ITB 2026-07 Addendum #1 Q A.pdf

ITB 2026-07 Addendum #1 Page 1 of 9

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

BUREAU OF CONTRACTS, GRANTS AND PROCUREMENT

MANAGEMENT SERVICES

325 West Gaines Street 344 Turlington Building

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400

Addendum #1

BID NO. 2026-07: Type A, Type C and Type D School Buses, Multifunction School Activity Buses (MFSAB) and Optional Equipment

This addendum is being issued to provide the Answers to Questions submitted timely by vendors during the Question and Answers period, and to add Attachments G, H, I and J, in Section 8 - Preliminary Submittal Review (See the corrections in red below for Section 8.0). Additionally, the Addendum addresses changes to the Florida School Bus Specifications, on page III-12, removes the requirement for “reflective” lettering on the rear bus door verbiage, “Stop When Red Lights Flash; on page I-3, removes the proposed 60 mph speed limit and reinstates the original requirement of 70 mph. The updated version of the 2026 Florida School Bus Specifications, effective January 2026, was published to the department’s web page on September 17, 2025, at FLORIDA SCHOOL BUS SPECIFICATIONS. Also, the Addendum addresses the correction to the Excel workbook pricing pages for the tabs: Type A 14, Type A 14 Lift, Type A 29 and Type A 29 Lift, specifically changing the word “Diesel” to “Gasoline” in the base bus price description, as the base engine for these configurations is gasoline-powered.

8.0 PRELIMINARY SUBMITTAL REVIEW

The absence of any of these documents may deem the Bid Response non-responsive, and the Bid Response may not be evaluated. The bid forms furnished should be used when submitting the response. Forms should be filled out in ink or typewritten, SIGNED AND DATED with no alterations or amendments made, and enclosed with a signed transmittal letter. Preliminary submittal review information should consist of the following:

• Transmittal Letter (COMPLETED ON COMPANY LETTERHEAD)

• Attachment A – Vendor’s Bid Price Sheet.

BIDDER MUST USE THIS FORM WHEN SUBMITTING THEIR RESPONSE.

EACH PAGE MUST BE SIGNED OR INITIALED. USE OF ANY OTHER

FORM MAY DISQUALIFY THE BID RESPONSE.

• Attachment B – Disclosure Statement

• Attachment D – Drug Free Workplace Certification

• Attachment E - Minority Subcontractor Utilization Summary, if applicable

• Attachment F- Vendor Certification Form

• Attachment G - Vendor Certification Regarding Scrutinized Companies Lists

• Attachment H - PUR 1355 Foreign Country of Concern Attestation https://www.fldoe.org/file/7585/2026FLSchoolBusSpec.pdf https://www.fldoe.org/file/7585/2026FLSchoolBusSpec.pdf

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• Attachment I – PUR 1808 Common Carrier or Contracted Carrier Attestation Form

• Attachment J – Affidavit Regarding the use of Coercion for Labor and Services

• Attachment K- Contract

• Attachment L - Bidder Representation

• Attachment M - Purchase Order Preference/Customer Contact Preference Form

• Attachment N - File Structure for Required Status Report

• Attachment O - Florida School Bus Specifications, Effective January 2020

• Attachment P - Letter representing that buses will meet all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and representing the adequacy of Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWRs) Attachment Q - Letter representing the power lift installation will comply with Florida’s specifications Attachment R - Estimated delivery dates for Type A, C, and D chassis delivery (supplied by chassis manufacturer)

• Attachment S - Letter acknowledging liquidated damages, as specified in section 6.2

• Attachment T - Letter specifying the seat covering material manufacturer and model number

• Attachment U - Letter stating that all buses will meet chassis performance specifications

• Attachment V - PDI program outline as specified in section 7.9, and Pre- Delivery Inspection (PDI) Form.

• Signed Addenda, If Applicable

Please be advised all questions are keyed as submitted.

1. We're very interested in submitting for this project, however, I know Florida has regulations regarding a dealership license and a brick and mortar. While we've been in conversation with some dealerships in the state, we do not currently have a physical location.

