Food Management Services

Shelby County
Tennessee
Lee Harris, Mayor
Request for Proposal
Shelby County Government
Purchasing Department
160 N. Main Street, 5th Floor
Memphis, TN 38103
Issued: March 24, 2026
Due: April 27, 2026, no later than 4:00 P.M. (Central Standard Time)
RFP # 26-002-76
Food Management Services
(Shelby County Sheriff's Office)
Shelby County Government is soliciting written proposals, on a competitive basis, from interested and
qualified companies to provide professional food service management by supplying food to the
detainees and staff located at the Shelby County Sheriff's Office main jail facility at 201 Poplar
Avenue, Memphis, TN; Jail East at 6201 Haley Street, Memphis, TN. Information regarding this
formal bid is located on the County's website at www.shelbycountytn.gov. At the top of the home
page, click on the dropdown box under "Business", and click on "Purchasing" and "Bids" to locate
the name of the above-described formal bid. Link: https://bids.shelbycountytn.gov/

IMPORTANT NOTES:
MANDATORY PRE-BID MEETING - A mandatory pre-proposal meeting to address
questions will be held on April 7, 2026. This meeting will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.
(CST) followed by site visits to the next location. All interested respondents will be required
to attend this meeting. The pre-bid conference itself will take place in the Jail Kitchen at
201 Poplar; however, vendors can only access the kitchen while being escorted by Jail
Staff. You will need to arrive at the Employee Entrance of the Jail at 201 Poplar as
outlined below.
Please see the rules and regulations civilian guests should follow prior to being allowed
inside the Shelby County Sheriff's Office Jail at 201 Poplar Avenue. Guests should report
to the Employee Entrance of the Jail and are encouraged to arrive at least 15 minutes prior
to the meeting time. The Employee Entrance of the Jail is used for staff access and is
monitored by security personnel. Guests should inform the officer at the entrance that they
are civilians attending a mandatory pre-bid meeting for a food service RFP. Visitors must
present valid government-issued photo identification and will be required to complete the
standard security screening process before entering the facility. Visitors may bring the
following authorized items into the facility: pocket change and valid photo identification.
The following items are prohibited: purses, briefcases, cell phones, smart watches, tablets,
electronic devices, cameras, pagers, weapons of any kind, tobacco or tobacco products, and
drugs or drug paraphernalia. All guests are expected to adhere to the facility dress code.
Clothing must be professional and appropriate for a correctional environment.
Mandatory Pre-bid/On-site Visit Address
201 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103
6201 Haley Road, Memphis, TN 38134
MANDATORY INFORMATION and FORMS - To properly respond and prepare your
proposal response, please make sure you pay close attention to all mandatory
information/forms requested, including signing and attaching all forms as required. This bid
clearly documents and outlines the format and what information is required at the time of
proposal submission.
COMPLETED EXCEL FILE - Vendor to answer directly in the scorecard (Excel file) all
information requested (minimum requirements and department-specific requirements). The
Excel file has two (2) yellow tabs/sheets named "MIN REQs" and "DEPT REQs". Vendor to
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enter their information only where yellow cells, are on those two (2) yellow tabs. Vendor to
submit with your proposal (both Printed and Digital formats). The Excel files must be submitted
on two (2) separate USB devices.
LOSB vendors have been identified for the goods and/or services described in this bid, therefore a
20 % LOSB goal will be applied.
Sincerely,
Signed Original on File
Carla Hayes, Buyer
Shelby County Government
Purchasing Department
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION
II. MINIMUM PROPOSER REQUIREMENTS
III. CORRESPONDENCE & QUESTIONS
IV. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE
V. PROPOSAL TIMELINE
VI. PROPOSAL CONDITIONS
VII. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION
VIII. AWARD OF CONTRACT
IX. PURPOSE / SCOPE OF WORK
X. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS
XI. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
XII. PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND SELECTION
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I. INTRODUCTION
Shelby County Government, (the "County"), is soliciting proposals from interested and
qualified Vendors to provide and manage food services to detainees and staff for the
Sheriff's Office. This includes feeding a daily population of approximately between 2,500
- 3,147 detainees and 651 staff at two adult jail/detention facilities (the "Goods and/or
Services"). This Request for Proposal ("RFP") is being released to invite interested and
qualified Vendors to prepare and submit proposals in accordance with instructions provided
where the successful proposer(s) will be selected and invited to enter into a contractual
relationship with Shelby County for the Goods and/or Services outlined in this RFP, and per
proposal(s) received.
