Queen’s Cold Beverage Consultative Committee
Queen’s University holds a Cold Beverage Agreement with Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited, established in 2012 to provide exclusive cold beverage services to students, staff, and visitors on campus through various outlets, including residence dining halls, retail food venues, catering services, and vending machines. The contract provides funding to support student wellness and the student experience through the AMS, SGPS, and Athletics and Recreation. Although exclusive, the current agreement allows for other cold beverage offerings on campus.
The agreement expired on August 31, 2022, but it has been extended for one year through August 31, 2023, due to the impacts of COVID-19 on the contract deliverables over the 2020-21 academic year, when most classes were remote, resulting in reduced activity on campus.
In October 2021, a committee of stakeholders was formed and met monthly, with membership as set out below.
The group provided feedback on options for cold beverage supply and assisted with developing procurement criteria, including preparation of the Request for Proposal (RFP) in Fall 2022 (as was completed for the 2012 contract). Before the most recent RFP went out, the group engaged the campus community through surveying, focus groups, open forums, and feedback review, as well as participated in proponent evaluation and selection as applicable.
Project Updates
July 19, 2023
Queen's University is in the final stages of contract negotiations with the prospective new cold beverage supplier and expects to complete the process in the next several weeks.
February 13, 2023
The RFP evaluation process has been completed. Contract negotiations are now under the direction of Procurement Services with the top scoring proponent. Non-Disclosure agreements remain in affect once a formal contract is signed.
January 16, 2023
The formal Request for Proposal (RFP) open to the public has closed. The evaluation process is underway under the direction of Procurement Services. All Evaluators have signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement and are required to maintain specific details about the potential suppliers confidential.
November 9, 2022
Following a consultative period that began in October 2021 which has now concluded, a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) has been made public. Currently, the RFP is scheduled to close on December 7, 2022.
June 1, 2022
Between February 24, 2022 – April 30, 2022, the Consultative Group surveyed the campus community to help identify what factors are most important when selecting a new cold beverage supplier for the university. The survey was open to all Queen’s University staff, faculty and students with data sampling consisting of 67.25% students, 28.50% staff, and 4.22% faculty. The weighted results indicate that the criteria, in order of priority for consideration in the procurement process of the next cold beverage supplier are as follows:
- Sustainability
- Nutritional Value
- Product Quality
- Affordability
- Social Impact
- Locally Sourced
- Commitment to EDII
Cold Beverage Consultative Membership Includes:
- Two representatives from the Alma Mater Society (Commissioner of Environmental Sustainability and the Social Issues Commissioner)
- Representative from the Society of Graduate & Professional Students
- Two representatives from QBACC (Queen’s Backing Action on Climate Change)
- Executive Director, Housing and Ancillary Services
- Director, Business Development and Communications, Student Affairs, Housing and Ancillary Services (Chair)
- Manager of Finance, Housing and Ancillary Services
- Manager, Wellness and Sustainability, Housing and Ancillary Services
- Representative selected from the Campus Foodservice Committee
- Representative from Athletics & Recreation
- Representative from the Office of the Vice-Provost & Dean of Student Affairs
- Representative from the Sustainability Office
- Representatives from Strategic Procurement Services (ex-officio)
- Member at large representative (vacant)
This webpage will be updated through the process. Feedback for the Cold Beverage Consultative Group can be shared by emailing dining@queensu.ca