Provision of Food and Beverage Services across UNECA Headquarters, including Cafeteria, Conference Catering, Café/Bistro and Delegate Hospitality Outlets

Agency: UN Secretariat | Reference: RFIUNECA24544 | Type: Request for information

1.

OBJECTIVE AND DISCLAIMER

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes to conduct market research.

It does not constitute a solicitation or a commitment to implement a procurement process, nor does it bind the United Nations (UN) or the Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to issue a contract or pay for any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of responses.
The primary objective of this RFI is to evaluate market capabilities, determine commercial viability, and obtain industry feedback on the most appropriate operational and procurement structure for UNECA’s food and beverage services.

UNECA is considering different models, including a single integrated operator, separate lots, or a hybrid structure under which some services may be bundled while others may be operated separately by specialized providers.

Information provided will be treated as strictly confidential and used exclusively for internal UN planning

2.

BACKGROUND AND CURRENT FOOTPRINT

UNECA serves a highly diverse international ecosystem at its headquarters in Addis Ababa.

The daily consumer base fluctuates dynamically and comprises:
• High-level VIPs, diplomats, conference dignitaries.
• International conference delegates and summit participants (ranging from small working groups to summits with over 1,500 attendees).
• UN staff members (ECA as well as 22 UN-agencies operating from the ECA campus).
• External contractors, technical crews, and facility support staff.
Physical & Kitchen Infrastructure
The selected operator will be expected to manage a multi-location, multi-concept food and beverage footprint consisting of:
• Two (2) Industrial Kitchens: Full-fledged, heavy-duty production and preparation hubs capable of large-scale banquet preparation, high-volume conference meal generation, and simultaneous site-wide supply.
• Three (3) Small-Scale Outlets with Kitchens: Specialized service nodes capable of independent finishing and localized, fast-turnaround cooking.
• For market research purposes, vendors are requested to note that not all services may necessarily be procured or operated under a single contract.

UNECA is particularly interested in understanding which services should be bundled together for operational reasons, and which services could be separated into distinct lots to attract specialized operators and improve service quality, commercial viability and accountability.
• UNECA is seeking market feedback on whether the UNCC cafeteria and conference/event catering services should be combined under one lot due to their reliance on common kitchen infrastructure, or whether alternative arrangements may provide operational, commercial, or service-quality advantages.

3.

PROPOSED OPERATIONAL & SERVICE CONCEPT

UNECA intends to introduce an agile, multi-tier service model capable of catering to different price points, cultural diets, and operational hours simultaneously.

UNECA CATERING ECOSYSTEM: -

UNCC Cafeteria and Conference Catering: High-Volume buffet lanches, delegate coffee breaks, cocktail reception

Africa Hall + Africa Hall Visitor Centre: Mixed service (buffet lunch, fast food & snack, restaurant), deligate coffe breaks, fresh juice & breakfast continuous operations, cocktail receptions

Express Café/Press Bar Services: fast food and snack focus, Fresh Juice and breakfast

Delegates Bar/ Premium Bistro-Lounge: premium restaurant , continuous operations

The desired programmatic concepts include:
• UNCC Cafeteria and Conference/Event Catering: Provision of daily cafeteria services, staff dining and large-scale conference/event catering supported by the UNCC kitchen infrastructure.

This may include delegate lunches, buffet service, synchronized coffee/tea breaks, receptions, cocktail arrangements, and special event catering, while ensuring that regular daily services for staff and other campus users are not disrupted during major conferences.

• Africa Hall and Africa Hall Visitor Centre: The Africa Hall combines both conference/events catering as well as individual service as it includes a ‘Visitor Centre’ that is open to the public. Therefore, service provision is expected to be mixed; i.e. it will be of conference/event catering as well as high-speed, high-quality café and light food services including barista-style coffee, tea, fresh juices, pastries, sandwiches, snacks, healthy grab-and-go options and light meals.

The operation will be supported by the Africa Hall kitchen infrastructure. In this regard, UNECA is seeking market feedback on whether these services could be combined and operated under one specialized operator.

• Express Café / Press Bar Services: High-speed, high-quality café and light food services, including barista-style coffee, tea, fresh juices, pastries, sandwiches, snacks, healthy grab-and-go options and light meals.

UNECA is seeking market feedback on whether these services should be operated separately from the main cafeteria/c

CONTACT:
• Email: etsegenet.argaw@un.org