Will this be an issue when applying for the bid? Just a preliminary question before we did into the depths of the proposal.

Answer: The invitation to bid itself explicitly imposes no requirement relating to maintaining physical location in Florida to respond. However, the specifications contained in the ITB may functionally require a physical presence in the state to meet the deliverables (See, for example, Rule 6A-3.003, Florida Administrative Code requiring submittal of a demonstrator model offered for sale, and Section

7.23 Service Requirements contained in the ITB. Failure to address such the requirements may result in selection of another bid or, in the event of a default be the successful bidder, financial consequences are authorized and the lack of a physical presence will not constitute a defense in all probability.

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2. 6.0 Scope of Services: states that "the department shall assist district school boards in securing school buses that are prices that are as reasonable as possible." In light of ongoing market volatility and the sustained impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including but not limited to supply chain disruptions and tariff increases, it has become very difficult for manufacturers to guarantee pricing for extended periods of time (18 months). Will DOE consider implementing equitable pricing adjustments on a semi-annual basis, similar to the approach taken with ITB:2022-01, in accordance with section 4(e) PUR1000, whereby a base price percentage increase was solicited and approved (see attached) and on ITB:2023-02, and most recently (see attached) whereby a tariff increase was approved? Such adjustments would ensure that bid prices remain reflective of the most current and competitive market conditions at the time of submission. This approach could mitigate other competitive contracts available to districts, such as Sourcewell or even individual district solicitations, which potentially could offer lower pricing considering they would not require 18-month terms without adjustments. Please keep in mind when considering this request, the previous contract ITB:2023-02 will be ending December 31, 2025 mid fiscal year 2025/26, and that the majority of districts will be placing their 2025/26 purchase orders prior to the end of this contract period in order to avoid price increases. There therefore could be a 6-month delay in ordering for this new contract period. Thus, we will be bidding on a contract in November 2025 that will see the majority of purchase order activity post July 1, 2026, thus making this mostly a 12-month contract period.

Answer: DENIED: All bid prices must remain firm until June 30, 2027, unless the department approves an equitable adjustment, following Form PUR 1000, item 4(e).

3. Is it possible for the bus in-service date to automatically be set to 30 days after the delivery date? Delays in receiving, or in some cases the absence of warranty documentation often pose challenges when submitting warranty claims to the manufacturer. If this is not feasible, could the responsibility for providing this information be transferred to the District to ensure timely submission to the State? Extended delays in obtaining the necessary documentation significantly hinders vendors from submitting complete and accurate reports within the required timelines.

Answer:

• The bus in-service date should be automatically set to 10 days after delivery unless a quantity greater than 5 buses is delivered on a single business day. In the event that more than five buses are delivered in a single business day, an additional day should be added for the number of buses delivered above 5 buses. See excerpt below 4.38 Acceptance for further details and examples.

• 4.38 ACCEPTANCE: All buses shall be inspected and accepted or rejected by an authorized representative of the school board or other purchasing entity within ten business days of delivery or the completed units picked up. Districts that take delivery on a quantity greater than five school buses per day shall be allowed one extra day for the number of

ITB 2026-07 Addendum #1 Page 4 of 9 buses over five. For example, a district that takes eight school buses for delivery within one day shall be allowed 13 business days to inspect and accept or reject the buses. Should any agency purchasing a bus not be satisfied that the requirements of the specifications have been met, representatives of the Florida Department of Education, School Transportation Management Section (STMS); the Florida Department of Management Services; State Purchasing, and the purchasing agency shall have the right to inspect the unit and issue an order of acceptance or rejection.

4. 4.22 Because the prime bidders for these solicitations are local Florida dealers, and dealers may be able to offer more than one manufacturer of Type A vehicle configurations, in the best interest of chassis availability, (due to GM/Ford restricting manufacturers through the process of allocations), is it possible for the prime bidder to be able to offer more than one manufacturer for each configuration, thus providing school districts consistent product availability and delivery?

