Bidder Q&A - Full-size Vans - With or Without Lift.docx
DOCX document 57 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Full-size Vans - With or Without Lift
- Solicitation number
- RFP 171 260000002641 4
- Issued by
- Michigan
About this file
This document is a Bidder Questions & Answers file for Michigan's RFP 260000002641 concerning the procurement of full-size vans with or without lifts. The solicitation encompasses multiple van classes (Class I through Class IV, including electric vehicles) with options for various configurations, roof heights, seating arrangements, and accessibility features such as wheelchair lifts. Bidders submitted 18 questions addressing specifications, requirements, and clarifications across sections including towing capabilities, driver seats, HVAC systems, passenger entry doors, wheelbase dimensions, battery systems, and delivery requirements. The State provided approvals and clarifications on numerous proposed alternatives and OEM equipment options, including acceptance of Ford OEM towing points, vinyl seat options, Synergy Vanes fabric as an approved equal to Holdsworth, OEM rear heat and air systems, OEM sliding passenger doors for Class IV electric vehicles, and Ford factory E-Transit battery systems.
Key pricing and contractual terms indicate that bidders must include a 1% State administrative fee in all bid prices on the Schedule B Pricing Sheet, with final prices due to the State reflecting all applicable fees. Payment terms require invoices to conform to State requirements with undisputed amounts payable within 45 days of State receipt. The State is exempt from federal excise tax, state, and local sales taxes. Vans must be delivered with Certificates of Title. The solicitation includes a contingency provision for price increases applicable to 2027-2028 model year vehicles and beyond. The specifications incorporate OEM standards and federal compliance requirements (FVMSS 302, warranty provisions including eight-year/100,000-mile coverage for Class IV electric drivetrains), and detailed performance standards for heating systems, door operations, and accessibility features.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule D - Service Level Agreement.docx | DOCX document | |
| Schedule A - Statement of Work.docx | DOCX document | |
| Attachment 1 - Specifications.docx | DOCX document | |
| Schedule C - Insurance Requirements.docx | DOCX document | |
| Standard Contract Terms.docx | DOCX document | |
| Transit Agency Listing.pdf | ||
| Amendment 1.docx | DOCX document | |
| Proposal Instructions.docx | DOCX document | |
| Confidential Treatment Form.docx | DOCX document | |
| Schedule G - Equipment Checklist.docx | DOCX document | |
| Vendor Questions Worksheet.docx | DOCX document | |
| Schedule B - Pricing.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Attachment 2 - Affidavit For Driver Delivery.docx | DOCX document |
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Text version
Michigan.gov/MiProcurement
BIDDER QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
RFP 260000002641
Full-size Van – With or Without Lift Bidders who have questions for the above Solicitation must fill the sections below and attach the document in an email to the Solicitation Manager, as described in the Instruction to Bidders.
| Q # |
| Document and Section |
| Page # |
| Bidder Question |
| Answer (to be completed by the State) |
| 1 |
| Standard Contract Terms – Section 8 – Extended Purchasing Program, 7.1 / Schedule B - Pricing |
| 3 |
| State Administrative Fee. Contractor must pay the State an administrative fee of 1% on all payments made to Contractor under the Contract for transactions with the State (including its departments, divisions, agencies, offices, and commissions). Administrative fee payments must be made online by check or credit card at: https://www.thepayplace.com/mi/dtmb/adminfee. |
Q: Please confirm that the 1% State administrative fee is to be included in the bid price for each unit price on base models and options on the Schedule B Pricing Sheet.
Yes. Schedule B – Pricing should indicate final price to TA with all fees.
| 2 |
| Attachment 1 – Specifications – Section II, B, 7 - Towing |
| 5 |
| Tow hooks shall be provided in the rear of the van, which shall be of sufficient strength to tow 1½ times the GVWR of the van. Tow hooks shall be easily accessed and free of interference with the bumper system when in use. Access to tow hooks may be made through holes in the bumper assembly. The intended use for tow hooks is only to safely move the van to a point of tow truck hook-up. Tow hooks shall be installed to prevent them from dragging when the van is driven over an incline. The tow hooks, equal to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) units, shall be mounted and adequately secured to the chassis frame as recommended by the tow hook manufacturer or may be supplied by the OEM as standard equipment on the chassis. The van shall be designed to be towed from the front or from the rear with either a frame contact or a wheel lift. A fuel tank protection frame shall not interfere with a frame contact lift. The bidder shall provide the towing and lifting procedure at delivery. |
Q: Please accept Ford OEM towing and recovery points.
