The contract with the University's current food service vendor, Perkins Management, expires in June of 2017. The University has decided to move forward with an RFP this spring with the intent to award a multi-year contract for food service beginning July 1, 2017.

The RFP is under development and will be issued in January. The tentative schedule for evaluation and award is as follows:

Receive responses - March 1, 2017

Evaluate responses – March 2017

Negotiate and award contract – April 2017

This schedule provides for a three month transition period if a new vendor is selected.

University staff met with representatives of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Department of the Blind, regarding the vending program. In this meeting, the state representatives reaffirmed that it is the position of the Department of the Blind that they have first rights to provide vending services on state property, including the Kentucky State University property. The Office of General Counsel for the University is reviewing the applicable statutes.

There is an opportunity to partner with the Department of the Blind to modernize vending services on campus and University staff will continue those discussion. It is also recommended that representatives from the Department of the Blind be invited to the April meeting of the Board of Regents to discuss their program and how they can partner with the University to improve services.

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