Request for Proposal - UAM Pouring Rights

STATE OF ARKANSAS
University of Arkansas at Monticello
346 University Drive
Monticello, Arkansas 71656
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
SOLICITATION DOCUMENT
SOLICITATION INFORMATION
Solicitation Number: AA252601 Solicitation Issued: 03/16/2026
Description: Exclusive Beverage Pouring Rights for the University of Arkansas(UAM)
Board of Trustees (the "Board") of the University of Arkansas for the University of
Agency:
Arkansas at Monticello (the "University" or "UAM")
RESPONSE DUE DATE
Proposal Response DueDate: April 24, 2026 Time: 3:00 p.m., Central Time
Proposal submissions for this Request for Proposals must be delivered to the Procurement Office on or before
the submission deadline. Proposals received after the submission deadline may be rejected as untimely. See
Section 1.2 for information regarding Live Bid Openings.
DELIVERY OF RESPONSE DOCUMENTS
Finance and Administration
Office of Procurement
346 University Drive
Administration Building, Room 101-A
Delivery Address and
RFP Opening Location Monticello, AR 71656
Delivery providers, USPS, UPS, and FedEx deliver mail to the delivery street address
on a schedule determined by each individual provider. These providers will deliver
based solely on the street address. Prospective Contractors assume all risk for
timely, properly submitted deliveries.
Seal outer packaging and properly mark with the following information. If outer
packaging of proposal submission is not properly marked, the package may be
opened for proposal identification purposes.
Proposal's Outer
Packaging Solicitation number
Date and time of bid opening
Prospective Contractor's name and return address
DEPARTMENT NAMECONTACT INFORMATION
Department Buyer: Thomas Lafever Buyer's Direct Phone Number: 870-460-1722
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Email Address: lafever@uamont.edu Department Main Number: 870-460-1022
Department Website: https://www.uamont.edu/Fin-Admin/purchasing.html
SECTION 1 - INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS
1.1 INTRODUCTION
This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued by the University of Arkansas at
Monticello (UAM) for the Office of Procurement to obtain pricing and a contract(s)
for exclusive beverage pouring rights.
Direct all communications regarding this Solicitation to the Buyer on page one (1)
of the RFP.
1.2 LIVE PROPOSAL OPENING
Please attend the proposal opening in person if desired. The sealed proposals will
be opened publicly at University of Arkansas at Monticello, Administration Building
Suite 101 Monticello, AR 71656 at 3:00 pm on April 24, 2026.
1.3 OBJECTIVE AND GOALS
The University of Arkansas at Monticello will consider proposals for the exclusive
beverage pouring rights on the Monticello campus in the best interest of the
University. The RFP is only for the Monticello campus and is not applicable to the
Crossett and McGehee locations.
BACKGROUND AND CURRENT ENVIRONMENT
The Monticello location provides undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree
programs to residential and commuting students. The University's current
enrollment is approximately 3,100 students, including enrollment at the technical
campuses in Crossett and McGehee. The number of students residing on the
Monticello campus during Fall 2024 semester was 475 students while the Spring
2025 semester had 412 - students in the residence halls. The University employs
approximately 400 on the Monticello campus.
1.4 TYPE OF CONTRACT
A. As a result of this RFP, the university intends to award a contract to a single
Contractor.
B. The anticipated starting date for any resulting contract is July 1, 2026, except
that the actual contract start date may be adjusted unilaterally by the State for
up to three (3) calendar months. By submitting a signed proposal in response
to the RFP, the Prospective Contractor represents and warrants that it will
honor its proposal as being held open as irrevocable for this period.
C. The initial term of a resulting contract will be for one (1) year. Upon mutual
agreement by the Contractor and the university, the contract may be renewed
for up to six (6) additional one-year terms or portions thereof, not to exceed a
total aggregate contract term of seven (7) consecutive years.
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1.5 DEFINITION OF TERMS
A. Unless otherwise defined herein, all terms defined in Arkansas Procurement
Law have the same meanings herein.
B. "Prospective Contractor" means a responsible offeror who submits a proposal
in response to this Solicitation.
C. The terms "Request for Proposal," "RFP," and "Solicitation" are used
synonymously in this document.
D. "Requirement" means a term, condition, provision, deliverable, Specification, or
a combination thereof, that is obligated under the Solicitation, resulting
contract, or both.
E. "Responsive Proposal" means a proposal submitted in response to this
Solicitation that conforms in all material respects to this RFP.
F. "Shall" and "must" mean the imperative and are used to identify Requirements.
G. "Specification" means any technical or purchase description or other
description of the physical or functional characteristics, or of the nature, of a
commodity or service. "Specification" may include a description of any
Requirement for inspecting, testing, or preparing a commodity or service for
delivery.
