TENDER NOTICE FOR CAFE ITEMS SUPPLY

A.Background

Question Coffee, founded in 2016; is a social enterprise whose mission is to increase local consumption of specialty grade coffee grown by the women beneficiaries of the SGR training program. Q Coffee Ltd. operates a retail café in Gishushu and in Kiyovu, Kigali, Rwanda that sells coffee products, coffee tours, and coffee beverages directly to customers. The retail outlets increase the visibility of women coffee growers and their coffee and have a training space for farmers, baristas, and coffee professionals to improve coffee quality from seed to cup.

B.Scope of Supply

This tender invite qualified suppliers to submit proposals for the supply of goods, materials and equipment across the following four categories. The selected suppliers will support the operations of a premium coffee-focused establishment offering in-house prepared beverages and pastries.

C.Objectives

The main objective of this tender is to:

• Secure high-quality, ethically sourced food and beverage products.
• Ensure consistency and reliability in supply.
• Foster long-term partnerships with socially responsible suppliers.

D.Categories for Tender

Suppliers are invited to bid for one or more of the following categories:

1. Goods

Includes essential consumables used in preparing coffee drinks on-site. Products must be of high quality, suitable for a café environment, and available for regular and consistent delivery.

2. Beverages

Covers all ingredients used in crafting non-coffee drinks, coffee and specialty beverages in-house. 

3. Merchandise

Refers to branded or lifestyle retail items made available for customer purchase. Products must reflect the café’s brand identity and meet standards for quality and design.

4. Office Supplies

Comprises general administrative and operational supplies required for the day-to-day functioning of the café.

5. Facility Services

Comprises essential services required to maintain cleanliness, hygiene, and a pleasant environment within and around the café premises. This includes cleaning supplies, Gardening, Cleaning supplies, Fumigation services, Etc.

E.Eligibility Criteria

Interested bidders must:

• Be a legally registered business
• Have a minimum of 2 years’ experience in supplying food and beverage items with three proven good completion certificates.

F.Submission Requirements

Applicants must submit:

• Expression of Interest Cover Letter
• Company profile
• Valid certificate of good standing
• Valid tax clearance certificates (RRA and RSSB)
• Evidence of similar supply contracts
• Ethical sourcing and sustainability practices (if applicable)

Submission process and Instructions:

Pre-selection:

• Suppliers will first submit their expression of interest and requirements for the preselection process

Selection:

• Preselected bidders will be contacted and receive a list of specific coffee café supply items for the indicated bid category.
• Preselected Suppliers will submit Proposals including product specifications, Unit pricing, lead times, warranty (if any applicable), and relevant certifications.

Evaluation Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated based on:

• Price competitiveness
• Quality and sustainability of products
• Delivery capacity and reliability
• Compliance with ethical and food safety standards
• Track record and references
• Environmentally responsible sourcing or packaging activities
• After-sales support (for equipment)

Tender Timeline

• Deadline for Information Requesting: 31st July 2025
• Deadline for Submission of Expression of Interest: 3rd August 2025
• Notification of Preselected Bidders to submit proposals:7th August 2025
• Notification of Award: 15th August 2025

Submission Instructions

All submissions must be via email: applications@questioncoffee.com, no later than 3rd August 2025, 5pm.  The email subject should indicate “TENDER NOTICE FOR CAFE ITEMS SUPPLY”. Late submissions will not be considered.

For any questions or clarifications related to this tender, please contact us via the given email

 Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM CAT