attachment-2-rfp-dot-2026-02-app-b.docx

This is a Proposer Information Form for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, Bureau of Rail and Transit, soliciting proposals for turnkey intercity bus service operations under the Federal Transit Administration's Section 5311(f) Rural Intercity Bus Program (RFP DOT 2026-02). Vendors must operate subsidized intercity bus service on one of two routes: Keene to Nashua with intermediate stops along Route 101 (including required stops at Brenner Bridge Parking Lot in Peterborough and connection with Boston Express in Nashua), or Keene to Concord with intermediate stops along Routes 202 and 9 (including required stops at Hillsboro Park and Ride and connection with Concord Coach Lines in Concord). Both routes must provide connections to Boston South Station and Logan Airport. The Department prefers two daily round trips but will consider alternative service proposals. Vendors must provide all vehicles (minimum Class 2 ADA-compliant), obtain required permits and insurance, conduct maintenance, and secure terminal access. The vendor inquiry period closes February 27, 2026, final Department responses are due March 6, 2026, and proposals must be submitted by March 20, 2026 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time, with estimated vendor selection notification by April 8, 2026. The contract term runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, with renewal options for up to two additional years subject to Department discretion and Governor and Executive Council approval.

Proposals are evaluated on a 100-point scale allocating 90 points to technical criteria (Proposed Service Meets Desired Specifications at 20 points; Technical Capability at 30 points; Management Structure and Key Personnel at 25 points; and Past and Present Performance at 15 points) and 10 points for price based on a formula favoring the lowest proposed price. Eligible vendor types include intercity bus providers, private nonprofit transportation providers, private for-profit transportation providers, local government authorities, public transportation operators, and Indian tribes with no set-asides limiting response eligibility. Vendors may claim Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) status if applicable. The contract is funded through Federal Transit Administration Section 5311(f) grants (CFDA number 20.509) with estimated total funding of $1,800,000 inclusive of option years. The Department has approved up to $900,000 in toll credits or transportation development credits to serve as the match requirement, effectively making this a 100% federally funded project. Vendors must propose their own fare structures and receive reimbursement for net operating expenses (gross operating expenses minus fare revenues). Selected vendors must register in SAM.GOV, obtain insurance with minimum A.M. Best rating of A- or higher and commercial general liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, and comply with extensive federal requirements including Americans with Disabilities Act standards, civil rights and equal employment opportunity laws, Federal Transit Administration drug and alcohol testing programs, Public Transportation Employee Protective Arrangements, and Buy America compliance.