Food Scraps Recycling

CITY OF MADISON
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
RFP #: 15035-0-2026-TJ
Title: Food Scraps Recycling
City Agency: Streets
Due Date: Monday, June 22, 2026
2:00 PM Central Time
Our Madison - Inclusive, Innovative, & Thriving

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 15035-0-2026-TJ
1 OPPORTUNITY AND WELCOME
Thank you for your interest in bidding on a City of Madison contract opportunity. The City's mission is to
provide the highest quality service for the common good of our residents and visitors.
The City of Madison Streets is seeking proposals from qualified vendors for Food Scraps Recycling.
Food scraps and wasted food make up a significant portion of garbage residents place into the trash each
year. Based on a 2020 waste characterization study, 21.8% of residential garbage in Dane County is
made up of those two categories. In 2023, the City of Madison Streets Division collected 44,678.15 tons
of trash from Madison residents, which means at 9,739.83 tons of food scraps and wasted food were
likely sent to the landfill in 2023. And once in landfills, that food produces the harmful greenhouse gas
methane.
Food scraps, however, is a resource that can be diverted from landfills and turned into compost.
Since 2011, the City of Madison Streets Division has tried various attempts at food scraps recycling with
varying degrees of success.
In 2021, the City received a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture for a community
composting initiative, and with additional help from the Natural Resources Defense Fund, we were able to
establish food scraps recycling drop-off points at two farmers' market locations in 2022 and 2023. The
collected scraps were hauled to a local urban farmer for processing.
The farmer's market drop-off program was successful in controlling contamination, educating the public,
and building interest in the long-term solution of diverting all food scraps from the landfill.
The food scraps drop-off program at farmers' markets has remained successful into 2026 and has grown
to four markets.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to work with the City and further our mission!
2 IMPORTANT INFORMATION
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: Monday, June 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM Central Time.
The City will not accept late proposals. Any changes to the deadlines will be posted as an addendum on
the bid distribution websites listed below. See Section 3.1 for instructions for using these websites.
RFP NAME: Food Scraps Recycling
DEADLINE FOR The deadline for questions is Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 2:00 PM Central
Time. Questions and/or inquiries must be submitted by email.
QUESTIONS:
The City's answers to your questions will be posted as an addendum by
CITY'S ANSWERS
Wednesday, May 27, 2026. You must check the bid distribution websites for
POSTED BY:
any addendums.
DUE DATE FOR Monday, June 22, 2026
PROPOSALS: 2:00 PM Central Time
BID DISTRIBUTION https://vendornet.wi.gov/Bids.aspx
https://www.demandstar.com/
WEBSITES:
Tammy Jones
CONTACT Purchasing Services
INFORMATION: 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Room 407 City-County Building
Madison, WI 53703-3346 Email: bids@cityofmadison.com
RFP 15035.docx Page i

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 15035-0-2026-TJ
Table of Contents
1 OPPORTUNITY AND WELCOME ................................................................................................ i
2 IMPORTANT INFORMATION ...................................................................................................... i
3 HOW TO FIND RFP DOCUMENTS AND CONTACT THE CITY OF MADISON ........................... 1
Official Bid Distribution Websites - IMPORTANT ............................................................ 1
Contact Information ........................................................................................................ 1
4 OUR PURCHASING VALUES..................................................................................................... 2
Local Preference Purchasing Policy ................................................................................ 2
Equity in Contracting....................................................................................................... 2
Equitable Hiring & Affirmative Action Plan ....................................................................... 2
Limitations on Nuclear Weapons Producers .................................................................... 2
Sweatfree Purchasing..................................................................................................... 2
5 SCOPE OF WORK AND REQUIRED INFORMATION ................................................................ 3
Scope of Work ................................................................................................................ 3
City of Madison Partnership ............................................................................................ 4
Term .............................................................................................................................. 4
Technical Questions ....................................................................................................... 4
Basis for Selection .......................................................................................................... 4
Cost Proposal ................................................................................................................. 5
Local Vendor Preference ................................................................................................ 5
6 HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL ........................................................................................ 6
Proposal Checklist .......................................................................................................... 6
Submit your Proposal by the Deadline ............................................................................ 6
Format............................................................................................................................ 7
Questions ....................................................................................................................... 7
Addendum (Changes or Clarifications to this RFP).......................................................... 7
Multiple Proposals .......................................................................................................... 7
Changing or Withdrawing your Proposal ......................................................................... 7
Correcting Errors in your Proposal after the Due Date ..................................................... 7
No Exceptions from Bidders............................................................................................ 8
You are Responsible for all of your Costs in Making a Proposal ...................................... 8
Public Records and Trade Secrets .................................................................................. 8
7 RULES FOR THE SELECTION PROCESS ................................................................................. 9
8 LEGAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................................... 10
Sample Contract ........................................................................................................... 10
Affirmative Action Requirements for Contractors ........................................................... 10
Insurance ..................................................................................................................... 10
Sample Contract
Form A: Price Proposal and Signature Affidavit
Form A2: Excel Price Proposal
Form B: References
Form C: Vendor Profile
RFP 15035.docx Page ii

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 15035-0-2026-TJ
3 HOW TO FIND RFP DOCUMENTS AND CONTACT THE CITY OF MADISON
Official Bid Distribution Websites - IMPORTANT
The City of Madison posts all requests for proposals (RFPs), addendums, updates, awards, and
announcements on two websites: VendorNet and DemandStar. Both sites are free to register for City of
Madison bids.
