Selection Process

General Information on the Facility Availability Announcement 

In accordance with Federal Regulations and State Laws, only persons licensed by the Florida Division of Blind Services may participate in this solicitation for applications. Persons in the latter stages of training may also participate in anticipation of licensure.

The information contained in the Facility Opportunity Announcements is representative only and may change without notice.

The sales estimates on each Announcement are either annualized based on a projection for new facilities or on available sales history for existing facilities. Future sales may fluctuate due to unforeseen changes in the business climate.

Please remember that a previous vendor's management practice or a facility's temporary department operation may have impacted the sales figures quoted. Business conditions may increase or decrease sales projections after an Announcement is posted. Interested persons need to carefully evaluate the potential benefits and risks of each business opportunity for which they apply.

Staffing levels are not set by the Business Enterprises Program (BEP) since it does not establish nor approve the number of employees it might take to conduct the facility’s business. However, since labor cost does impact profitability, each Announcement does have anticipated staffing patterns. Again, this information is based on the analyzed needs of the business not any previous or current vendor’s management practice.

The Current Selection Process Protocol

A Statewide Selection Panel, consisting of 5 members; 2 appointed by the Division and 3 appointed by the State Committee of Vendors, shall evaluate applications against criteria prescribed in Chapter 38K-1.0045, Paragraph 2, Section f, Items 1 and 2 of the Florida Administrative Code.

In accordance with the Selection Process Improvements endorsed by the State Committee of Vendors and approved by the Division of Blind Services on August 9, 2008, the following elements will be observed by the Selection Panel in evaluating an applicant’s credentials for each of the business opportunities offered.

1. The Selection Panel receives no personal identification data about applicants for facilities. This includes names, Social Security numbers, current facility number/location and any other information that could identify the applicant.

2. A standardized multiple-choice test valued at 50 points is the first component of the process.

Test questions and answers are developed by persons agreed upon by the Division and the Committee.

Source references for test questions and answers are derived from materials agreed upon by the Division and the Committee, including but not limited to: FRA Safe Serve Manual; Crane National Snack Manual; Crane National Coffee Manual; BEP Policy Manual; BEP LOFA; BEP Monthly Report.

3. Test questions shall measure knowledge of general business management, safe food handling, basic vending machine operation and maintenance, business math, financial skills, labor management, product cost management, BEP rules and policies, the BEP Standard LOFA  and any other elements relevant to the management of a BEP facility.

There is no requirement that the test contain a specific number of questions. However, the number of questions shall be sufficient to measure knowledge of all elements described above.

4. The test is administered by a designated DBS staff person in the District Office most accessible to the applicant. BEP employees may not administer the test.

The Compliance Director shall submit the required number of tests to each District Office, to be kept sealed until administered.

The test is administered to all applicants on the same date and at the same time.

The completed tests are returned to the Compliance Director and kept in a secure location until the Selection Panel convenes.

5. The Compliance Director scores all tests using the answer sheet developed in conjunction with the test.

 The Compliance Director also computes each applicant’s performance review score and enters that score and the combined total of the test and performance element scores on each applicant’s master score card. The Selection Panel, or a member thereof designated by the Panel reviews all score cards and supporting data to verify their numerical accuracy.

Any scoring adjustments shall be made and entered prior to determining which of the applicants have qualified for interviews.

The Compliance Director retains all score cards in a secure location until the interview score cards have been delivered by the Selection Panel.

6. Upon receipt of each Panelist’s interview score cards, at least two members of the Panel and the Compliance Director tally and then average each applicant’s interview score.

The combined total of test, performance review and interview scores determines each applicant’s ranking for the facility or facilities to which he or she has applied.

When all scores are tallied and verified, the Agency shall post the Selection Panel’s rankings for each facility to the BEP website within ten (10) calendar days after the close of deliberations. The coded identification system employed by the Compliance Director is used for all selection postings.

7. The following criteria listed in FAC Chapter 38-K.1 are scored on the point basis described herein:

A.  LOFA Cancellation for Breach or Abandonment Penalty:

(1)  An applicant who’s LOFA has been cancelled for cause, defined as breach of contract or abandonment of the facility, or whose license has been suspended during the 36 months prior to the close of applications shall not be scored on any performance elements. Applicants in this category will be assessed an additional 15 point penalty.

(2)  Applicants in this category who have successfully completed mandatory retraining requirements established by the Agency will be scored on the same basis as new licensees and the 15 point penalty will be rescinded.

(3)  A resignation tendered while the applicant is in breach of contract will be considered equivalent to LOFA cancellation for transfer and promotion purposes and the applicant will be scored accordingly.

B.  Timeliness of reporting:

Eight (8) points for no late reports during the 36 months prior to the close of applications; two (2) points subtracted from the overall performance review score for each report received late during that period; no limit on subtractions.