Approved.
| 3 |
| Attachment 1 – Specifications – Section II, B, 11 - Drivers Seats, b |
| 5 |
| The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) driver’s seat shall comfortably hold and support the human body in the ergonomically correct position for driving and meet the flammability requirements of FVMSS 302. The driver’s seat with arm rests (right side seat arm rest, left side door arm rest) shall have adjustments for fore and aft slide, 4” minimum travel, back recline, 20° minimum, and weight range capacity up to 350 pounds. While seated, the driver shall be able to make all of these adjustments by hand without complexity, excessive effort, or being pinched. Manual operated adjustment mechanisms shall hold the adjustments and shall not be subject to inadvertent changes. The seat shall be high-backed and shall be properly aligned (centered) behind steering wheel to allow for maximum seat adjustments and operator comfort. The seat belt with shoulder harness, automatic retractor and supplemental restraint (SRS) system shall be OEM chassis equipment. All seats and seat mountings shall meet applicable federal standards. |
Q: Please accept Vinyl seats along with Cloth for agency’s to choose from. Both options are standard from OEM but most dealers stock Vinyl seats because they are easier to keep clean.
Approved.
| 4 |
| Standard Contract Terms – Section 21 – Invoice and Payment |
| 6 |
| Invoices must conform to the requirements communicated from time-to-time by the State. All undisputed amounts are payable within 45 days of the State’s receipt. Contractor may only charge for Contract Activities provided as specified in a Statement of Work. Invoices must include an itemized statement of all charges. The State is exempt from federal excise tax, state, and local sales taxes, and use taxes if the Contract Activities purchased under this Contract are for the State’s exclusive use. Contractor will not include the collection of taxes for which the State is exempt in any invoices or payments related to this Contract. The State is not responsible for taxes imposed or assessed on Contractor. |
Q: Please confirm that, post acceptance of a vehicle, the agency has 45 days to pay the dealer/contractor.
Confirmed.
| 5 |
| Attachment 1 – Specifications |
Section II, B, 15 – Cloth-type Woven Fabric Requirements (with flame resistance), d, iii
| 8 |
| Suggested source: Freedman Seating Company. Contractor shall provide technical data sheet including flammability and smoke emissions for the seat covering material supplied (see section V. Vendor/Manufacturer Requirements, subsection F. Bid Documents, item 13.). |
Q: Due to Materials availability, we recommend that MDOT accept Synergy Vanes as an Approved equal to the Holdsworth Fabric. The Holdsworth fabric takes much longer to get and could delay delivery. Please add to suggested sources.
Approved Synergy Vanes as an approved equal.
| 6 |
| Attachment 1 – Specifications – Section II, B, 21 – HVAC, a |
| 9, 10 |
| During normal passenger service, front and rear heavy-duty heating system shall be capable of raising the interior temperature of the vehicle from 0ºF to 60ºF at knee level (22” above the floor) throughout the interior of bus within 30 minutes from engine startup. After initial warm-up, while the vehicle is in passenger service, the front and rear heavy-duty heating system shall be sufficient to maintain a minimum of 64ºF at knee level throughout interior of the vehicle and at the driver’s foot space when the outside temperature is 0ºF. Heating system operation will be verified by the required system testing as defined in Section C.4. Heating/Ventilating (HV) Certification. In addition to the front heater and windshield defrosters, for increased air circulation, one 6” two speed fan with non-glare blades and body shall be mounted away from passenger and driver traffic in the driver’s area near the windshield. The fan shall be mounted securely. Grounding for all heater fan motors shall be supplied by an in harness ground wire attached in the fuse panel to a common grounding point. All HVAC fan motors shall be supplied with proper radio frequency (RF) suppression equipment to remove two-way radio interference. |
Q: Will the State accept the OEM Rear heat and air system that comes with the Ford Transit.