These two websites are the only places to get the official RFP and updates to the RFP.
Updates and addendums will only be posted on these websites. It is your responsibility to check the
websites for updates and "addendums." An addendum is a document that answers questions from
bidders. It could make important changes to the RFP. If the addendum requires a response, and you
fail to respond to it, you could be disqualified.
State of Wisconsin State of Wisconsin and local government bid network. Registration is
VendorNet System free. Search for City of Madison in the Agency search field.
VendorNet link https://vendornet.wi.gov/Bids.aspx
DemandStar by Onvia National bid network. Free subscription is available. Sign up for the
free "Basic Plan" and select Wisconsin Association for Public
Procurement (WAPP) as the agency to access City of Madison RFPs.
DemandStar link https://www.demandstar.com/app/agencies/wisconsin/city-of-madison-
purchasing-services/procurement-opportunities/573ff565-ce2b-4c75-
86ec-401cd5abf736/
Register on DemandStar www.demandstar.com/app/registration
Contact Information
City of Madison Purchasing Tammy Jones
Contact (Buyer) Purchasing Services
210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Room 407 City-County Building
Madison, WI 53703-3346
PH: (608) 266-4521
bids@cityofmadison.com
Questions about Affirmative Contract Compliance, Department of Civil Rights
Action Plans 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Room 523 City-County Building
Madison, WI 53703
PH: (608) 266-4910
dcr@cityofmadison.com
Email note Some email to the City gets lost in "spam."
If you send the City an email and you do not hear back within 3 days,
please call the Buyer at (608) 266-4521.
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 15035-0-2026-TJ
4 OUR PURCHASING VALUES
Local Preference Purchasing Policy
The City of Madison gives preference to local vendors and suppliers. You must be registered with the City
as a local vendor by the RFP due date to get preference points. Learn more and register at the City of
Madison website: www.cityofmadison.com/finance/purchasing/local-businesses/register-business/
If you are a local vendor, be sure to complete the Local Vendor section on Form C.
Equity in Contracting
The mission of the City of Madison is to provide the highest quality service for the common good of our
residents and visitors. The City's values include
* Equity - fairness, justice and equal outcomes for all, and
* Shared prosperity - where all are able to achieve economic success and social mobility.
It is our goal to spend money equitably, including among businesses owned by women, people of color,
and small businesses. Our contractors should reflect shared dedication to equity in their work and
employment practices, and we invite you to become part of this mission!
Equitable Hiring & Affirmative Action Plan
Affirmative Action Plan The City of Madison values diversity in hiring and contracting. We expect our
contractors to do the same. Contractors with 15 or more employees and more than $50,000 in annual
contracts with the City (each calendar year) must submit an Affirmative Action Plan.
Information about the Affirmative Action Plan and how to comply is found here:
https://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/contract-compliance/affirmative-action-plan/vendors-suppliers
Or call the Affirmative Action Division at (608) 266-4910.
See Section 13. B. of the Sample Contract for Affirmative Action Plan requirements.
Job Openings in Dane County You must notify the City of openings for jobs in Dane County, Wisconsin
if you have 15 or more employees. You must agree to interview candidates that we refer to you through
our Referrals and Interviews for Sustainable Employment (RaISE) program. Information is here:
http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/programs/referrals-and-interviews-for-sustainable-employment-
raise-program
The job posting requirement is found in Section 13 A. of the Sample Contract.
Limitations on Nuclear Weapons Producers
It is the City's policy not to make purchases from companies that produce nuclear weapons, or their
subsidiaries. See Common Council Resolution 79719 for more information.
Sweatfree Purchasing
It is the City's policy not to purchase apparel (clothes made from textiles, shoes, footwear) from vendors
who source their materials from sweatshops, where labor practices are inconsistent with international
standards of human rights. See Madison General Ordinances Section 4.25
(https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOICH1--
10_CH4FI_4.25PRITAP) for more information.
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 15035-0-2026-TJ
5 SCOPE OF WORK AND REQUIRED INFORMATION
Scope of Work
This project will provide the Madison community with locations at neighborhood farmer's markets to drop
off food scraps for composting for the entire market season.