Applicants with less than 36 months under LOFA are scored on the pro-rated basis described herein for this element:

Number of months under LOFA divided by 36 times 8.  Example - 26 months under LOFA divided by 36 equals 0.7222 times 8 equals 5.777 points for no late reports. The two-point subtraction for each late report applies to vendors in this category.

C.  Financial standing with the BEP:

(1)  Eight (8) points if no debt is owed by the vendor; four (4) points if a debt is owed and repayment is being made under the terms of an agreement with the BBE; zero (0) points if a debt is owed and not being repaid as agreed or if no repayment agreement has been initiated.

(2)  A vendor who is required to pay set aside levy by money order or cashier’s check will be assessed a five (5) point penalty, to be subtracted from the overall performance review score.

D.  Credit for Experience:

Four (4) points at the rate of one tenth of one point (0.1) per month under LOFA beginning January 1, 1997, with a cap of four (4) points.  No extra points are given for concurrent multiple LOFA’s.

E.  Performance Questionnaire:

Five (5) points based on Business Enterprises Consultant responses to a ten (10) item performance questionnaire.  Each item is values at one half (1/2) point.

The Compliance Director shall determine if an applicant has been under a Licensed Operator Facility Agreement (LOFA) within the last 36 months. A performance questionnaire will be forwarded to an applicant’s current or most recent Business Enterprises Consultant for completion.

If an applicant has is not holding a Licensed Operator Facility Agreement at the time of the performance review, no performance points will be awarded.

The following 10 questions comprise the Business Enterprises Consultant’s Performance Questionnaire.  Yes responses are awarded a half point, no responses zero points.  Documentation is required for all no responses.

(1)  Does the manager have proof of current business insurance?

(2)  Has the Vendor met the net profit requirement for his/her facility when averaged over the past 12 months?

(3)  Does the Vendor provide clearly posted contact information? At facilities with more than one location this means that contact info is posted at each location.

(4)  Are all products maintained at correct temperatures? This includes freezers, refrigerators, dry storage areas and vending machines.

(5)  Has the Vendor resolved all valid complaints sent to you in writing by the host agency?  (The absence of such complaints must be scored in the affirmative.)

(6)  Does the Vendor maintain an inventory to the levels necessary to support sales expectations of the facility?

(7)  Have all documented cleaning or sanitation deficiencies been permanently corrected?

(8)  Have all reports from suppliers involving unpaid invoices been resolved?

(9)  Does the Vendor have all licenses and permits required by law?

(10)  Does the Vendor comply with the requirement of maintaining a reasonable managerial presence at the facility?

Documentation as required above may include, but not be limited to, copies of Facility Visitation Reports, Food Service Inspection Reports, Property Owner Correspondence and/or Customer Complaint Letters. 

If there is no documentation, then the response awarding a partial point must be checked. 

8. Applicants must achieve a minimum written test score of 35 points or 70 percent of the available points if any questions are discarded to be included in the interview group.

The top five (5) scoring test and performance review candidates for each facility will be included in the interview group.

9. The interview will be conducted as follows:

In order to ensure the integrity and fairness of the selection process, prevent unauthorized or premature distribution of interview questions, guarantee each applicant the equal opportunity to respond independently to interview questions and protect every applicant’s right to privacy, no observers or other applicants are permitted to attend another applicant’s interview or the Selection Panel’s meeting for the development of interview questions.

All interviews are recorded. Recordings of interviews are sealed and retained by the Compliance Director until the time limit for filing disagreement with the Agency decisions regarding the Selection Panel’s rankings has expired.

The Selection Panel will establish uniform time limits for interviews and will determine the order in which interview components are conducted.

Each applicant will be given up to five (5) minutes to make a general presentation of his or her qualifications and experience. This element will be independently scored by each Panelist using a scale of zero (0) – five (5) points. Panel members may ask questions arising from the applicant’s presentation statements.

The Selection Panel will develop four (4) questions for each selection cycle.

Each question will relate to the selection criteria established in FAC 38K-1.0045. To the greatest extent possible, interview questions will measure the applicant’s knowledge of the type of facility for which an application has been made.

The Selection Panel shall consult with Agency staff and/or the current manager of each business opportunity under consideration to determine any special characteristics of that location that need to be addressed by the interview.

Each applicant’s responses will be evaluated on their own merit and not in comparison to any other applicant’s responses.

Each Panelist will independently evaluate the applicant’s responses to each question using a scale of zero (0) – five (5) points.

The Selection Panel has the authority to engage in evaluative discussion of the applicant’s responses prior to entering the final scores. This authority shall not be construed to permit the Panel to reach a scoring consensus.