H. "State" means the State of Arkansas. When the term "State" is used herein to
reference any obligation of the State under a contract that results from this
Solicitation, that obligation is limited to the Department using such a contract.
1.6 SOLICITATION SCHEDULE
For informational purposes, a Solicitation Schedule is provided below; however,
dates listed and noted with an asterisk (*) are anticipated dates only and are
subject to change at the discretion of the State. All times are listed in Central Time.
TABLE A: TENTATIVE SOLICITATION SCHEDULE
ACTIVITY DATE
RFP Release to Prospective Contractors March 16, 2026
Deadline for Prospective Contractor Questions March 30, 2026, 4:30 p.m
Answers to Questions Posted to Website Location April 3, 2026
Proposal Due Date April 24, 2026, 3:00 p.m
Committee Evaluations Period April 27 - May 1, 2026
Post Anticipation to Award* May 4, 2026
Award Contract* May 18, 2026
1.7 CLARIFICATION OF SOLICITATION
A. Submit questions requesting clarification of information contained in this
Solicitation via email to the Buyer on page one (1) of the RFP by the date and
time listed in Table A.
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1. For each question submitted, Prospective Contractor should reference the
specific Solicitation item number to which the question refers.
2. Prospective Contractors' written questions will be consolidated and
responded to by the State as deemed appropriate. The State's
consolidated written response is anticipated to be posted to the Solicitation
posting by the close of business on the date provided Table A. If
Prospective Contractor questions are unclear or non-substantive in nature,
the State may request clarification of a question(s) or decline to answer.
B. The Prospective Contractor should notify the Buyer of any term, condition, etc.,
that precludes the Prospective Contractor from submitting a complaint,
Responsive Proposal. Prospective Contractors should note that it is the
responsibility of the Prospective Contractor to seek resolution of all such
issues, including those relating to the terms and conditions of the contract,
prior to the submission of a proposal.
C. Prospective Contractors may contact the Buyer with non-substantive questions
at any time prior to the proposal opening.
D. An oral statement by the university will not be part of any contract resulting
from this Solicitation and may not reasonably be relied on by any Prospective
Contractor as an aid to interpretation unless it is reduced to writing and
expressly adopted by the university.
E. Only an addendum written and authorized by the State will modify the
Solicitation.
1.8 RESPONSE DOCUMENTS
A. Original Technical Proposal Packet
1. Prospective Contractors shall utilize the Technical Proposal Packet to
submit their responses.
2. The following items are proposal submission requirements and must be
submitted as a hardcopy part of a Prospective Contractor's proposal
response.
a. Original signed Proposal Signature Page. Signature may be ink or
digital.
b. One original hardcopy of the Technical Proposal response to the
Information for Evaluation section included in the Technical Proposal
Packet, which must be in the English language.
c. One original hardcopy of the completed Official Solicitation Price
Sheet.
i. Include a sealed envelope with the cost information, clearly
labeled "Cost Proposal" with the material mentioned above.
Vendors who fail to submit a cost separately will be
considered non-responsive.
ii. Pricing must be proposed in U.S. dollars and cents.
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iii. Quantities stated are estimates only and are not guaranteed.
Prospective Contractor must submit unit price on the estimated
quantity and unit of measure specified.
The State may order more or less than the estimated quantity
on term contracts, and the Contractor shall sell to the
university quantities ordered at no more than the submitted
price.
iv. If pricing documents do not allow for accurate pricing, Prospective
Contractor should notify the Buyer at least seventy-two (72) hours
before the proposal opening time.
v. Prices must be firm offers and adjustments may be negotiated at
the time of contract renewal/annually/quarterly.
A request for a price increase must include supporting
documentation demonstrating that the increase in contract
price is based on an increased cost to the Contractor and that
the proposed pricing is still competitive in the marketplace.
The State has the right to approve or deny any request for a
price adjustment.
vi. Discount from list pricing is not acceptable unless requested
elsewhere in the Solicitation.
vii. State or local sales taxes should not be included in the price.
Trade discounts should be deducted from the unit price and the
net price should be shown in the Pricing Response
viii. State law requires that the proposal be submitted no later than the
date and time specified in this RFP. Vendors mailing proposals
should allow a sufficient mail delivery period to ensure timely
receipt of their proposals by the above office.
ix. Any proposals received after the publicly scheduled opening date
and time will be immediately disqualified. Prior to the RFP award,
all proposals shall be guaranteed and binding for a period of not
less than ninety (90) days past the proposal submission deadline
(opening date).
d. Proposed Subcontractors Form (see SRV-1, section 14)
e. Copy of Prospective Contractor's Equal Opportunity Policy.
i. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated 19-60-104, OSP requires
a Prospective Contractor bidding on a state contract to submit a
copy of the Prospective Contractor's Equal Opportunity (EO)
Policy.
ii. Prospective Contractors not required by law to have an EO Policy
must submit a written statement to that effect.
