39709_Nov_6_26_solicitation_doc.pdf

This is a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the Town of Bethel Board of Education in Connecticut for school transportation services. The solicitation, numbered 39709 BID 2027-003, seeks proposals for a five-year contract term beginning July 1, 2027 and ending June 30, 2032. Proposers may bid on one or both of two service categories: Category 1 covers regular home-to-school transportation using Type I buses with capacity exceeding 70 passengers, plus late runs and field and athletic trips; Category 2 covers special education, preschool, Community Partnership Program, and Cooperative Educational Services transportation using Type II vehicles, student transportation vehicles, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles. The estimated fleet includes 24 Type I buses, 9 Type II vehicles (at least 2 wheelchair-accessible), 1 student transportation vehicle, 4 spare Type I buses, and 1 spare Type II vehicle, with all vehicles required to be no more than ten years old and average fleet age not exceeding seven years. Service spans three tiers of runs across approximately 181 school days annually. An optional information session is scheduled for November 12, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. via Google Meet, vendor questions are due November 16, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. EST, and proposals are due December 8, 2026 at 9:45 a.m. EST with public opening at 10:00 a.m. at the Clifford J. Hurgin Municipal Center in Bethel. Award is anticipated December 17, 2026.

Proposal pricing must exclude fuel and federal and state taxes, as the Board supplies diesel, gasoline, and propane through an approved vendor, with fuel storage and installation at a new depot evaluated as a separate line item. Bid security equals 10 percent of the proposer's first-year price, and the Board may require a performance bond equal to 100 percent of the projected annual contract cost, which the Board will pay if required. Proposers must maintain $5 million primary automobile liability and $10 million umbrella coverage. The contract is contingent on appropriation of sufficient funds by the Town of Bethel. Delivery terms are Free On Board Destination. The RFP encourages proposers to employ the current contractor's drivers, who are represented by United Service Workers Local 455. Evaluation centers on safe, reliable, on-time service, dependable route coverage, and competitive pricing. Proposers must submit three hard copies and one electronic copy on a USB flash drive, acknowledge all addenda, complete required disclosure forms, and provide references from similar school transportation contracts. Inquiries should be directed to Krista DeOliveira, Transportation Services Coordinator, at 203-794-8514 or deoliveirak@bethel-ct.gov.