Campus Bookstore Operation RFP

Description: Lehigh Carbon Community College issued this RFP on July 31, 2026 to select a vendor to operate its campus bookstore at the Allentown and Tamaqua sites, with proposals due August 28, 2026 and a decision expected by early October for a five-year contract starting March 1, 2027; vendors must propose against three possible operating models (legacy outsourced, a cost/credit-hour "Access Complete" digital-first model with spirit shop, or a hybrid where the college keeps the spirit shop), and address qualifications, textbook and merchandise offerings, marketing, website/e-commerce, staffing, customer service, sustainability, technology integration (including Ellucian Banner), bookstore policies, facilities, and financial/commission terms, all while sales at the current bookstore have been declining (gross sales fell from about $1.4M in FY2023 to under $500K in physical textbooks/merchandise by FY2025, partially offset by digital textbook revenue).