to properly
merchandise the products.
* The contractor must connect micro market equipment to electrical circuits by plug
only. The contractor will provide the City all circuit requirements for equipment
before installation.
* The City does not carry insurance coverage for the contractor's equipment. It will be
the contractor's responsibility for any prosecution or litigation arising out of loss,
theft, damage, or destruction to or by its machines and their contents.
* The contractor shall keep full-service machines stocked to provide sufficient
amounts of products of good quality, dispensed in conformity with all applicable
federal, state, and local laws. The contractor will immediately increase service
frequency to a given location if unacceptable product amounts impede adherence
to all specifications, standards, and scope of the requested service. At no time
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should customer service or product levels fall below RFP standards.
* The micro market must have digital, customized, automated self-service kiosks
for each area where vending equipment is installed.
REFUNDS:
* Refunds are to be the responsibility of the Contractor, and a uniform system of
refunding money, acceptable to the City, will be in operation at all times. Each
machine must be tagged, advising of this service and the location of the refund
policy.
REVENUE AND REPORTS:
* Contractor shall supply compensation rate to the City of Charleston for vending
machine sales. Compensation to the City of Charleston for placement of the
vending machines at the site identified shall be based on a percentage of gross sales
as a part of the Contractor's agreement. During the contract, the Contractor shall
provide a monthly gross receipt report of daily revenues, including an itemized
report of sales of each item at each location.
HOURS OF OPERATION:
Charleston City Facilities traditionally operate on a Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm
schedule, excluding holidays except critical facilities that operate 24/7 for first
responders, and for emergency operations during "activations". A schedule for each
facility is provided.
The City requests, the Contractor be able to provide services before, during, and after
"emergencies" in which a facility may activate outside of normal, routine business hours.
Please note: the City is not asking the Contractor to place themselves in a position in
which they may be harmed; rather, the City will notify the Contractor with as much
notice as possible so the Contractor can plan, prepare, and make available vending
products as time permits. The City expects that normal services may be temporarily
interrupted, but asks that the Contractor prepare, as best as it can in advance, with
adequate notice, and resume normal services as soon as possible.
Various Charleston City Vending Locations
City of Charleston Operational
1. 116 Meeting St. Monday - Friday
Charleston, SC 29401 8:00am - 5:00pm
City of Charleston
Operational
Municipal Office Building
2. Monday - Friday
2 George St., 2nd Floor Breakroom
8:00am - 5:00pm
Charleston, SC 29401
City of Charleston
Operational
Greenberg Building
3. Monday - Friday
180 Lockwood Blvd.
8:00am - 5:00pm
Charleston, SC 29403
City of Charleston
CPD Headquarters Operational
4.
180 Lockwood Blvd. 24/7
Charleston, SC 29403
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City of Charleston
Estimated Open Date: 2028
Municipal Operations/Public Works
4. Monday - Friday
1910 Herbert St.
6:00am - 5:00pm
Charleston, SC 29405
City of Charleston
Estimated Open Date: 2028
West Ashley Operations
5. Monday - Friday
Ingram Road
8:00am - 5:00pm
Charleston, SC 29407
City of Charleston
34 St. Philip St Garage Operational
6.
34 Saint Philip Street 24/7
Charleston, SC 29424
City of Charleston
Camden/Exchange Garage Operational
7.
35 Johns Street 24/7
Charleston, SC 29403
City of Charleston
Charleston Place Garage Operational
8.
85 Hasell Street 24/7
Charleston, SC 29401
City of Charleston
Concord/Cumberland Garage Operational
9.
1 Cumberland St 24/7
Charleston, SC 29401
City of Charleston
East Bay / Prioleau Garage Operational
10.
25 Prioleau Street 24/7
Charleston, SC 29401
City of Charleston
Marion Square Garage Operational
11.
399 King Street 24/7
Charleston, SC 29403
The City reserves the right to add additional or remove facilities to this RFP by
amendment, in agreement with the Contractor.
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