1. INTRODUCTION
The Valletta Local Food Festival is a 5-day festival aimed at promoting and celebrating the local culinary scene, its local food manufacturers, and the variety of ingredients and recipes that are produced.
This is one of the many initiatives of the Valletta Cultural Agency that is intended to contribute to the post-COVID-19 recovery period and strategy by supporting a native artistic, culinary and agricultural economy.
The festival shall be taking place in Pjazza Tritoni, Valletta, starting from the 20th to 24th of July 2022 both dates included, from 6pm to 11:00pm, in accordance with the COVID-19 regulations in place at the time.
The Valletta Cultural Agency is cordially inviting prospective local food and beverage manufacturers to submit an application to register their expressions of interest to:
A. create, serve and sell dishes (starter portion) and beverages based on their specific locally grown/produced products.
and
B. deliver short, informative and engaging talks.
1.1 CREATION AND SALE OF DISHES AND BEVERAGES
The dishes to be prepared by the successful applicant(s) as a local food manufacturer shall be discussed, developed and agreed upon together with the Valletta Cultural Agency following contract signing. The proposed dishes are to cater for vegan and gluten-free dietary requirements. The Agency shall approve or request amendments to the content in accordance to its expectations and vision for the Festival. Unless otherwise stated throughout the execution of the contract, each dish is to equivalent to a starter portion and reasonably priced up to €8 to encourage the public to purchase dishes consisting of local produce. The Agency may request a list of ingredients per dish and request any alterations until a final approval is granted.
The stalls dedicated to local produce may include the following:
● Meat
● Fish and seafood
● Agriculture – fruits and vegetables
● Eggs
● Dairy and cheese-making
● Local bread and bakery
● Traditional delicacies (savoury)
● Chocolate-making & sweets (traditional desserts, honey rings, ħelu tal-festi, imqaret)
● Olive oil, ġulepp tal-ħarrub, honey and chutneys
The proposed layout of the stalls is depicted in Diagram 1 in Annex II of this EoI.
All profits from the sales of the dishes sold in connection with Note 1 as mentioned above will be retained by the respective successful Applicant.
1.2 DELIVERY OF TALKS
The programme of talks will include slots of 20 minutes each. The expected frequency of the talk is once daily per stall, but this, along with the content of the talks, shall be discussed, developed and agreed upon together with the Valletta Cultural Agency following contract signing.
The Agency shall approve or request amendments to the content in accordance with its expectations and vision for the Festival.
It is important to note that the talks shall be delivered by the successful applicant free of charge for the public.
1.3 DISCLAIMER
Prospective applicants are to note that by submitting an application as specified below, they are confirming agreement to all the terms and conditions related to the Expression of Interest (EOI) for Food & Beverage Stall Holders and Delivery of Talks During The Valletta Local Food Festival which shall be held between 20th to 24th July 2022.
Prospective applicants are to note that although applications may be submitted, evaluated and contracts signed, in case of the current local health scenario, the Festival might be postponed or cancelled. In such a circumstance, the application and awardee fees may be refunded. No other compensation claims shall be entertained by the Valletta Cultural Agency.
Prospective applicants are to note that the contract to successful applicants shall be based on the terms and conditions of this Expression of Interest therefore, the successful applicants are expected to adhere to such terms and conditions as well as other contractual obligations as included in the contract. Failure to meet said contractual obligations shall result in a €150 penalties per default and in such an instance, the Valletta Cultural Agency reserves the right to terminate immediately the contract awarded to defaulting applicants at any time throughout the execution period of the contract. In this case, no compensation or reimbursement of fees as paid by said applicant(s) in connection with this Expression of Interest shall be entertained, and penalties would have to be settled by the defaulting applicant(s) in favour of the Valletta Cultural Agency within two weeks from notification request. This implies that utmost professionalism is expected from prospective applicants.
2. GUIDELINES
2.1 INSTRUCTIONS TO PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS
A. Prospective applicants are to submit a duly filled in and endorsed Application Form including documentation and proposal.
