SLED Opportunity · FLORIDA · CITY OF LAKELAND
AI Summary
The City of Lakeland seeks proposals for annual food and beverage services at the RP Funding Center, including catering and concessions management for events. The contract aims to start by October 2026, replacing the current agreement ending January 2027.
The purpose of the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, FL (RPFC) issuing an RFP for F&B Services is to establish a contract with a qualified Premium Food and Beverage Sales, Concessions Services and Catering Services to provide quality management of catering services (Foodservice) to patrons attending conventions, trade shows, banquets, family entertainment events, sporting events, etc. at the RPFC. The current Agreement is with Levy Restaurant and conclude on January 31, 2027.
RPFC issued the last RFP in February 2020 shortly after the pandemic. RPFC and the City of Lakeland are seeking a competitive process for 2026 which will deliver the best services and value to RPFC.
At the conclusion of the RFP process and upon execution of an Agreement, the successful Proposer will be responsible for the comprehensive management and operation of the Foodservice at the RPFC. The successful Proposer shall be an independent contractor and shall furnish all management, supervision, labor, and any or all other services, as required by the City, consistent with generally accepted operations of a first-class public assembly facility. It is the desired goal of the City to have an executed Agreement with the successful Proposer no later October 1, 2026.
RPFC has a storied history of conventions, meetings, concerts, professional and amateur athletics and competitions, tradeshows, fundraisers and social events. RPFC promotes and maintains an active and diverse schedule of events, as well as providing first-class catering and meeting spaces available throughout the year. The successful bidders will understand the opportunities that RPFC provides to maximize its revenues and the return to the center. Today, technology and attendee preferences are changing which RPFC and its Food and Beverage Manager must embrace and evolve to set the standard for quality, service and variety in Central Florida public facilities and gathering places.
RFPC has provided a creative opportunity by allowing flexibility for an Agreement term longer than five years, expecting the potential for higher revenues and returns on capital improvements. A longer term may also provide for a stronger catering and special event presence, as well as potential collaborative arrangements with local events and caterers.
The City and RPFC view the RFP process as a civic opportunity to comprehensively explore, grow and expand RPFC business and relationships, as well as maintaining a strong return for the facilities.
**Updated attachment for Attendance information
The Inventory & Attendance information that was requested at the Pre-Proposal meeting has been added to the Attachments tab and to this addendum.
The deadline for questions has been extended to: 5:00 p.m., Monday, April 20, 2026
The RFP due date has been extended to: 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Including past performance relative to quality of work, ability to meet financial objectives, and success in achieving slated performance benchmarks
“I attest no City of Lakeland employee, their spouse, or child has an ownership stake in this organization.”
A certificate of existing insurance coverage should be submitted with the proposal as proof of insurability. If the current coverage does not meet the RFP requirements, then the Respondent should request an affidavit of insurability from the Respondent’s insurance agent that certifies the requirements can and will be met.
THIS RFP SHALL BE VALID FOR SIXTY (60) DAYS FROM DATE OF OPENING.
The following RFP is in strict accordance with the City of Lakeland Request for Proposal No. 2026-RFP-001, dated Tuesday, January 20, 2026 and all attachments as referenced therein.
“I hereby certify that I understand and am aware that the City of Lakeland at its sole discretion reserves the right to waive technicalities or irregularities, to reject any or all proposals, and/or to accept that proposal which is in the best interest of the City. The award of this RFP, if made, may be based on considerations other than total cost and may be awarded based on various considerations, including without limitation; Respondent’s experience and/or qualifications, past experience, administrative cost, standardization, technical evaluation and oral and/or written presentations as required. The City reserves the right to accept all or part, or to decline the whole, and to award this RFP to one (1) or more Respondents. There is no obligation to buy. The RFP, if awarded, will be in the judgement of the City the most responsive to the City’s needs. The City of Lakeland encourages the use of minority and women owned businesses as subcontractors or in joint venture arrangements.
If claiming Local Vendor Preference, I certify that the company satisfies each of the following criteria at the time of their submission of a response to the solicitation necessary to qualify as a “Local Business”: a vendor, supplier or contractor that: (i) conducts business within the jurisdictional limits of Lakeland Electric’s service territory by providing goods, services or construction; (ii) maintains a physical business location within the jurisdictional limits of Lakeland Electric’s service territory in an area legally zoned for conducting such business; (iii) conducts business on a daily basis from the local business location; (iv) has conducted business from such location for at least twelve (12) consecutive months prior to the due date for the applicable bid or proposal; and (v) provides a copy of its local business tax receipt, if located within the City of Lakeland, or a copy of its Polk County local business tax receipt, if located outside of the City limits but within Lakeland Electric’s service territory.”
If claiming Local Vendor Preference, a valid Local Business Tax Receipt must be provided at the time the response is submitted in order to qualify for such consideration.
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Q (No subject): What is the date in which questions will be answered?
A: Sorry for the delay. We have extended the question deadline and the due date. We will answer questions as quickly as possible to ensure firms have adequate time to respond.