In this RFP, the terms Proposer, Vendor, Bidder, Consultant, Contractor, and Provider are
used interchangeably unless the context indicates otherwise.
All specifications are part of this bid and general terms and conditions (as outlined in the
Terms of this bid). They shall become a part of and be included in any contract/purchase
order/systems contract resulting from any award.
These specifications are not intentionally written to favor any one manufacturer or service
provider and are only for the purpose of indicating generally the type of work required of said
bid. Any responsible Bidder who considers these specifications to be of a non-competitive
nature should immediately contact the Administrator of Purchasing.
II. MINIMUM PROPOSER REQUIREMENTS
In order to be considered as "responsive", all Proposers must answer and provide
justifications for ALL below minimal requirements.
The information requested below is to be answered directly in the scorecard
Excel file by all Vendors and submitted as part of your proposal (both Printed
and Digital formats).
1. Provide all appropriate Licenses and Certifications required in the State of Tennessee
to provide the goods and/or perform the Services required. Provide a copy of your
current Shelby County Business License (if the business is located in Shelby County,
TN).
2. Must provide active Equal Opportunity Compliance BRN and Vendor number, or
your applications are "in" the EOC system and the Purchasing system for processing
(refer to details outlined below) - please list all your Shelby County active BRN's.
3. Adherence to all provisions of Title VI requirements - please attest and provide
proof/documentation if necessary.
4. Must acknowledge adherence to State of Tennessee Public Chapter No. 436, known as
the "Tennessee Lawful Employment Act" which requires use of E-Verify (effective
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1/01/23). Otherwise, mention you ARE an Independent vendor (Sole Proprietors) with
fewer than 35 employees and provide employment eligibility documentation, i.e.:
-Valid (unexpired) Tennessee driver's license or photo ID.
-Valid (unexpired) driver's license from another state (subject to strictness, though TN
license is standard).
-U.S. Passport (valid, unexpired).
-Certificate of Birth issued by a U.S. state, jurisdiction, or territory.
-U.S. government-issued certified birth certificate.
-Certificate of Citizenship (N560 or N561).
-Certificate of Naturalization (N550, N570, or N578).
-Valid immigrant registration documentation (e.g., Permanent Resident Card or I-766
Employment Authorization Card
5. EOC Compliance Form A must be completed with active Shelby County Government
LOSB vendors listed, signed, and included with your proposal, as detailed in this
document. FORM B to be completed/signed, with applicable backup, only IF the goal
is not met on Form A.
6. FORM - Drug-Free Workplace Affidavit must be completed, signed, and notarized
with your bid/proposal - even if less than 5 employees.
7. Must attest to a minimum of five (5) years of experience providing the goods and/or
performing the services described in this bid.
Shelby County BRN and Vendor numbers
Please be advised, references and instructions regarding the Equal Opportunity
Compliance Office (EOC) are subject to change. In the event there is a change prior to the
conclusion of the solicitation, the instructions will be updated. The current registration
process will continue until further notice.
As a part of doing business with Shelby County Government (SCG), each individual, company,
or organization is required to have active BRNL and Vendor numbers before starting to provide
goods/services to SCG.
* To obtain an SCG Equal Opportunity Compliance (EOC) BRN (as well as an
BRNL, if applicable) and the SCG Vendor number, please submit an online
application, as described below. The EOC and Vendor applications are
combined.
Online Application Process
Go to: https://apps.shelbycountytn.gov/EOCPublic/
* Complete and submit the application online only.
Note: Prior to accessing the application, please read the application instructions
in its entirety to make sure that you completely understand all of the information
that will be required on the application.
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Upon receiving the BRN, the application will be forwarded to the Purchasing Department for
processing. You will receive your Vendor number via email.
Applicants who have an unexpired BRN and only need a Vendor number will be directed
accordingly once they access the link.
Should any further assistance be needed, contact the EOC office directly. EOC office hours are
from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Shelby County Government
160 N. Main
2nd Floor - Equal Opportunity Compliance (EOC)
Memphis, TN 38103
Reception: 901-222-1100
Fax: 901-222-1101
Prime bidders/proposers must have an ACTIVE or PENDING BRN at the time of bid, please
ensure EOC has the company application or renewal in their system at the time of bid.
PENDING applications or renewals must be "pending" and "in process" in the EOC system at
the bid time.
Subcontractors submitted to meet SCG LOSB goal requirements must have a current SCG
LOSB certification at the time of bid.
