Online Platform

The vendor is required to provide an online platform where enrolled participants can purchase subsidized groceries and delivery from one of a network of brick-and mortar full-service grocery stores located in state.
- Organizational capability
• Have an existing online platform (website and smartphone application available for iOS and android) for the ordering and delivery of groceries from a network of brick-and-mortar full-service grocery stores in state.
• The platform would have the capability to:
i. Allow the purchase of supplemental nutrition assistance program (snap)-eligible foods and beverages,
ii. Load electronic groceries to go credits in participants’ accounts and apply credits to purchases of eligible food, service and delivery fees, tax, and tip as applicable,
iii. Accurately identify and flag a subset of foods eligible for incentives or discounts and apply incentive or discount to purchases of those items using groceries to go credits,
iv. Make changes to the list of eligible foods as directed by the department,
v. Restrict purchases of ineligible items using groceries to go credits, and
vi. Generate regular (e.g., biweekly, monthly) program reports.
• Have an existing network, or have the capability to partner with a network, of at least 200 full-service brick-and-mortar grocery and other food retail stores, a majority of which have locations primarily within the five boroughs of city
• Within an existing network or through a partnership with a network, have stores that are located in priority neighborhoods identified by the covid19 taskforce for racial inclusion and equity (“TRIE”)
• Have the capability to provide delivery of participants’ grocery orders within 48 hours of order to every location in state.
• Have the capability to provide groceries to go participants with support, through telephone and web chat at least six days a week, including holidays, on placing and receiving groceries to go orders in languages that meet the needs of groceries to go participants
• Have the capability to maintain the requisite staff and operational resources to manage their service and meet program expectations, as well as the capability to scale up quickly and efficiently to adhere to program timelines.
• The capability to employ staff, who have appropriate qualifications and experience, to effectively fulfill the program expectations and meet the needs of the target population.
- Approach
• Identify, partner with, and maintain a network of brick-and-mortar grocery and other food retail stores (“contractor partners”) in state, which would allow for pickup and delivery of eligible food and beverages within 48 hours of order to participating households (“participants”) enrolled by the department.
• This would include:
i. Increase the number of contractor partners within areas identified by the department.
ii. Ensuring that their network includes a variety of full-service grocery stores that sell a broad range of foods serving diverse cultural and dietary needs, including, but not limited to, fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh dairy, meat, fish, prepared and hot foods, and shelf stable products.
iii. Adding other types of food retailers to the network, including smaller specialty or convenience stores, farmers markets, or regional producers, at the department’s request.
iv. Ensuring their network relies on multiple supply chains, both to accommodate the requirements above, and to ensure a reliable and resilient food supply.
v. Allowing stores to maintain the participant relationship by handling and fulfilling orders themselves.
vi. Ensuring that participants can utilize multiple forms of supplemental payment, including credit/debit card, electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card, and any additional subsidies/credits provided by the program.
vii. Ensuring delivery employees or contracted delivery services follow all applicable labor laws and regulations.
viii. Developing and implementing business continuity plans in case of emergencies, including any disaster recovery plans, as applicable, in accordance
• Provide a digital platform for participants to place orders with contactor partners. specifically, the contractor would:
i. Provide access for participants to their platform in two ways:
1) A web browser-based platform accessible from a computer, tablet, or smartphone, and
2) A native mobile application (for iOS and android).
ii. Provide a platform that:
1) Allows the department to enroll up to 4,000 participants in the program in the first month, and allows for enrollment to increase by up to 2,000 new participants annually.
2) Allows participants to establish a secure account, order groceries using program credits, without requiring a second payment method, and that clearly and transparently notifies
participants of service and delivery costs in advance of order placement.
3) Is accessible and usable by a wide range of participants, including participants speaking/reading multiple languages, participants on various devices, participants with slower internet connections, and participants with low “tech savviness” or confidence.
iii. Make reasonable efforts to achieve compliance with the web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG)
at standard, or if applicable, higher levels when available.
Iv. Review and make reasonable efforts to address accessibility issues reported by the department within 30 days.
V. Provide a platform that complies with the american with disabilities act.
vi. Provide a platform that complies with all cyber-security policies and standards of the city platform that the proposer proposes to use will be subject to the department it and city of technology and innovation (OTI) review, testing, and approval proposers must complete and submit a cloud vendor security questionnaire and assessment as part of the contractor proposes to switch platforms mid-contract, the new platform must be reviewed, tested and approved by the health department it and OTI prior to use.
vii. Ensure that all participant information is stored securely in compliance with rules and regulations concerning confidentiality, as well as data security requirements.
• Provide grocery delivery to the front door of the participant’s dwelling unit, regardless of whether they live in a single or multi-family home or an apartment building, and regardless of whether the building has elevators or stairs.
• Where participants identify that a specific delivery method is necessary due to accessibility or disability issues, the contractor would comply with all relevant laws for providing access and would require their partners to do the same.
• If a participant selects to receive their order by delivery, a tip can be recommended by the contractor’s platform as applicable; however, the participant has final discretion with the respect to the amount of the tip, if any.
• Provide an account credit (the “credit”) for each participant funded by the city.
• Provide instructional information, support content, and FAQs on their website and send emails, and other written communications, in english and in the languages identified in state local law 30 of 2017, or subsequent local laws, and in any other languages required to meet the needs of participants.
• provide the department with participant-specific information and performance management metrics, in accordance with applicable privacy and cybersecurity policies, to support performance management and evaluation work.
- Contract Period/Term: 6 years
- Pre-Proposal Teleconference Date: April 14, 2025
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: April 17, 2025