Approved, provided the proposed OEM system meets or exceeds the specified requirements.
| 7 |
| Attachment 1 – Specifications – Section II, B, 26 – Passenger Entry Doors, a |
| 14 |
| All base vans with low or medium roofs shall be equipped with an OEM sliding door. All base vans with high roofs shall be equipped with heavy duty electrically operated passenger entrance door. The passenger entrance door shall be an anodized aluminum frame, split-type double leaf swing door. This door shall have a flexible soft rubber cushion on the meeting edge 1-½" in width, minimum. The door glass shall be see-through, AS-2 tint (70% luminous transmittance) safety glass. Under all operating conditions and van speeds, an airtight, watertight, and dust-proof seal shall be formed between the door and the stepwell, between the door and body opening, and between the door leaf sections. The door leading edge opening speed shall not exceed 18 inches per second and the closing speed shall not exceed 12 inches per second to provide a total door closing or opening in 2 to 4 seconds. The front passenger entrance door shall not extend below the step frame. The door shall be located completely within the envelope of the OEM sliding doorway and the van structural boron steel may not be cut. The doorway shall be surrounded with ABS or composite panels which do not discolor with age. The entrance door shall provide a 30" clear width opening, minimum. Where interior height is low at the entrance header, the header shall be padded to prevent injury to those exiting the van. Suggested Source: A&M Systems Inc. |
Q: For Class 4 electric vehicles, the Ford E-Transit battery pack is located beneath the passenger entrance area, preventing installation of the specified recessed stepwell and heavy-duty transit-style passenger door. Please accept the OEM sliding passenger door Approved. OEM sliding passenger door is approved for Class IV.
| 8 |
| Attachment 1 – Specifications – Section II, B, 26 – Passenger Entry Doors, a |
| 14 |
| All base vans with low or medium roofs shall be equipped with an OEM sliding door. All base vans with high roofs shall be equipped with heavy duty electrically operated passenger entrance door. The passenger entrance door shall be an anodized aluminum frame, split-type double leaf swing door. This door shall have a flexible soft rubber cushion on the meeting edge 1-½" in width, minimum. The door glass shall be see-through, AS-2 tint (70% luminous transmittance) safety glass. Under all operating conditions and van speeds, an airtight, watertight, and dust-proof seal shall be formed between the door and the stepwell, between the door and body opening, and between the door leaf sections. The door leading edge opening speed shall not exceed 18 inches per second and the closing speed shall not exceed 12 inches per second to provide a total door closing or opening in 2 to 4 seconds. The front passenger entrance door shall not extend below the step frame. The door shall be located completely within the envelope of the OEM sliding doorway and the van structural boron steel may not be cut. The doorway shall be surrounded with ABS or composite panels which do not discolor with age. The entrance door shall provide a 30" clear width opening, minimum. Where interior height is low at the entrance header, the header shall be padded to prevent injury to those exiting the van. Suggested Source: A&M Systems Inc. |
Q: Please acknowledge that the Class IV (Electric Van) will not come with a heavy duty electrically operated passenger entrance door. The location for the Electric Motor batteries are in the same location that stepwell would be located.
Confirm. Please see question 7.
| 9 |
| Attachment 1 – Specifications – Section II, B, 26 – Passenger Entry Doors, a |
| 14 |
| All base vans with low or medium roofs shall be equipped with an OEM sliding door. All base vans with high roofs shall be equipped with heavy duty electrically operated passenger entrance door. The passenger entrance door shall be an anodized aluminum frame, split-type double leaf swing door. This door shall have a flexible soft rubber cushion on the meeting edge 1-½" in width, minimum. The door glass shall be see-through, AS-2 tint (70% luminous transmittance) safety glass. Under all operating conditions and van speeds, an airtight, watertight, and dust-proof seal shall be formed between the door and the stepwell, between the door and body opening, and between the door leaf sections. The door leading edge opening speed shall not exceed 18 inches per second and the closing speed shall not exceed 12 inches per second to provide a total door closing or opening in 2 to 4 seconds. The front passenger entrance door shall not extend below the step frame. The door shall be located completely within the envelope of the OEM sliding doorway and the van structural boron steel may not be cut. The doorway shall be surrounded with ABS or composite panels which do not discolor with age. The entrance door shall provide a 30" clear width opening, minimum. Where interior height is low at the entrance header, the header shall be padded to prevent injury to those exiting the van. Suggested Source: A&M Systems Inc. |
Q: Will the state accept the option we use to install the exterior opening method instead of a exterior key method? We install a switch located inside the front passenger doors step well. The front passenger door can be lock/unlocked using the OEM Key FOB to gain access to the switch. This method avoids a key getting stuck or broken on the key switch located on the exterior.
