Request for Proposals - Exclusive Soft Drink Pouring and Vending Rights Agreement

Bid Postings • Request for Proposals - Exclusive Soft Drink Skip to Main Content Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. Website Sign In Search Government Departments Services Community I Want To Home Bid Postings Print Sign up to receive a text message or email when new bids are added! Print Bid Title: Request for Proposals - Exclusive Soft Drink Pouring and Vending Rights Agreement Category: Bismarck Event Center Status: Closed Description: BISMARCK EVENT CENTER REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS/INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS Exclusive Soft Drink Pouring and Vending Rights Agreement ISSUE DATE: June 1, 2022 OPENING DATE: July 20, 2022 Introduction: The Bismarck Event Center (hereafter referred to as the “Event Center”) is issuing this Request For Proposals (RFP) to obtain written responses from interested parties for exclusive soft drink pouring and vending rights at the Event Center. For the purposes of this RFP, the “Event Center Facilities” refers to the Event Center Arena, the Exhibit Hall and the Belle Mehus Auditorium. Project Description: The Event Center is seeking an exclusive beverage contract with a nationally recognized beverage company to create a partnership. This partnership includes exclusive soft drink pouring and vending rights as well as on-premises advertising opportunities. Objectives: The Event Center intends to support its programs and goals through the pouring rights royalties, vending commissions and advertising opportunities provided to the Event Center for the period of the contract. In addition, the Event Center’s goal is to improve beverage services and sales by maximizing the availability of product and by developing and offering marketing and sales opportunities that benefit the Event Center and the beverage provider. It is anticipated that an exclusive, long-term agreement for beverages will provide additional resources to support the Event Center’s operational and capital needs and in return the Event Center offers a business opportunity that can be beneficial to the selected vendor. Beverages Covered: For the purposes of this RFP, "Beverages" means all carbonated and noncarbonated, frozen and unfrozen, natural or artificially-flavored nonalcoholic (less than 3% alcohol content) beverages for independent consumption and for use as mixers with alcoholic beverages and otherwise, including, but not limited to: nonalcoholic beverages with nutritive or nonnutritive sweeteners; packaged waters; natural or artificially flavored nonalcoholic fruit juices; fruit juice- containing drinks; fruit-flavored drinks (sweetened or unsweetened); 100% fruit juices, fruit punches and ades; hypertonic, hypotonic and isotonic energy and fluid replacement drinks (sometimes referred to as "sports drinks"); packaged waters; bottled tea and coffee drinks and all drink or beverage bases, whether in the form of syrups, powders, crystals, concentrates or otherwise, from which any of the foregoing drinks and/or beverages are made. Beverages do not include milk, flavored milk, milk-based products, brewed coffee, brewed tea, hot chocolate, fresh lemonade or any other beverage not expressly included in the definition of Beverages in this RFP. In addition, this does not include events with taste testings at trade shows or community events where we allow for free samples of the vendor’s product. Exclusivity: “Exclusive” means the right to designate and supply the brand of Beverages to be served, sold, vended, dispensed or otherwise made available in the Bismarck Event Center Facilities for all events and all vending location. No other competitive products will be sold, dispensed or served at the Event Center Facilities including events served by caterers licensed by the Event Center except as agreed by the parties. In addition, this does not include events with taste testings at trade shows or community events where we allow for free samples of the vendor’s product. No permanent advertising, signage, or trademark visibility for any competitive product will be authorized for display anywhere within the Event Center Facilities without the prior written approval from the Event Center Director and the selected vendor except for events with taste testings at trade shows or community events where we allow for the vendor’s booth signage to be displayed. Responses to this RFP: Sealed proposals in response to this RFP, one (1) marked “ORIGINAL” and four (4) marked “COPIES, will be received at the office of the City Administrator, City of Bismarck, 221 North 5th Street, P.O. Box 5503, Bismarck, ND 58506-5503 until 3PM, July 20, 2022. Proposals arriving after that time will not be accepted. Each original shall be signed and dated by an official authorized to bind the proposer. Unsigned proposals will not be considered. Proposals submitted via facsimile (FAX) machine, telephone, or electronic means, including but not limited to