Mobile Vending From Municipal Spaces

The City of Portsmouth, NH is requesting sealed responses for Mobile Vending From Municipal Spaces. Responses are to be submitted electronically via the eProcurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofportsmouth before 2:00 pm on Monday, March 30, 2026. Late responses will not be accepted.

Background

The City of Portsmouth has identified one location within the downtown from which it will permit vending from municipal parking spaces.   This invitation is to elicit bids for mobile vending from a mobile vehicle (also known as a Food Truck, with vending from the side only) from one location. All other vending from municipal parking spaces is prohibited under ordinance.

Minimum bid is $5,000.00.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 22-26-BID
• Department: Procurement
• Department Head: Nathan Lunney (Deputy City Manager)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-03-23T20:00:05.907Z
• Answers Posted By: 2026-03-25T18:00:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Important Instructions for Electronic Submittals —

  The City of Portsmouth is accepting electronic bid submissions. Bidders shall create a FREE account with OpenGov Procurement by signing up at https://procurement.opengov.com/signup. Once you have completed account registration, browse back to this page, click on "Draft Response", and follow the instructions to submit the electronic bid.

• Summary —

  The City of Portsmouth, NH is requesting sealed responses for Mobile Vending From Municipal Spaces. Responses are to be submitted electronically via the eProcurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofportsmouth before 2:00 pm on Monday, March 30, 2026. Late responses will not be accepted.

   

• Timeline —

  Release Project Date:	March 16, 2026
  Question Submission Deadline:	March 23, 2026, 4:00pm
  Question Response Deadline:	March 25, 2026, 2:00pm
  Proposal Submission Deadline:	March 30, 2026, 2:00pm

• Bid Specifications —

   

  In 2010 the Portsmouth City Council amended Chapter 6, Article XIII Section 6.1307 relative to motor vehicle vending from municipal parking spaces.  Pursuant to the ordinance change:

  • Vending from parking spaces shall be permitted only from approved spaces. Currently only one space is available: State Street. See Exhibit 1 & 2.
  • Vending from the State Street Space shall be permitted from April 15, 2026 to November 15, 2026 only;
  • Vending Space shall be available to the highest qualified bidder; and
  • There shall be a minimum bid price for use of the Vending Space

  The vendor who submits the highest qualified bid for the space will have the opportunity to enter into a license agreement to vend from the municipal parking Space.  The license will provide for vendor’s exclusive use of the Vending Space for that period.  The license will have substantially those terms and conditions shown on the attached Exhibit 2 to this document.  Vendors should review those terms and conditions carefully.

  There has been no change to the City’s ordinances and policies relative to vending from the City’s sidewalks.  This bid applies only to motor vehicles (not carts) and municipal parking spaces.

   

• Project Contact —

  Elefteria Primpas

  Procurement Coordinator

  1 Junkins Ave

  Portsmouth, NH 03801

  Email: eprimpas@portsmouthnh.gov

  Phone: (603) 610-7227

• Submittal Requirements —

  Vendors must include:

  1. A cover letter describing:
     • The motor vehicle vendor proposes to use along with an accompanying photograph(s);
     • The goods/food the vendor proposes to sell; and
     • The hours the vendor anticipates vending.
  2. The Price Proposal Form;
  3. A copy of any valid permits or licenses issued by the City of Portsmouth for vending of goods or food; and
  4. A copy of any permits issued by the State of New Hampshire for vending of goods or food;

   

  Vendor is not required to obtain local and state permits prior to submission of a bid, but will be required to obtain all state and local permits and licenses prior to execution of the license for the municipal parking space. Vendor may submit such additional information as it deems necessary or helpful to the City's evaluation process. 

   

  Disqualification: Vendor will be disqualified if:

  • Vendor has a history of non-compliance with local and state regulations, ordinances and laws;
  • Vendor’s proposed motor vehicle, proposed method of servicing customers, or goods/food for sale raises health or safety concerns that cannot be reconciled through the license terms.  By way of further guidance, it is imperative that vending be able to occur in a manner which does not create a risk for customers, vehicular traffic, the vendor or others, or create damage to City property.
  • If food vending,  if Vendor has within the last year had a health inspection that:  yielded more than 2 critical item violations per inspection;  or any repeat critical item violation(s); a total inspection score of less than 80; or if the Commissary named on the Commissary Agreement did not maintain an inspection score of 80 or greater;
  • Vendor has a history of harassing, intimidating or threatening other vendors;
  • If the bid proposal is on a form other than that furnished;
  • If there are unauthorized additions, conditions or irregularities which may make the bid proposal incomplete, indefinite or ambiguous as to its meaning;
  • If more than one proposal for the same work from an individual, firm, or corporation under the same or different name or there is evidence of collusion among bidders;
  • Failure to submit all required information; or
  • Disqualification is in the best interest of the City of Portsmouth.

   

  By submitting a bid proposal, the vendor authorizes the City to undertake such investigation as may be necessary to verify the vendor’s qualifications.  The vendor may be requested to execute a release(s) in favor of third parties who have information relative to the vendor’s qualifications.  Refusal to execute a release may result in disqualification.

  Withdrawal of Bid Proposals:  A proposal may be withdrawn prior to execution of License.

  Reservation of Rights:  The City of Portsmouth reserves the right to reject any or all bids to waive technical or legal deficiencies, and to accept any proposal that it may deem to be in the best interest of the City.  

• Procurement Contact —

  Elefteria Primpas

  Procurement Coordinator

  1 Junkins Ave

  Portsmouth, NH 03801

  Email: eprimpas@portsmouthnh.gov

  Phone: (603) 610-7227

Submission Requirements

• Respondent Submittals (without Cost) (required) —

  Please Upload your COMPLETE response, including any and all required forms listed in the solicitation and the corresponding attachments.

  (Do not upload cost information in here)

• Separate Cost Proposal (required) —

  Confirm that your fee proposal is not attached in your Proposal and is attached separately here.

• I certify that I have read, understood and agree to the terms in this solicitation, and that I am authorized to submit this response on behalf of my company. (required)
• Will this project utilize the Electronic Pricing Table or have Vendors upload pricing? (required) —

  Select electronic pricing table if you want to use the auto-tabulation feature. If pricing is unknown, select vendor to upload pricing

• Evaluation Committee? (required) —

  Will there be an evaluation committee to review the proposals and score them based on weights and multiple criteria?

• Procurement and/or Project Contact —

  Select the information you would like display.

• Please confirm that you have uploaded the memo to "Internal Documents" under the attachments section (required)