N.Y.C. Groceries Branding and Design RFP

New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is seeking proposals from branding and design firms to develop the visual identity for “N.Y.C. Groceries”, a new network of five City-supported grocery stores. A fresh, vibrant brand identity is essential to successfully bring these stores to market, communicate the unique value proposition, and achieve widespread adoption amongst New Yorkers. These brand parameters will also serve as critical inputs for the physical makeup of the stores themselves, guiding everything from materials to signage, lighting, merchandise, and customer flow.

The goals of the N.Y.C. Groceries initiative are to bring down the cost of everyday groceries and household staples, strengthen neighborhood food access, and demonstrate a new role for public sector leadership in food affordability. It is currently anticipated that the five N.Y.C. Groceries stores will be managed by one or more third-party grocery operator(s) and shall each carry a set of highly in-demand items that will be discounted relative to market prices, providing direct relief for shoppers at checkout. The City will cover overhead costs associated with the grocery stores, while the operator will be required to pass savings on to the customers in the form of discounted prices on everyday groceries. The City plans to open five N.Y.C. Groceries stores—one in each borough—by the end of 2029, with the first store expected to open its doors in late 2027.

NYCEDC plans to select a consultant on the basis of factors stated in the RFP which include, but are not limited to: the demonstrated successful experience in performing services similar to those encompassed in the RFP, the quality of the proposal, the proposed fee, the quality of the firm’s management, reputation, and references, and the respondent’s proposed plans for encouraging participation by minority and women-owned business enterprises.

Optional Informational Session

An optional, virtual informational session will be held on Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 11:00 A.M.. Those who wish to attend should RSVP by using the RSVP web form available here on or before June 10, 2026.

Inquiries

Respondents may submit questions and/or request clarifications from NYCEDC no later than 5 P.M. on Friday, June 12, 2026. Questions regarding the subject matter of this RFP should be directed to the Q&A web form available here. Answers to all questions will be posted by Thursday, June 18, 2026. Questions regarding the subject matter of this RFP will not be accepted after 5 P.M. on Friday, June 12, 2026, however, technical questions pertaining to downloading and submitting proposals to this RFP may be directed to [email protected] on or before Tuesday, June 30, 2026.

Submission Guidelines

Detailed submission guidelines and requirements are outlined in the RFP, available as of May 28, 2026.

Please submit your response via electronic upload by clicking here and uploading your proposal.

Responses are due no later than June 30, 2026 at 4:00 PM. Please submit all documents in a single .zip file labeled with your company name. The Chrome Browser is the preferred method for uploading.

M/WBE

It is the policy of NYCEDC to comply with all federal, state and City laws and regulations which prohibit unlawful discrimination because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status and other protected category and to take affirmative action in working with contracting parties to ensure certified Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) share in the economic opportunities generated by NYCEDC’s projects and initiatives. Please refer to the Equal Employment and Affirmative Compliance for Non-Construction Contracts Addendum in Appendix F of the RFP.

This project has Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise (“M/WBE”) participation goals, and all respondents will be required to submit an M/WBE Participation Proposal with their response. To learn more about NYCEDC’s M/WBE program, visit http://edc.nyc/opportunity-mwdbe. For the list of companies who have been certified with the New York City Department of Small Business Services as M/WBE, please go to the https://sbsconnect.nyc.gov/certification-directory-search/.

NYCEDC established the Contract Financing Loan Fund programs for Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (M/W/DBE) interested in working on public construction projects. Contract Financing Loan Fund facilitates financing for short-term mobilization needs such as insurance, labor, supplies and equipment. Bidders/subcontractors are strongly encouraged to visit the NYCEDC website at http://edc.nyc/opportunity-mwdbe to learn more about the program.