Answer: Yes, a dealer may sell more than one brand of bus or MFSAB as long as the certification requirements outlined in rule 6A-3.003, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.) have been met.

5. Please clarify 4.34, alternate brands?

Answer:

• Any brand meeting Florida School Bus Specifications, Effective January 2026, and the certification requirements outlined in rule 6A-3.003, F.A.C.

Certification as to Specifications of School Buses will be accepted.

• Any offer not meeting the Specification and Certification requirements mentioned above will be considered an alternate brand and will be rejected.

6. Would the State be willing to provide a quarterly summary of total purchases, including basic information such as Purchase Order date, awarded vendor, purchasing District, bus capacity, lift status (i.e., with or without lift), and purchase price? Such reporting would support manufacturers in monitoring dealer performance and ensuring compliance with contractual obligations. Regular access to this data also promotes transparency and helps maintain accountability throughout the procurement process.

Answer: Under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, data in the possession of the Department is available upon request subject to exceptions and conditions provided by law.

7. Referencing page III-12 - If the black reflective lettering required with "STOP WHEN RED LIGHTS FLASH," is not available thru the OEM, would standard black 6" non-reflective lettering still be permitted?

Answer: The reflective requirement on Page III-12 is no longer required due to legislative changes to the criteria for school bus infraction detection systems.

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The language in the draft specifications was overlooked and will be amended as soon as possible. Reflective lettering is NOT REQUIRED for the lettering “STOP

WHEN RED LIGHTS FLASH.”

8. The revised State specifications amended the required top speed from 70 mph to a "minimum top speed of 60 mph." Could the State clarify whether a specific top speed is still mandated, or is this now considered a matter of customer preference within the bounds of the minimum requirement?

Answer: The Type A configuration must be able to achieve a top speed of 70 mph.

9. With the upcoming release of a new Cummins engine (standard to the industry across multiple vendors) intended to meet 2027 Federal Emissions standards scheduled to occur during the term of this contract, and given the anticipated significant increase in cost, will bus vendors be permitted to adjust pricing accordingly once the new engine becomes standard?

Answer: DENIED: All bid prices must remain firm until June 30, 2027, unless the department approves an equitable adjustment, following Form PUR 1000, item 4(e).

10. The pricing sheets pages 6-9 for Type A list it as "Base Diesel Bus Price" when the only available fuel option is gasoline. Can this please be updated to Gasoline?

Answer: AGREED: The pricing pages for Type A 14, Type A 14 Lift, Type A 29 and Type A 29 Lift have been updated to read “Base Gasoline Bus Price.”

11. The type A standard manufacturer chassis warranties from both Ford and Chevrolet are 3 years 36,000 miles bumper to bumper. The powertrain is 5 years and 60,000 miles. Optional non-OEM extended coverages are available but not from Ford or Chevrolet. Therefore, it is recommended that, for bidding purposes, the chassis warranty aligns with the warranties offered by the respective manufacturers.

Answer: DENIED. The Florida School Bus Specifications, pages 2-3, requires the standard chassis and body warranty coverage to be 100,000 miles or 60 months.

However, each manufacturer or dealer may include credit options as part of its bid package for purchasers who wish to forego the standard warranty plans in favor of the minimum base warranty specifications, which are 12,000 miles or 12 months.

12. Under Type A, 1-7, if there are no front tow hooks available from the chassis manufacturer, would N/A be an acceptable response?

Answer: AGREED: N/A is acceptable for Type A buses if no front tow hooks are available from the chassis manufacturer.

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13. ITB Pg 31, Section 8 - Preliminary Submittal Review: The list of attachments required to be included with the bidders submission does not include attachments C, G, H, l and J. Are these attachments required for a responsive submission?

Answer: All attachments, including G, H, I, and J, must be returned with the bid submission.

14. The ITB and Florida School Bus Specifications, Revised Jan 1, 2026 adopt by reference 2025 National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures. This document is currently in revision and unavailable. Can the Department provide a list of those items that have/will change from the previous version that will be adopted by Florida?