Q (No subject): Are there any unique subcontractors at the RP Funding Center?
A: Pita Hut Enterprises- Papa John Pizza, Dippin Dots, Indian Cuisine Patti Lou's Donuts- Mini Donuts Cold Stone Creamery-Hand Scooped Ice Cream Bowls Sanpar- Arepas and Mexican Bowls Chocolate Moonshine- Fudge and Chocolate Kona Ice- Flavored Ices
Q (No subject): What do you attribute to the decline in catering revenue?
A: Catering sales opportunities are available year-round for both event and non-event days. RPFC provides inbound F&B catering leads associated with events and meetings. The concessionaire maintains a sales representative and can pursue networking and outbound selling efforts. The current agreement has a single commission schedule for catered events.
Q (No subject): As it relates to resident engagements, do you have any revolving programming on the books?
A: Not at this time.
Q (No subject): What marketing is going out to groups in the area, region, state, etc. or do you rely on incoming business?
A: Marketing efforts are both proactive and supported by strong inbound demand. Visit Central Florida (VCF) and Visit Central Florida Sports (VCFS) actively promote the RP Funding Center through regional and national campaigns, including attendance at industry tradeshows and advertising in national publications to reach event planners and rights holders. In addition, the facility conducts its own targeted marketing, collaborates with strategic partners, and utilizes an online sales portal that generates the majority of inbound leads.
Q (No subject): When speaking about marketing and sales programming, will you please provide specifics around what you are looking for/expectations, from a partner?
A: We are seeking a partner that brings a dedicated sales presence—either an individual or team—who will actively contribute to both sales and marketing efforts while aligning with and leveraging the broader initiatives already in place at the venue. Our expectations include: Active Sales Engagement: A consistent, proactive approach to pursuing catering and event-related opportunities, including building relationships with clients, promoters, and community partners. Maximizing In-House Opportunities: A strong focus on converting existing event traffic into F&B revenue through strategic offerings, upselling, and direct client engagement. Collaborative Marketing Efforts: Coordination with the venue’s marketing strategy, supplemented by the partner’s own efforts to enhance visibility and drive sales. Positive Contribution to Bookings: A commitment to quality, flexibility, and service that supports event sales, recognizing that F&B can be a key factor in a client’s decision-making. In-House Event Development: The ability to create and execute F&B-driven events that generate incremental revenue and activate the venue during non-peak periods. Partnership Mindset: A collaborative approach focused on identifying opportunities to increase utilization and revenue across all event types. Overall, we expect a partner who is not only operationally strong but also invested in driving revenue, enhancing the guest experience, and contributing meaningfully to the venue’s overall success.
Q (No subject): Would the city be open to a fee partnership vs. a revenue sharing (commission) partnership?
A: The City’s preference is to maintain a revenue-sharing (commission-based) partnership structure, consistent with the current operating model. All proposals should be submitted in alignment with these established revenue-sharing standards. While proposers may submit an alternative structure as a supplemental option following a compliant revenue-sharing proposal, the City is not actively exploring changes to the current model and is not interested in a management or fee-based agreement at this time.
Q (No subject): Can you please provide the amount of sales from subcontractors for 2023, 2024, and 2025? Can you also please confirm your split/financial arrangement with your current subcontractors?
A: Contract Year Ended 1/31/24 $975,255 Contract Year Ended 1/31/25 $955,394 Contract Year Ended 1/31/26 $913,837 The current split with the current subcontractors is 75% for Pita Hut, Pattie Lou’s, Kona Ice, 73% to Coldstone and 70% to Sanpar Enterprises.
Q (No subject): Can you please confirm what is included in the Catering Supplemental Charges line as it represents close to 50% of the Catering/Premium Areas revenues and is much higher than typical management or service charges that would be charged to catering revenue?
A: Catering Supplemental Charges include Admin Fees (Service Charge) as well as other S&S charges to catering customers such as linens, equipment rentals, and billed labor.
Q (No subject): Can you please provide any information or reason to the decrease in Alcohol Sales from 2023 to 2024 to 2025?
A: Alcohol sales trends over the past several years largely reflect a broader shift in event mix rather than performance. The RP Funding Center has seen increased demand for conventions, youth competitions, and amateur sporting events, such as cheerleading and weightlifting championships. These are outstanding for community engagement and facility utilization but typically generate lower per-cap spending on alcohol compared to ticketed entertainment. Looking ahead, the RP Funding Center is actively rebalancing its event portfolio. With a new entertainment series already contracted for 2026 and a Broadway Series returning in 2027. We anticipate a meaningful increase in ticketed events, which should positively impact alcohol sales while complementing our continued success in conventions and youth sports.
Q (No subject): Can you confirm that our responses to questions in Section 3.17 should be submitted in the 'Additional Required RFP Submittal Information' section on the OpenGov portal, and not elsewhere?
A: Yes, those responses should be uploaded to that section on the Vendor Questionnaire.
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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