Contractor Requirements
1. Build a partnership with a local and established composting operation capable of receiving and
composting food scraps collected at market locations. The Contractor may also be the same
entity that is composting the collected scraps at their farm or composting site.
a. The composter must be willing to accept the following materials:
i. Raw fruits, including peeling, cores, etc.
ii. Raw vegetables, including peelings, husks, corn cobs, etc.
iii. Coffee grounds
iv. Uncooked grains and rice
v. Egg shells
b. The City will not be accepting baked goods, meat, bones, dairy, fats, oils, greases,
prepared foods, paper products or compostable plastics with this program unless the
composter working with the vendor explicitly allows these products in the stream of
materials.
c. The composter must be appropriately composting all appropriate food scraps received
from this initiative.
d. The composter must be aware and in compliance with all applicable regulations
regarding composting facilities.
2. Haul food scraps collected at Madison farmer's market locations to the established composting
facility.
a. Contractor must be aware that if you haul more than 20 tons of waste total from all
sources within a single calendar year, you must obtain a solid waste license from the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
3. Maintain, at minimum, four separate neighborhood farmer's market locations where residents can
take food scraps for composting in geographically dispersed areas within the City of Madison.
a. The market locations must be within the City of Madison.
b. The Contractor must establish contact with the appropriate market managers and the site
locations must be mutually agreed upon with the City of Madison and the Contractor.
c. Contractor will be responsible for ensuring appropriate staffing for the entirety of the
market season, and appropriate materials and supplies for the duration of the market
season.
i. Materials and supplies include functioning scales, a canopy, chairs, tables,
buckets/totes, tracking materials, etc.
d. Booth management requirements at the market sites:
i. Train staff to manage the booth, receive materials, answer questions from
participants, and accurately record data.
ii. Appropriately represent the City of Madison and the Contractor to all visitors.
iii. Staff at the market location will screen materials received for contamination that
is not allowed by the composter.
iv. Staff will provide education and materials to visitors.
4. Report weekly totals to the City of Madison's Recycling Coordinator and Sustainability Staff
including the amount of food scraps collected at each site. Reports must be shared electronically.
a. Provided feedback received from participants.
5. Develop an expansion plan to move beyond the four established farmers' market locations to
provide additional food scraps composting access.
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 15035-0-2026-TJ
a. Areas to consider for expansion include broadening materials to accept, expanding to
new locations, expanding time of year to staff drop-off opportunities, and/or pop-up
composting drop-off events
6. Perform outreach activities to promote food scraps composting at the sites and composting food
scraps in general.
City of Madison Partnership
The City of Madison is invested in the success of food scraps recycling in our community. The City is
willing to assist in supplementing the food scraps collection work where possible beyond the funding
source.
For example, the City will be providing education material to the Contractor to hand out to residents to
ensure participants bring the correct scraps.
The City will also promote the food scraps drop-off program through its websites, social media channels,
and other media.
In discussion with the Contractor, the City is also willing to assist in other ways to ensure the success of
this initiative provided they can be mutually agreed upon.
Term
The term of this contract will be for three consecutive farmer's market seasons beginning in 2027 with the
option to extend two additional years.
Each market year, and possible funds for expansion of the service to additional locations or events as
outlined in the expansion plan, will be contingent upon funding made available during the annual City
operating budget process.
In 2027, the total cost must not exceed $80,000.
Technical Questions
Responses must be in the same sequence and identified with the corresponding question number
(Example: Question 1, Question 2, etc.). Please limit responses in this section to not more than twenty
five (25) pages. Resumes will not count towards the twenty five (25) page limit. The percentage of the
total score that each question is worth is listed as [x] in each question.
Basis for Selection
1. For the food scraps program to be a success, the farmer's market booth that receives food scraps
must be well-managed. Residents need to feel welcomed, informed, and encouraged to participate
each week.
With this in mind, describe how you will be training and hiring the personnel that will represent you,
the City of Madison, and ensure that the program is successful? [7%]
2. This question has two parts.
a. What composter will you be taking the material to?
b. How will you be transporting the food scraps from the market sites to the composting
location? [7%]
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 15035-0-2026-TJ
3. Provide details about the composter that will process the collect scraps. In your answer, provide
the following information:
a. The composters history working with food scraps.
b. Detail the composting process that will be used to process the scraps.
c. How the finished compost made from food scraps will be used.
