NYC Parks is soliciting applications via a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) process from prospective mobile vendors for the sale of food and specialty items from mobile units in some of the City’s most iconic parks, including Central Park, Forest Park, Macombs Dam Park, and more.

For the first time ever, the Parks department has issued an RFP for both food and merchandise mobile units via the same request for proposal. Parks officials said the department is inviting proposals for inventive, exciting concepts, whether selling an assortment of healthy, fresh salads to people on the go, hot and cold delicacies from a distant homeland, or fresh flowers to spruce up the home.

According to Parks officials, the addition of specialty vendors at park locations citywide has helped the City enrich its greenspaces, and there are currently over 20 specialty vendors in New York City Parks across the five boroughs. “Both mobile unit design and menu content are considered in the evaluation of these proposals, with the goal of making a significant improvement to the quality and ambience of the park,” Parks officials said.

All proposals for the RFP must be submitted electronically no later than August 2, through the digital Procurement and Sourcing Solutions Portal (PASSPort), which requires a PASSPort account. For information on how to access the RFP via PASSPort, visit the Parks department’s Business Opportunities page.

NYC Parks is seeking vendors to operate for a one 5-year term per location. Parks encourages applications from disadvantaged/minority/women-owned business enterprise (D/M/WBE) firms. The Parks’ department has created a centralized unit to focus on increasing D/M/WBE participation in capital construction and consultant contracts, and agency staff host and attend events throughout the year to discuss procurement opportunities with the D/M/WBE community.

For more information, visit Parks’ D/M/WBE Opportunities page.