If the Panel elects to exercise this option, it must be done uniformly throughout the entire selection round.

Scoring is not required to be in whole numbers.

10. The Compliance Director will collect all interview score cards. The Panel and the Compliance Director shall then tally and average the five (5) interview scores. The averaged result shall be added to the total of test and performance review scores and that result shall determine the applicant’s ranking in the facilities for which she or he has applied.

11. A licensee who accepts a Type II LOFA for a facility that is deemed to be damaged or at risk is eligible to receive a maximum of five (5) credit points in the selection for that facility if he or she has significantly improved the overall performance of the facility.

These points are added to the applicant’s overall score.

These points may be awarded on a sliding scale to be determined by the Selection Panel upon receipt of relevant documentation from the Compliance Director. Said documentation shall include evidence of improved sales and profits, evidence of improved cleanliness and sanitation at the facility, any reports from building management acknowledging improvements, any customer surveys that have taken place, the quarterly visitation reports of the Consultant and any other relevant documents.

12. When a numerical tie occurs between two or more applicants for a facility the applicant with the greatest number of months under LOFA since January 1, 1997 who also has the earliest license date shall be declared the winner.

13. Scoring Protocol:

To ensure clarity with regard to the scoring of all elements, the following will be observed:

A. Test – 50 achievable points (50 percent of total).  The value of each question is determined by dividing 50 by the number of questions.  Example: If the test contains 100 questions, the value of each question is derived by dividing the value of the test, 50 points, by the number of questions, thereby determining that each question is valued at 0.5 points

B. Performance review – 25 achievable points (25 percent of total).

C. Interview and presentation – 25 achievable points (25 percent of total).

14. In the event the Selection Panel, by at least a three/fifths vote, determines that none of the candidates for a facility are qualified, the Panel may recommend to the Director that no appointment be made. The recommendation shall state the reasons for the determination of non-qualification.

History: Established on September 27, 2004; Amended on November 6, 2004; Amended on March 28, 2005; Amended March 30, 2006; amended November 11, 2007; Amended May 9, 2008; Amended August 9, 2008.

Other Selection Process Issues

An applicant may take the test at the most convenient of the Division’s 12 District Offices, but only on the date and at the time set by the Division. The interviews will be held at an announced location in Tampa or Orlando, Florida. Applicants will be notified by mail as to the times and locations for both the test and then the interviews.

Travel arrangements and expenses incurred to attend tests and/or interviews shall be each applicant’s responsibility.

Some property owners may require an incumbent vendor to pass a security or drug screening in order to access its property. Failure of such screenings will disqualify the candidate for that business opportunity only.

Successful applicants shall also be responsible for any relocation costs as well as start-up business expenses upon approval of a LOFA; such approval being contingent on satisfactory resolution of all outstanding financial obligations with the Business Enterprises Program.

How to Obtain an Application

There are four ways you can obtain an application to apply for any available Facilities 

  • Request a Business Opportunity Application (DBS-729) from your local District Office.
  • Contact your Regional Business Enterprises Consultant and request that they provide you a Business Opportunity Application (DBS -729).
  • The Business Opportunity Application, in word, is available to be downloaded from this site.
  • Call the Business Enterprises Program's, State Office at 850-245-0329 and request that one be mailed, faxed, or emailed to you.

How to Complete an Application 

The Business Opportunity Application must be completed in its entirety. Give your name with correct mailing address and telephone numbers (daytime and evening) where you can be reached.

An application may be used to apply for multiple Facility Listings that share the same deadline date. Page 1 of the application provides a space where you designate by the Facility Number the opportunities of interest to you. You will only be considered for those opportunities so designated when the application period closes.

The Business Opportunity Application must be signed and dated.

How to Submit an Application

All applications for any of the posted business opportunities may be mailed, faxed or delivered by hand as long as the following deadline submittal requirements are met. All applications regardless of transmittal method should be sent to the attention of Mr. Gene Newcomb, the Business Enterprises Program’s Compliance Director in Tallahassee.

An Application may be mailed to the following address:

Division of Blind Services
Business Enterprises Program
325 West Gaines Street
Turlington Building, Suite 1114
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400

Applications faxed to 850-245-0364 or emailed to the Compliance Director must bear the Division’s fax receipt date as on or before 5:00 p.m.on the prescribed deadline date, without exception.

Applications delivered by hand must be received in the Tallahassee headquarters no later than 5:00 PM on the prescribed deadline date, without exception.

Any application not received in accordance with the prescribed deadline will not be considered.

If you have questions on the application process contact your Regional Business Enterprises Consultant or the Compliance Director located with the Business Enterprises Program State Office.

Florida Business Enterprises Program
Providing Tools and Support for the Blind and Visually Impaired in the Food Service Business