Project Overview Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M State) is requesting proposals from qualified food service providers to participate in a rotating food pop-up dining model at the Fergus Falls Campus. The intent of this RFP is to identify and approve multiple vendors to provide food service to students, faculty, staff, and when appropriate, the broader Fergus Falls community, beginning August 24, 2026. Food service providers may include food trucks, restaurants, caterers, grocery or deli operations, local food businesses, and food entrepreneurs. This RFP is not intended to result in a single award. Vendors should demonstrate adaptability, community-mindedness, and the ability to offer tasty, nutritious food that fuels an active student body including student-athletes, while remaining appealing to faculty, staff, and visitors. Technical/Functional Requirements Utility services as may be reasonable and required for the efficient performance of the contract, shall be furnished by the college. The college will provide disposable utensils and serving ware. The hours for the manual food service during the academic year and expected to be able to serve the entire day: Fergus Falls Campus – 11:30 am – 2:00 pm and 5:00pm- 8:00pm Monday through Friday Additional hours will be provided for special functions when the college deems it necessary. Future hours are set by written agreement between the College and the Food Service provider. The manual food service will operate with the official school calendar and will be open every day when the college has classes and/or exams during fall and spring semesters only at this time. The school calendar can be found here https://www.minnesota.edu/academics/academic-calendar. The provider shall offer healthy, nutritious meals suitable for students, staff, and athletes, including vegetarian options and accommodations for common dietary restrictions. Food presentations should be aesthetically pleasing, and "extras" such as cookies, fruit, condiments, eating and serving utensils, etc. should be conveniently located to be conducive to traffic flow and accessible to individuals with disabilities. Weekly/Monthly menus shall be published and/or posted. The provider shall maintain all required licenses, permits, and food safety certifications and comply with all applicable federal, state, and local health regulations. Preferences for meals in the $7- $10 per plate range. Food Preparation and Kitchen Access Approved vendors will have access to a shared on-campus commercial kitchen. Vendors may prepare food on site or provide catered or partially prepared food brought to campus. All vendors must operate safely, cleanly, and respectfully within shared spaces. Community Expectations Vendors are expected to be reliable, on time, communicative, and community oriented. Shared kitchen and service spaces must be left clean and ready for the next use. This document establishes eligibility for participation, not guaranteed service volume. Minnesota State reserves the right to modify schedules or participation as needed. Enrollment at the campus has varied between 407-530 students annually over the past three years. Budget Each vendor will operate independently, without the college subsidizing payment for services rendered. Vendors are expected to supply their own cellular wireless system to process and collect payment for purchased items. Selection Process The selection process includes the following evaluators: Associate Vice President of Recruitment and Retention, Administrative Assistant to the Associate Vice President of Recruitment and Retention, Building Maintenance Supervisor, Director of Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and Executive Assistant to the President. This group will evaluate the proposals and make the final decision. Evaluation Factors The following factors and their identified weight will be used to evaluate the responses: Topic Factor Weight Adherence to Minnesota State Terms and Conditions. A statement of the objectives, goals, and tasks to show or demonstrate its view and understanding of the nature of the contract. Willingness and ability to comply with the terms in this RFP and the contract terms. 10 Performance Plan. Description of supplied coverage and services to the campus, on specified days of the week for lunch, and dinner and and ability to ensure safety, quality, nutrition, service, and range will be determined. The operational reliability and capacity to show up consistently, on time, and prepered. 15 Cost/Value. Menu options and pricing offered as samples. Vendors will be be evaluated based on percentage of their menu falls within the target ranged and the perceived value at that price. 30 Qualifications of Respondent and its personnel. An outline of the Responder’s background and experience with examples of similar work complete by the Responder and a list of personnel who will conduct the project, detailing their training, and work experience. Resumes or other information about project personnel should not, if possible, contain personal telephone numbers, home addresses or home email addresses. If it is necessary to include personal contact information, please clearly indicate in the proposal that personal contact information is being provided. 10 Completeness, thoroughness and detail of the response Completeness, thoroughness and detail of the response as reflected by the proposal's discussions and coverage of all elements of work listed above 10 Local and Community Alignment Proposals will be evaluated on the proposer’s demonstrated alignment with local and community priorities, including commitment to local workforce participation, use of local and diverse suppliers, community engagement, workforce development, and measurable community benefit initiatives. Additional consideration may be given to proposals that clearly demonstrate meaningful, achievable, and sustainable positive impact within the community served by the project. 10 Total: 100 Contract Terms Minnesota State desires to enter into a contract with the successful Respondent(s) effective July 1, 2026, or on the date the last recognized signature is obtained, whichever occurs later. The length of such contract(s) will be for a minimum of one year, with five more additional years added, if service is well received. If Minnesota State and Respondent are unable to negotiate and sign a contract by August 1, 2026, then Minnesota State reserves the right to seek an alternative Respondent(s). Minnesota State reserves the right to name a date on which all responding Respondents will be invited to present demonstrations or participate in an interview. Minnesota State does not agree to reach a decision by any certain date although it is hoped the evaluation and selection will be completed by the contract terms date identified. Inquiries and Submission Instructions Minnesota State accepts all questions and bid submissions exclusively through Minnesota State's e-procurement system. Hard copy submissions, emails, or submissions through any other medium will not be considered. Each Respondent is solely responsible for the timely delivery of its questions and bids by the RFP date and time deadlines. Failure to meet the deadlines shall be grounds for rejection.