d. Details / supporting evidence proving a positive track record of the composter being a
successful composter of food scraps materials. [10%]
4. Identify the neighborhood farmer's markets within the City of Madison you will provide food
scraps collection from in 2027. Explain why these are the sites you selected. (Minimum four). [5%]
5. How will you prevent participants from dropping off the incorrect material at the market sites for
composting and how will you prevent contaminating the material delivered to the compost facility that
will receive the material? [7%]
6. Describe how you will track and report the weights of the food scraps participants drop off at the
market sites. [5%]
7. From the resident perspective, the farmers' market drop-off sites are an extension of city
services. They must be provided as guaranteed without gaps in service. With this in mind, answer the
two questions below regarding staffing the sites:
a. How will you ensure that the market sites will be appropriately staffed each day the sites
are open so there are not unexpected absences, late arrivals, or other gaps in the service
for market users?
b. How many people will you have at the booth on each collection day for the most efficient
use of staff time and please explain your staffing decision. [7%]
8. Please explain any relevant experience your organization has had doing similar tabling and food
scraps collection work as described in the scope of services. [7%]
9. Please describe your organization's commitment to sustainability practices. [3%]
10. Considering that you will be transporting food scraps in a vehicle to a composting facility, provide
details regarding the delivery logistics of your process. Provide information about vehicles,
containers/totes, washing, and other steps that you will complete to ensure success in getting the
material to the composting facility for each market. [4%]
11. Does your organization have the appropriate insurance and licenses to haul 20 tons of food
scraps to a composting facility? [3%]
Cost Proposal
Please provide Form A2: Price Proposal separate from the rest of your proposal. [30%]
Local Vendor Preference
Please reference Section 4.1 in this document. [5%]
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 15035-0-2026-TJ
6 HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL
Proposal Checklist
Required Documents to Submit:
Technical Proposal
Form A2 Price Proposal separate from the rest of your proposal.
Required Forms to Submit:
Form A: Price Proposal and Signature Affidavit
Form B: References
Form C: Vendor Profile
RFP ADDENDUM
Check the bid websites for any addendum. See Section 3.1.
* You can use the area below to track addendums.
* An addendum might require you to submit additional documents. Make sure to read it
carefully and send any additional documents.
Have you
submitted any
Addendum # (if any) Have you read it? documents
required by the
addendum?
Addendum # _______
Addendum # _______
Submit your Proposal by the Deadline
Submit your proposal by email to City of Madison Purchasing Services by Monday, June 22, 2026 at 2:00
PM Central Time.
* Make sure your proposal is complete (see checklist above) and readable.
* Include RFP 15035-0-2026-TJ in the email subject line.
* Email proposals to: bids@cityofmadison.com
* Do not send your proposal to any other City email or agency
* If you cannot send your proposal by email, please contact the Buyer at (608) 266-4521
You must include RFP 15035-0-2026-TJ on your proposal and all other communication to the City. For
email, include RFP 15035-0-2026-TJ in the subject line.
For example, an email subject line could read: RFP 15035-0-2026-TJ Food Scraps Recycling Questions
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 15035-0-2026-TJ
Format
* Electronic - proposals are submitted electronically. Exceptions can be made for paper
submittals but you must contact the Buyer ahead of time to make those arrangements.
* Legible and readable - if not the City might reject it.
* Simple - not necessary to include elaborate/ high tech/ expensive graphics or similar features.
* Complete - your proposal must include all required sections and forms. See checklist.
Questions
You can ask questions about the RFP until the deadline for questions of Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at
2:00 PM Central Time.
Email questions to Tammy Jones at bids@cityofmadison.com. Remember to include RFP 15035-0-
2026-TJ in the subject line.
Any questions that are asked in person, over the phone, or on-site visits, and subsequently answered by
City staff are considered "off the record" and "unofficial". The only official answers must be submitted
through email and answered on the addendum(s).
We post answers to bidder questions as an addendum on the bid websites. Check the websites
regularly.
Addendum (Changes or Clarifications to this RFP)
RFP addendums make clarifications, answer bidder questions, make changes to RFP timeline, and
provide other important information. Addendums are posted on the bid websites listed in Section 3.1.
IMPORTANT: It is your responsibility to check for addendums. An addendum might require you to submit
additional information. Your proposal could be disqualified if you do not:
* Check the bid websites regularly during the posting period
* Read all addendum
* Follow the instructions in the addendum
Multiple Proposals
You may submit more than one proposal if you are proposing more than one way to fulfill the scope
requested by this RFP. If so, each proposal must meet the requirements of the RFP. Clearly label each
proposal by number (Proposal #1, Proposal #2) and submit each separately.
Changing or Withdrawing your Proposal
You may make changes to your proposal before the due date of Monday, June 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Central Time.
You may withdraw your proposal before the due date. After the due date, no proposals may be withdrawn
for 90 days or as otherwise provided by law.
Correcting Errors in your Proposal after the Due Date
The City will notify you if we believe you made an error in your proposal and may allow you to correct the
error. The City will decide if correcting the error is in the City's best interest, is fair to the other bidders,
and preserves competition. The City will decide whether an error can be corrected and will notify you.
Page 7