e-mail, in response to this RFP will not be accepted. All proposals are subject to the provisions of this RFP/Instructions to Bidders and any amendments or additional information issued by the Event Center. Site Visit: Proposers are invited to inspect the Event Center Facilities prior to submitting a response to determine all needs associated with the scope of work. Failure to inspect adequately shall not relieve a proposer from the necessity of furnishing and installing, without additional cost to the Event Center, any materials and equipment or performing any labor that may be required to carry out the intent of an agreement resulting from this RFP. A Site Visit may be scheduled by contacting Charlie Jeske, Event Center Director at 701-355-1372 or by email at . Questions: Submit all questions regarding this RFP in writing to Charlie Jeske at no later than Monday, July 18, 2022 at 12:00 noon. Please enter “Question for Beverage RFP as the subject line for an email. Responses to all questions will be communicated to all persons who have supplied contact information to the Event Center. No telephone inquiries will be accepted. Reference to Other Data: Only information which is received in response to this RFP will be evaluated. Reference to information previously submitted or submitted outside the response shall not be evaluated. Cost for Proposal Preparation: Any costs incurred by proposers in preparing or submitting offers are the proposer’s sole responsibility; the Event Center or the City of Bismarck will not reimburse any bidder for any costs incurred prior to award. Time for Acceptance: Each proposal shall state that it is a firm offer, which may be accepted within a period of 120 consecutive days from receipt by the Event Center. Although the contract is expected to be awarded prior to that time, the 120 consecutive day period is requested to allow for unforeseen delays. Confidentiality of Proposals: In submitting its proposal, the bidder understands that, after all of the proposals have been open and read, the proposals or parts of the proposals not excepted by the North Dakota Open Records Law may be subject to disclosure upon request. Right to Submitted Material: All responses, inquiries, or correspondence relating to or in reference to the RFP, and all other reports, charts, displays, schedules, exhibits, and other documentation submitted by the bidders shall become the property of the Event Center when received. Proprietary Information: The Event Center recognizes that in responding to this RFP, the proposer may desire to provide proprietary information in order to clarify and enhance their response. To the extent permitted by law, the Event Center will keep confidential such information provided that: The information submitted is arguably proprietary, and The proprietary information is submitted in a separate book or section, and the separate book or section is clearly identified as containing proprietary information. The reference to the proprietary information must be clearly made in the detailed response, and conversely the section in the proprietary information book shall be clearly labeled as to what in the detailed response it references. Proposers should note that the City of Bismarck is a municipality, and as such its files are available for public review pursuant to the North Dakota Open Records Law. Proposers are cautioned to label as “proprietary” only that information which can be clearly demonstrated as being proprietary and not in common usage or common knowledge. Labeling as proprietary a complete proposal or information which is general in nature may be cause for rejection of a response. Oral Presentations: All proposers should be prepared to present an oral presentation if requested by the Event Center prior to the award of the agreement. The oral presentation may be needed to supplement a proposal, if required, and shall be for proposal clarification purposes only. Scope of Required Products and Services: The Event Center is seeking proposals from nationally recognized beverage companies to exclusively provide and sell specific beverages and/or soft drinks at the Event Center Facilities. The Event Center wishes to continue high levels of sponsorship and commission revenues through up-to-date equipment, efficient beverage marketing, sales and distribution, and competitive pricing and commissions as elements of an exclusive, long-term agreement. The successful proposer will apply its collective resources to continue to increase and improve the sale, service and availability of beverages at events at the Event Center Facilities. It is the Event Center’s intention to establish a ten-(10) year agreement with a qualified beverage contractor (contractor) for the purpose of providing exclusive soft drink pouring and vending rights. The successful proposer shall provide the following: The contractor shall pay to the Event Center a lump sum payment, as a signing award, at the beginning of the agreement and an installment payment, as an exclusivit