Approved.
| 10 |
| Attachment 1 - Specifications - Section III, 5, a, Wheel Base |
| 15 |
| The minimum wheelbase shall be 148” (for all classes) using the wheelbase for each of the specified van lengths which will provide proper approach and departure angles, proper handling, and proper ride characteristics. Maximum rear overhang shall not exceed: 50 inches on Class I, II, and III and 76 inches on the Class IV. |
Q: Please acknowledge that the rear overhang for Class III and IV should both be 79” Maximum.
Acknowledged. The maximum rear overhang for Class III and Class IV will be 79”.
| 11 |
| Attachment 1 – Specifications – Section III, 5 – Wheel Base |
| 15 |
| The minimum wheelbase shall be 148” (for all classes) using the wheelbase for each of the specified van lengths which will provide proper approach and departure angles, proper handling, and proper ride characteristics. Maximum rear overhang shall not exceed: 50 inches on Class I, II, and III and 76 inches on the Class IV. |
Q: Please accept a maximum rear overhang of 80 inches for Class III and Class IV vehicles.
The maximum rear overhang for Class III and Class IV will be 79”.
| 12 |
| Attachment 1 – Specifications – Section III, 6 – Engine, b |
| 15 |
| Class IV van shall be equipped with chassis manufacturer supplied and installed electric propulsion using a rear axle mounted drive motor and a 198-kilowatt battery. Battery and electric driveline shall have an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty. |
Q: Please accept Ford factory E-Transit battery system as manufacturer standard Approved, provided the proposed item meets or exceeds the specified requirements.
| 13 |
| Attachment 1 – Specifications – Section III, 11 – Battery, Cables, and Grounds, a. |
| 16 |
| The battery equipment shall be furnished by the OEM. The battery shall be maintenance free with reserve capacity of 400 minutes @ 80° F, 950CCA minimum, 12-volt minimum. Lift equipped vans shall have dual batteries installed and be a pair of matching units. |
Q: Please accept Ford OEM battery location and manufacturer approved auxiliary battery installation Approved.
| 14 |
| Attachment 1 – Specifications – Section III, 22 - Driveshaft |
| 18 |
| The multi-piece drive shaft shall be OEM. Drive shaft guards shall be installed during conversion and shall be of sufficient strength to prevent any drive shaft section from striking the floor of the van or the ground in the event of a tube or universal joint failure. |
Q: The Transit comes equipped with an OEM drive shaft loop. Does the state require more than the one (1) OEM driveshaft loop?
Approved.
| 15 |
| Attachment 1 – Specifications – Section IV – Equipment Options, 6 – Integrated Child Restraint Seat, a. |
| 26 |
| The first double seat, aisle side, on the driver’s (street) side of the van shall have an integrated child restraint seat capable of safely carrying children of 20 to 50 pounds. |
Q: Please acknowledge that an integrated child restraint seat (ICS) is not available on the Freedman Go-ES 3PT foldaway seat.
Acknowledged.
| 16 | ||
| Attachment 1 – Specifications – Class III – DRW, D, iii | ||
| 43 | ||
| iii. | Accessible 4 + 2 passenger with SIDE lift | |
| 1. | 3 double fold-away forward facing seats | |
| 2. | 2 single forward facing seats | |
| 3. | 1 co-pilot seat (OEM) | |
| 4. | 1 driver seat (OEM) | |
| 5. | 2 wheelchair positions |
Q: Drawing appears to have 2 side lifts, what is the correct location of the lift for this layout?
Spec came from manufacturer. OPT will confirm with them
| Q: Do Vans need to be delivered with Certificate of Title? |
| Yes. |
| 18 |
| Schedule A – Statement of work – 21 – Price Changes |
| Q: Is there a contingency for price increase for the 2027 to 2028 MY (and moving forward)? |
| Yes. |
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