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3. The following items, which must be submitted prior to a contract award to
the Prospective Contractor, may also be included with the Prospective
Contractor's proposal:
a. EO 98-04: Contract and Grant Disclosure Form.
b. Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), if applicable.
4. Prospective Contractors should not include any other documents or
ancillary information, such as a cover letter or promotional/marketing
information.
B. Additional copies
1. In addition to the original Technical Proposal Packet, the following items
should be submitted:
a. Five (5) complete hardcopies (marked "COPY") of the Technical
Proposal Packet.
b. One (1) electronic copy of the Technical Proposal Packet.
c. One (1) electronic copy of the Official Solicitation Price Sheet.
d. One (1) redacted (marked "REDACTED") copy of the original
Technical Proposal Packet if applicable (see Proprietary Information).
2. Electronic copies should be submitted on flash drives and in PDF format.
3. All additional hardcopies and electronic copies must be identical to the
original hardcopy.
a. In case of a discrepancy, the original hardcopy governs.
4. If the university requests additional copies of the proposal, the copies
must be delivered within the timeframe specified in the request.
C. Prospective Contractors should not alter language in Solicitation document(s)
or Official Proposal Price Sheet provided by the State.
D. Prospective Contractor's proposals cannot be altered or amended after the
proposal opening except as permitted by law or rule.
E. Prospective Contractors may submit multiple proposals.
F. Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice by the Vendor's authorized
representative at anytime prior to the date set for the RFP opening.
SECTION 2 - REQUIREMENTS
2.1 PROSPECTIVE CONTRACTOR MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
A. The Prospective Contractor shall have the following qualifications:
a. At minimum distributes and/or promotes beverage through the following
operations:
i. University Center Cafeteria
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ii. Vending Machines (Campus-wide)
iii. Athletic Facilities
iv. Starbucks We Proudly Serve
v. University Bookstore
vi. Chick-fil-A
2.2 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
A. The Contractor shall make all beverages made available to the University in
packages and pursuant to specifications reasonably requested by the
University. The proposal shall identify all beverages sold or distributed by the
beverage supply company, including all specifications that fully describe the
portion size, packaging, and dispensing capability in concentration (if
applicable) of each beverage. The proposal should include a complete listing
of all syrup and concentrate flavors offered by the beverage supply company.
B. Equipment Requirements
- The beverage supply partner will be required to supply, install, service,
and maintain all vending, fountain, display, and other equipment used to
sell or display beverages, at no cost to the University. The supplier will
submit in writing to the appropriate University representative requests for
the relocation, addition, or removal of vending machine equipment, prior
to any such changes being made.
- The University will assume no liability for damage to the equipment from
fire, theft, vandalism, or other cause. The University, however, will use
reasonable precautions to protect the supplier's equipment.
- If any type of equipment provided by the successful supplier will not fit into
existing areas, any modifications (i.e., new counters, etc.) will be made at
the supplier's expense. Proposed renovations must be approved in writing
by the University's Department of Planning, Facilities, and Construction.
- Appearance of all equipment provided will be aesthetically appealing, as
determined by the University.
C. Equipment Maintenance Requirements
- The supplier will include in the proposal a plan for regular maintenance of
all equipment, including vending equipment and the cleaning and flushing
of post-mix and premix beverage equipment. The supplier will be
responsible for reimbursing the University for loss of sales and/or
additional costs incurred due to equipment breakdown or inability to meet
delivery requirements as referenced in this RFP
D. Current Equipment
- The campus currently has 18 - 20 oz. cold vending outlets.
- The University does not require that all buildings that contain multiple cold
beverage vending machines maintain the present number except where
the machines are located on different floors. Any additional buildings that
the University builds or otherwise acquires will have vending machines
added at the University's request at the Vendor's expense.
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E. Service
- The beverage supply partner shall provide 24-hour service and repair of all
vending and fountain equipment within 24 hours, 7 days a week, at no cost
to the University. However, with respect to any and all university operations
providing 3 meals per day, repair of fountain equipment must occur before
the next scheduled meal service.
F. Beverage Program Marketing Support
- The University recognizes the importance of timely and effective marketing
to promote the sale of beverages on campus. These efforts are intended
to support the sale of beverages on campus through all distribution
channels (i.e., food service, retail, vending, athletic facilities, etc.). The Plan
should include suggested strategies for the development and
implementation of marketing initiatives.
