Short answer: a vending machine RFP for a BC rec centre, pool or arena usually asks an operator to supply, stock and service the machines at no cost to the facility, for a three-year term (often with renewals), and to pay a commission on gross sales. The detailed ones also set a service response time, insurance limits, healthier-choice rules and a published scoring grid in which commission is only one line. We read six BC municipal vending RFPs from 2016 to 2026 to show what they contain.
This post is for recreation and facility staff writing or renewing a vending RFP, and for any host, public or private, who wants to know what a careful buyer asks for. Built by a vending locator with years of experience placing machines across the Lower Mainland.
Six BC vending RFPs at a glance
| Issuer (year) | Facilities | Term | Money to the facility | Service and products |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of New Westminster (2026, NWRFP-26-09) | Six parks and recreation facilities | In the full documents on the City's bids site | In the full documents | Dry snacks and cold drinks, equipment, maintenance and staff |
| City of Powell River (2026, BC1220-20-0430) | Recreation complex and airport | 3 years + two optional 1-year renewals, from September 2026 | Not in the notice | "Healthy Choice" vending; turnkey supply, install, stocking and maintenance |
| Township of Esquimalt (2025, P&R-25-02) | Recreation centre (pool, gym, weight room) and arena with curling sheets | 3 years from September 1, 2025, extendable yearly to 5 | A percentage of monthly gross revenue, paid by the 15th with sales statements | Service calls answered within 3 hours, 7 days a week, 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
| City of Prince George (2022, BCI22-061) | Aquatic centre and leisure pool (3 machines) | 3 years + two optional 1-year renewals | A commission on each sale; machines supplied and installed at no charge | Restocked 2 to 3 times a week |
| Comox Valley Regional District (2019) | Sports centre and aquatic centre | Not in the notice | Not in the notice | Provision and operation of vending |
| Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (2016) | Pemberton & District Community Centre | Not in the notice | Commission-based | Products to meet the Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in B.C. Schools |
From each issuer's notice or RFP document, read 2026-10-12. Where a cell says "not in the notice", the detail is in tender documents behind BC Bid or the issuer's bids portal, which we didn't use.
The pattern holds across a decade and from Prince George to Esquimalt: the operator owns and services the equipment, the facility pays nothing for it, and the city gets a share of sales.
Inside one RFP: Esquimalt, 2025
Esquimalt published its whole RFP as an 11-page PDF, which makes it the best template we found. The parts any host can borrow:
- Response time: "The Contractor shall respond to all service calls within three hours, seven days a week during the period 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m."
- Exit: "the Township reserves the right to have the machines removed with 30 days' notice in writing if any machines are unusable on a repetitive basis."
- Prices: selling prices are set out in the proposal, and prices, products, machines and locations can change only with the Manager's prior approval.
- Commission paperwork: a percentage of monthly gross revenue, remitted by the 15th of the next month with two copies of a statement of sales, gross income and commission, plus a way for the Township to verify them.
- Ownership and risk: title stays with the contractor, who carries the full risk of loss or damage to the machines.
- Equipment: new or recent models carrying NSF and CSA approval, with spec sheets supplied; all machines in one location the same height and colour.
- People: a WorkSafeBC letter of good standing and criminal record checks for staff entering the premises.
- Utilities: the Township provides power; any plumbing or electrical work to supply it is at the vendor's expense.
- Products: more healthier choices, milk, less duplication, and "No bottled water, no caffeinated drinks, or containers over 355ml."
How Esquimalt scores proposals (100 points)
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Range of vending services across both facilities | 16 |
| Pricing and commission | 10 |
| Product variety and duplication | 10 |
| Proposed placement of machines | 10 |
| References, experience and machines in place | 10 |
| Restocking frequency and out-of-stock commitments | 8 |
| Response time to service calls, refunds and downtime | 8 |
| Age of equipment and energy efficiency | 8 |
| Display signage | 5 |
| Price-hold period and adjustment terms | 5 |
| Added value | 5 |
| Quality of the proposal | 5 |
Commission is worth 10 of 100 points, shared with pricing. Service, restocking, refunds and equipment together are worth 24. "It is not the intention of the Township to award on price alone."
What any host can take from a city RFP
You don't need a procurement department to ask for what Esquimalt asks for. Five lines to put in any vending agreement, public or private:
- A response time in hours, with the hours of day it applies.
- A removal right on 30 days' written notice if machines keep breaking down. Ours goes further: month to month, 30 days' notice for any reason, no-cost removal (host terms).
- Who sets the menu and the prices, and that changes need your approval. With VendFynd, your people choose the menu.
- Insurance named in dollars, with a certificate on request.
- Commission in writing, with statements, or none at all. With us, most sites receive a commission, agreed in writing before install. Our commission reality check shows what's normal.
The vending agreement checklist turns these into a printable side-by-side for up to three offers. Caffeine limits like Esquimalt's are a local choice: see what applies to energy drinks in Canada.
Private rec facilities don't need an RFP
Plenty of recreation sites aren't municipal. In January 2026 our Lead Finder found 58 recreation-centre listings in Burnaby and 42 in Richmond (private clubs, arenas, pools, dance and martial-arts centres as well as city facilities). A private facility can sign directly. Rec centres score 0.65 on location type in our site-fit scorer, with the note that municipal ones may need an RFP. If yours is private, see if your site qualifies: it's $0 to you, you provide the spot and an outlet (about $15–20 a month in power), and we reply within 1 business day.
About this data
- RFPs: read on the issuers' own pages or on CanadaBuys on 2026-10-12. Esquimalt's figures and quotes come from its full RFP PDF; the others come from the public notices, so detail is uneven. We did not use BC Bid documents that need an account. No company that bid or won is named.
- Lead Finder counts: Google Places listings within 5 km of the Burnaby and Richmond city centres, January 2026 run, rec-centre category, addresses in the city only. Counts include both public and private facilities.
Sources
- Township of Esquimalt, RFP P&R-25-02 Supply of Vending Services: https://www.esquimalt.ca/media/file/vending-servicespdf
- City of New Westminster, NWRFP-26-09 (CanadaBuys): https://canadabuys.canada.ca/en/tender-opportunities/tender-notice/bcnwrfp-26-09
- City of Powell River, BC1220-20-0430 (CanadaBuys): https://canadabuys.canada.ca/en/tender-opportunities/tender-notice/bc1220-20-0430
- City of Prince George, BCI22-061 (CanadaBuys): https://canadabuys.canada.ca/en/tender-opportunities/tender-notice/bci22-061
- Comox Valley Regional District, Vending Services RFP: https://comoxvalleyrd.ca/node/7176
- Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, Vending Services RFP: https://www.slrd.bc.ca/node/2329
All accessed 2026-10-12.