33365_Apr_6_26_solicitation_doc.pdf

This is a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the Connecticut Department of Transportation for the procurement of a Contactless Fare Collection Platform and supporting services for bus transit throughout the state. The solicitation seeks proposals for a comprehensive system consisting of validators capable of accepting contactless EMV payments, fare calculation software, mobile ticketing applications, and associated support services. The platform must deliver 730 validators with installation components across eight CTtransit garages, native iOS and Android mobile applications supporting up to 20 transit agencies, integration with existing cash farebox and Go CT account systems, support for university pass programs and reduced fare programs, and CTrail rail ticketing integration with Amtrak. A mandatory pre-proposal conference is scheduled for February 5, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EST via Microsoft Teams with registration required by February 4, 2026. The vendor question and answer period runs from February 6, 2026 through February 19, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EST. Proposals must be submitted electronically to dot.transit@ct.gov and received by April 7, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EDT, with six mailed copies postmarked by the same date. The initial contract term is five years with options for two additional five-year extensions, potentially extending the maximum contract term to fifteen years.

The solicitation is open to all vendors with no specific set-asides or restrictions on organization types. Evaluation criteria include technical compliance with 84 distinct requirements organized into five categories (Validators, Fare Calculation Software, Mobile Ticketing, Other Services, and CTrail Mobile Ticketing Options), pricing and payment terms competitiveness, and vendor capability to support simultaneous implementation across 13 different Connecticut transit agencies. Vendors must specify pricing using the provided price schedule template, including cost categories for hardware, installation, implementation, annual fixed fees, and annual SaaS support fees, with the ability to propose transaction fees for both open-loop and mobile ticket transactions with potential volume-based price breaks. The contractor will be required to provide separate merchant IDs for each of the 13 transit agencies and implement transparent fee pass-through using optimal Merchant Category Codes for credit card processing. No estimated total contract value is specified in the solicitation materials; however, contracts anticipated to exceed $50,000 in annual value will require completion of OPM Form 1, the State of Connecticut Campaign Contribution Certification, at contract execution, indicating a substantial project investment.