B. Prospective applicants for the stalls and talks are to be local food and/or beverage manufacturers. Such local products (as manufactured by the Applicant) are to feature in the proposal as part of the proposed dishes for the Festival.
The prices of the dishes and beverages are to be also included in the proposal.
C. The Contract shall be signed with the successful Applicant(s) and the sole responsibility of the contract shall be said Applicant(s). However, collaborations between the Applicant(s) and other stakeholder(s) such as chefs for the preparation of the dishes and delivery of talks are permitted as long as all details are clearly outlined in the Application Form.
D. Multiple applications may be submitted by the same applicant with different proposals however, an applicant cannot be a collaborator with a different applicant. The same applies to collaborators. The Collaborators may not submit a separate proposal as a separate applicant or be a collaborator with more than one Applicant. This may result in a real or perceived conflict of interest. Should a person be a collaborator and feature as an applicant jointly and separately in proposals then all proposals in which said person is listed shall be automatically disqualified.
E. Multiple offers may be considered as long as separate proposals are submitted in line with the guidelines and instructions of this Expression of Interest.
F. Full and complete proposals and applicants are to be submitted. Should any of the requirements of this Expression of Interest be missing thus rendering the application incomplete, then the applicant shall be immediately disqualified and will not be considered further.
G. By submitting the Application Form, it is understood that the applicant has read and is in agreement with the terms and conditions of this Expression of Interest and affirms all Declarations.
H. Applicants are to submit the relevant documents in PDF format via email or file transfer links (e.g. wetransfer.com). Links to cloud storage systems such as Google Drive or One Drive will not be considered and will immediately disqualify the offer.
2.2 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
2.2.1 Application Form
The applicants are to fill in and submit the Application Form as provided in Annex I of this Expression of Interest.
As part of the Application Form, each applicant is to submit the following information and documentation:
SECTION A: Applicant’s Details
SECTION B: Collaborators’ Details if applicable
SECTION C: Proposal
SECTION D: Declaration
SECTION E: Checklist and Additional Documentation
N.B. Should one or more of the listed requirements or fields be missing or incomplete, the submitted application shall be immediately disqualified and will not be considered.
2.2.2 Applications and Awardee Fees
A. A €50 application fee shall be submitted by cheque (via registered mail) upon submission of the application. The cheque number is to feature on the application form as submitted via email. This application fee is non-refundable.
B. Awardee Fee: The successful applicant(s) shall be required to pay the Agency a stall fee of €100 to operate and participate in the festival. Awardee Fees are to be paid by cheque upon contract signing.
All fees may be refundable in case of cancellation of the event. Any costs borne by the successful economic operator(s) in preparation of the Festival shall not be reimbursed by the Contracting Authority in case of cancellation of the Festival; irrespective of the reasons for such cancellation including force majeure and/or local health recommendations in connection with the organisation of events vis-à-vis the COVID-19 pandemic.
N.B. Failure to meet said contractual obligations on the days of the event shall result in a €150 penalty and in such an instance, the Valletta Cultural Agency reserves the right to terminate immediately the contract awarded to defaulting applicants at any time throughout the execution period of the contract. In this case, no compensation or reimbursement of fees as paid by said applicant(s) in connection with this Expression of Interest shall be entertained, and penalties would have to be settled by the defaulting applicant(s) in favour of the Valletta Cultural Agency within two weeks from notification.
Other defaults and delays in performance shall result in a €50 penalty per day per default.
2.2.3 Deadline for Applications and Clarifications
Duly filled in and endorsed applications together with all supporting documentation are to be via email to opencalls@vca.gov.mt by the 29th April 2022 at 12:00 (GMT+2/CEST).
Late or incomplete applications shall not be considered.
Prospective applicants may send clarification requests via email on opencalls@vca.gov.mt till 27th April 2022 at 12:00 (GMT+2/CEST). Responses to clarification requests shall be published on www.vca.gov.mt till 28th April 2022 at 12:00 (GMT+2/CEST).
An opening schedule shall be affixed on the noticeboard of the Valletta Cultural Agency. Only the name(s) of the applicant(s) submitting the application in connection with this Expression of Interest shall be displayed. Prices shall not be listed in the opening schedule.