G. Cost of Product
- The proposal must identify a pricing structure for all beverages sold,
distributed, or otherwise offered by the respondent that best supports the
Pouring Rights Program objectives. The proposal should include specific
pricing commitments and incentives.
- Pricing commitments are made without regard to which of the University
operations or communities may provide or sell the beverages.
- The proposal should identify the beverage category, package size, and
case count (if applicable), and cost of each product offered by the
respondent. The cost schedule should be provided in sufficient detail to
identify costs of all products and any volume incentive.
SECTION 3 - SELECTION
3.1 SELECTION PROCESS
A. The Department will review each Technical Proposal Packet to verify
submission Requirements have been met. Technical Proposals Packets that
do not meet submission Requirements will be rejected and will not be
evaluated.
B. A Department-appointed Evaluation Committee will evaluate and score
qualifying Technical Proposals. Evaluation will be based on Prospective
Contractor's response to the Information for Evaluation section included in the
Technical Proposal Packet.
1. Members of the Evaluation Committee (Evaluators) will individually review
and evaluate proposals and complete an Individual Score Worksheet for
each proposal. Individual scoring for each Evaluation Criteria will be based
on the scoring description in Table C: Scoring Table.
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TABLE C: SCORING TABLE
CONFIDENCE
QUALITY QUALITY OF
DESCRIPTION IN PROPOSED
RATING RESPONSE
APPROACH
When considered in relation to the RFP evaluation
factor, the proposal squarely meets the requirement
5 Excellent Very High
and exhibits outstanding knowledge, creativity, ability
or other exceptional characteristics. Extremely good.
When considered in relation to the RFP evaluation
4 Good factor, the proposal squarely meets the requirement High
and is better than merely acceptable.
When considered in relation to the RFP evaluation
3 Acceptable Moderate
factor, the proposal is of acceptable quality.
When considered in relation to the RFP evaluation
2 Marginal Low
factor, the proposal's acceptability is doubtful.
When considered in relation to the RFP evaluation
1 Poor Very Low
factor, the proposal is inferior.
When considered in relation to the RFP evaluation
factor, the proposal clearly does not meet the
requirement. Either nothing in the proposal is
0 Unacceptable No Confidence
responsive in relation to the evaluation factor or the
proposal affirmatively shows that it is unacceptable in
relation to the evaluation factor.
2. After initial individual evaluations are complete, the Evaluators will meet to
discuss their individual ratings. At this consensus meeting, each Evaluator
will be afforded an opportunity to discuss his or her rating for each
evaluation criteria.
3. After Evaluators have had an opportunity to discuss their individual scores
with the committee, the Evaluators will be given the opportunity to change
their initial individual scores, if they feel that is appropriate.
4. The final individual scores of the Evaluators will be recorded on the
Consensus Score Sheets and averaged to determine the group or
consensus score and rank for each proposal.
5. Other agencies, consultants, and experts may also examine documents at
the discretion of the Department.
3.2 SELECTION METHODOLOGY
A. A University appointed evaluation committee will perform a technical evaluation
of submittals received as a result of the RFP. All submittals are to be
complete; partial submittals will not be accepted. A complete submittal is one
that is responsive to all the components in each section specified in the
RFP. The University is under no obligation to contact applicants for
clarification or incomplete information, but reserves the right to do so. The
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contract will be awarded on the basis of the proposal that receives the highest
cumulative point total as defined in the evaluation criteria.
B. Interested parties who submit a proposal in response to this RFP may be
required to give an oral presentation to the University evaluation
committee. This presentation will provide the opportunity for the contractor to
clarify or elaborate on his/her proposal, but will not in any way change the
submitting party's original proposal. The University's Procurement Manager
will schedule the time and location of these presentations, if required.
3.3 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL SCORE
A. The Information for Evaluation section has been divided into subsections.
1. In each subsection, items/questions have been assigned a maximum point
value of five (5) points. The total point value for each subsection is
reflected in the table below as the Maximum Raw Points Possible.
2. The Department has assigned Weighted Percentages to each subsection
according to its significance.
Maximum
Information for Evaluation
Raw Points
Subsections
Possible
E.1 Total Economic value
a. Product cost
b. Vending commission 40
c. Exclusive rights compensation
d. Athletic amenities
E.2 Quality of the program
a. Campus acceptance of product lines
b. Reliable, state-of-the-art equipment
20
c. Ability to meet demand and delivery needs
and plan for routine and emergency delivery,
service, and maintenance
E.3 Firm's reputation and stability
a. Company history
b. Relevant experience, qualifications, and
20
success with programs of this type
c. Resources available
d. Quality of references
E.4 Contract administration, communication, and
reporting plan
a. Plan for successful program implementation
20
and continuous performance
b. Accurate, thorough, and user-friendly
reporting tools and controls
Total Technical Score 100
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