III. CORRESPONDENCE & QUESTIONS
All correspondence and questions concerning the RFP are to be submitted IN WRITING to:
Carla Hayes, Buyer
Carla.Hayes@shelbycountytn.gov
Shelby County Government
Purchasing Department
160 N. Main Street, 5th Floor
Memphis, TN 38103
Questions should reference the RFP number & title, section of the RFP to which the questions
pertain and all contact information for the person submitting the questions.
The deadline for submitting questions will be April 14, 2026 @ 12:00 p.m. (CST).
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All written questions submitted by the deadline indicated above will be answered and
posted on the County's website at http://www.shelbycountytn.gov/3243/Bids-Listing
mostly within forty-eight (48) hours.
IN ORDER TO PREVENT AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE TO ANY RESPONDENT,
VERBAL QUESTIONS WILL NOT BE ANSWERED.
These guidelines for communication have been established to ensure a fair and equitable
process for ALL interested vendors.
IV. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION & DEADLINE
All proposals must be received at the address listed above no later than 4:00 pm (CST) on
April 27, 2026. Facsimile or electronically submitted (emailed) proposals will not be
accepted since they do not contain original signatures. Postmarks will not be accepted in lieu
of an actual receipt. Late or incomplete proposals may not be considered for evaluation.
Under no circumstances, regardless of weather conditions, transportation delays, or any other
circumstance, will this deadline be extended.
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V. PROPOSAL TIMELINE
Shelby County reserves the right to modify this timeline at any time. If the due date for
proposals is changed, all prospective proposers shall be notified. The dates provided after the
RFP closes are approximate and the County reserves the exclusive right to modify these dates
in consultation with the successful proposer.
Request for Proposals Released March 24, 2026
Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting April 7, 2026 @ 10:00 a.m.
Deadline for Questions April 14, 2026 @ 12:00 noon
Proposal Due Date April 27, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.
Notification of Award TBD
Goods/Services to Commence Immediately upon execution of the contract
The County may reproduce any of the proposer's proposal and supporting documents for
internal use or for any other purpose required by law.
VI. PROPOSAL CONDITIONS
A. Contingencies
This RFP does not commit the County to award a contract, even partially. The
County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals if the County
determines it is in the best interest of the County to do so. The County will notify
all Proposers, in writing, if the County rejects all proposals.
B. Modifications
The County reserves the right to issue addenda or amendments to this RFP.
C. Proposal Submission
To be considered, all proposals must be submitted in the manner set forth in this RFP.
It is the proposer's responsibility to ensure that its proposals arrive on or before the
specified time/location.
D. Incurred Costs
This RFP does not commit the County to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a
proposal in response to this RFP and Proposers agree that all costs incurred in
developing this RFP are the proposer's responsibility.
E. Final Authority
The final authority to award a contract rests solely with the Shelby County Purchasing
Department.
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F. Proposal Validity
Proposals submitted hereunder will be firm for at least one hundred twenty (120)
calendar days from the due date unless otherwise qualified.
G. Disclosure of Proposal Contents
Vendor understands and acknowledges that the County is a governmental entity
subject to the laws of the State of Tennessee and that any reports, data or other
information supplied to the County is subject to being disclosed as a public record
in accordance with the laws of the State of Tennessee. All proposal information,
including detailed price and cost information, will be held in confidence during
the evaluation process and before the time of "Notice of Intent to Award" is
issued. Thereafter, proposals will become public information. All proposals and
other materials submitted become the property of Shelby County Government.
H. Shelby County Government Locally Owned Small Business (LOSB) Program
This project is subject to Shelby County Government's Locally Owned Small
Business (LOSB) Ordinance 471and related Amendments. The intent of the
LOSB Program is to increase the participation of LOSB-certified vendors in the
County's purchasing activities.
Shelby County Government is committed to a policy of non-discrimination
pursuant to the Equal Protection provisions of the United States Constitution. It is
further the policy of Shelby County that its purchasing and contracting practices
encourage the use of Locally-Owned Small Businesses (LOSBs) Programs in all
solicitations. In furtherance of these policy objectives, Shelby County seeks to
afford all citizens equal opportunities to do business on county contracts and to
ensure that all bidders, proposers, or Vendors doing business with Shelby County
provide to LOSBs , maximum practicable opportunities, commensurate with
availability, price, and capabilities required, to participate on contracts which are
paid for, in whole or in part, with monetary appropriations from Shelby County.
Shelby County seeks to prevent discrimination against any person or business in
pursuit of these opportunities on the basis of race or gender. Shelby County will
conduct its contracting and purchasing Program so as to discourage any
discrimination and will actively seek to resolve all claims of discrimination
brought against Shelby County or any Vendors involved in such contracting and
purchasing Program.
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