2.3 SELECTION AND EVALUATION
2.3.1 Selection Criteria
A. The Agency is seeking offers from economic operators who can add to a celebration of local produce and creativity during the Valletta Local Food Festival; an event dedicated to the uniqueness of Maltese gastronomy through the promotion of genuine, local and creative food and drinks. This is to be reflected in the contents of the application, proposal and supporting documentation submitted by the applicants.
B. Each applicant must be a local food and/or beverage manufacturer and be able to prepare a dish using said local product(s) onsite in the stalls.
Collaborations with other stakeholders such as chefs for the preparation of the recipes, cooking of dishes onsite, and delivery of talks are permitted however the Applicant shall remain the sole responsible party related to this application and any subsequent communication / contract.
C. Each application will be treated in strict confidence.
D. The proposal is to be valid for 90 days from the submission deadline for this Expression of Interest.
E. The Valletta Cultural Agency shall determine which are the most suited applicants at its discretion and in line with the vision it has of the Valletta Food Festival 2022 as well as quality of product and service and depending on the local produce proposed by the applicants. Therefore, it is important to note that selection of applications shall be based on artistic merit.
F. Applicants submitting more than one proposed local produce in their application may be more likely to be assigned a stall. Originality and high quality shall be deemed as an asset.
2.3.2 Evaluation
A. Only applications which are submitted in full and are complete may be considered for this event. Incomplete submissions or proposal imposing certain conditions not featured in this Expression of Interest shall be immediately disqualified.
B. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to select and/or reject any or all the submitted applications at its discretion. Should none of the applicants be considered as being satisfactory, the Contracting Authority reserves the right to assign the designated stalls to other economic operators (who may not have necessarily been involved / participated in this Expression of Interest).
C. The Contracting Authority also reserves the right to put some applications on a reserve list and contact them at a later date. In this case, no alterations to the contents of the applications as submitted by the respective economic operator shall be entertained.
D. The contracts will be awarded to the applicants submitting offers which has the most ideal local produce being sought for and closest to the vision of the Valletta Cultural Agency for this Festival. Should more than one applicant propose the same local produce, the spaces may be awarded by the Valletta Cultural Agency on a first-come, first-served basis; being the timestamp of the email submitted containing the application form and related documents.
3. TERMS AND CONDITIONS
3.1 PRODUCTS AND STALLS
A. Locally manufactured and produced products are to be used in the food preparation of the dishes.
B. Each stall shall clearly display the pricelist for each item on sale in a prominent area where the public can easily view and have access to; and in compliance with local regulations. This is to be submitted by the Stall Holder within the timelines set forth by the Agency, so that the Agency will itself design and produce said pricelist for the days of the Festival.
C. The Valletta Cultural Agency shall allocate a physical stall of approx. 3m x 3m. Any other equipment which may be required for the manning of the stall and for the provision of the service is to be provided by the successful applicant(s). Any costs pertaining to such equipment shall be borne by the successful applicant(s). It is imperative for such equipment to be in good working order and duly serviced in order to mitigate any disruptions during the Festival.
D. All ingredients and equipment including tools and utensils for the preparation and cooking of the dishes including delivery of talks shall be provided by the successful applicant(s). The latter shall also provide his/her own fridges and draught units, stools and work tables as necessary at his/her own expense.
E. Any insurance coverage which may be deemed necessary by the successful applicant(s) in connection with such equipment, tools and utensils as well as any health and safety requirements and permits fall within the remit of the successful applicant. Any related costs are to be borne by the successful applicant(s).
F. The applicant must comply to the Valletta Cultural Agency Environmental Policy as listed below:
i. Use packaging made of sustainable materials. If compostable disposables are used, all food waste and paper disposables must be added to the compost bins;
ii. Water and all other beverages must be provided in glassware, refillable containers or compostable disposables.
iii. Applicants are encouraged to consider adopting a lower price for the refilling of reusable cups brought by the audience members but this is not mandatory.
iv. Use only biodegradable or organic washing products.
G. The selected applicant(s) shall retain ALL PROFITS generated from sales. No financial compensation shall be requested by the Contracting Authority for the provision of this service.
3.2 SET UP AND DISMANTLING
A. The setting up of all equipment and tools must be completed by 12pm on 19th July 2022. The precise timetable for setup will be communicated by the Valletta Cultural Agency by latest one week prior to the commencement of the festival.
B. The selected applicant(s) shall set up the stall as per Diagram 1 in Annex II, as specified in the presence of the organisers, according to all permits and regulations in effect.
C. All equipment must be dismantled and cleared once the event has ended on 24th July 2022. All tables and stools must be removed and any type of waste is to be collected and disposed of in accordance to local environmental regulations. It is the responsibility of the selected applicant(s) to ensure proper clean-up procedures are implemented; no solid or liquid wastes are to be left on site or disposed of in the space.
D. Electricity and water supply will be provided by the Agency throughout the event dates, and security services will also be provided as per logistical requirements of the festival.
E. Each stall will be equipped with screens or similar protective partitions between seller and customer in order to ensure appropriate social distance as per current Health Regulations at the time of the Festival.
F. The selected applicant(s) shall provide his/her own bins to use for the waste generated during service and separate and dispose of waste in accordance to local regulations. This waste is within the responsibility of the applicant and shall be taken care of as needed. The selected applicant(s) shall provide recycling bins as well as bins for general waste. Waste shall be cleared and disposed of on a daily basis after each the end of each day until termination of the Festival.
G. Temporary loading/unloading may be done daily, until 5pm, close to the location of the Festival but offsite.
3.3 PERMITS AND LICENCES
A. The selected applicant(s) shall conform to local Health and Safety regulations, the regulations and legislation of the Maltese catering industry, any licenses and permits necessary to be eligible to sell/trade and the VAT Department. The selected applicant(s) shall be in possession of a valid Food Handlers Certificate.
B. All those preparing / serving / handling food and drinks shall wear the necessary protective clothing, disposable gloves and any other form of protective hygienic gear. Compliance to current local health regulations pertaining to mitigation measures against COVID-19 is a must. All food items and drinks for sale must conform to the local sanitary regulations set by authorities and the applicant must have all the necessary licenses and permits so as to sell the product. Such permits may be requested at any time by the Contracting Authority.
C. The selected applicant(s) selling alcohol must be in possession of a Licence for selling alcohol if any alcohol shall be sold. All necessary legal requirements are the responsibility of the applicant. The Contracting Authority will not be liable for any action or fines incurred by the chosen applicant as a result of non-compliance with local regulations.
Furthermore, irrespective of the clauses included in this Expression of Interest, the sale of alcohol shall depend on COVID-19 measures / restrictions which are published from time to time by local relevant Authorities.
D. The selected economic operator(s) shall have all the necessary insurance policies including public liability; which covers any form of risks including damage, loss, bodily harm, death in relation to third parties. The Contracting Authority shall not be involved in any legal dispute as result of the economic operator(s)’ operations in connection with event. A copy of a valid public liability insurance policy shall be submitted to the Contracting Authority upon contract endorsement.
E. The selected economic operator(s) shall at all times respect the Mandatory standards for mitigation measures for the Covid-19 transition phase issued under the Public Health Act chapter 465 (https://deputyprimeminister.gov.mt/en/health-promotion/covid-19/Documents/mitigation-conditions-andguidances/Standards_for_Bars_Clubs_Similar%20Establishments.pdf).
If the selected applicant(s) is caught breaking any of the above-mentioned conditions as well as local COVID-19 related conditions as published by the Health Authorities, he/she may be requested by the Contracting Authority and/or other competent local authorities to close the stall and discontinue the sales with immediate effect. The economic operator(s) will not be entitled to any compensation and shall be liable to settle any fines incurred by the competent local authorities. Any fines incurred or Court proceedings resulting from such actions shall be entirely borne by / be the responsibility of the applicant(s). In addition, any request for reimbursement of fees shall not be entertained.
F. All Maltese Laws relevant to the activity are to be observed in their entirety by the selected economic operator(s).