Answer: A copy of the draft Florida School Bus Specifications, effective January 2026, will be emailed to each registered bidder by Rhonda Forbes.

In Accordance with Item 4.2 of ITB #2026-07. Please find the following our requests for clarification and/or acceptance to technical questions.

15. Page 12 states that all prices shall remain firm until June 30, 2027. Would the department consider a shorter-term (12 month) contract to minimize the economic impact on bidders from inflation, tariffs and EPA emissions changes?

Answer: DENIED

16. Page 12 states that all prices shall remain firm until June 30, 2027. In August alone, 2025 Steel and Aluminum Tariffs increase 50% effective August 18, 2025 and Copper has a new 50% Tariff effective August 1, 2025. Will there be a mechanism in place to address changes in US Import Tariffs?

Answer: DENIED: All bid prices must remain firm until June 30, 2027, unless the department approves an equitable adjustment, following Form PUR 1000, item 4(e).

17. Page 12 states that all prices shall remain firm until June 30, 2027. EPA 2027 Diesel Emission Regulations are projected to come with a substantial price increase – Is there a mechanism in place to address the 2027 Emissions Change and price increase that will come with it?

Answer: No: All bid prices must remain firm until June 30, 2027, unless the department approves an equitable adjustment, following Form PUR 1000, item 4(e).

18. The previous ITB 2023-02 allowed for an annual price adjustment based on the Producer Price Index (PPI) for commodity series ID: WPU 141302 Transportation Equipment – Complete vehicle on Purchased Chassis, not seasonally adjusted and published by the US Department of Labor. With the current ITB 2026-07, bidders will be required to supply pricing in November 2025, which must remain firm for an 18 month

ITB 2026-07 Addendum #1 Page 7 of 9 time period. We request the Department include the same PPI adjustment during the term of this contract due to supply chain and tariff uncertainty.

Answer: DENIED: The term of the contract was reduced from 36 months to 18 months to eliminate price adjustments during the contract period.

19. Florida School Bus Specifications Page 2, CHASSIS WARRANTIES: “The standard chassis warranty for Florida school bus bids shall be 100,000 Miles or 60 Months” Would the Department consider the OEM Standard Chassis (Ford or Chevrolet) acceptable for General Chassis and Powertrain on Type A-1 Buses? Type A- 1 Chassis Suppliers, do not offer such warranties and costs will be impacted by aftermarket warranties.

Answer: DENIED: The Florida School Bus Specifications, pages 2-3, requires the standard chassis and body warranty coverage to be 100,000 miles or 60 months.

However, each manufacturer or dealer may include credit options as part of its bid package for purchasers who wish to forego the standard warranty plans in favor of the minimum base warranty specifications, which are 12,000 miles or 12 months.

20. Would the Department consider a chassis (only, not body) price increase at the time of Model Year Change on Type A-1 Buses, as these timing of model year change and related price change are out of the control of any bus suppliers?

Answer: DENIED

21. Section IGNITION SYSTEM on Page I-4 states All Buses of like chassis manufacturers must have one key, regardless of the type of key supplied for Florida purchasers. Will the Department consider removing this requirement for Type A-1 Buses as chassis OEM’s will not guarantee keyed alike ignitions?

Answer: The process for seeking a waiver for such a requirement can be found in section 120.542, Florida Statutes.

22. Attachment I Common Carrier or contracted carrier attestation form (PUR 1808). Are driveaway companies driving buses from production facility to bus dealers in Florida considered a “Common Carrier”

Answer: As reflected in Attachment F, whether the vendor is a common carrier is to be made by the vendor, indicated on the attachment, signed and submitted to the Department with it’s bid.

23. Page 52, Attachment O, Florida School Bus Specifications, Effective January 1, 2026. Can the agency clarify that the minimum specification requirement for this bid is that the buses need to be compliant with FL State Specifications ONLY?

Answer:

No, see section 7.19 Representations of the ITB:

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As part of this bid, each bidder should represent in a letter to be included with the bid that each unit sold by the bidder's company or representative for school buses will meet Attachment O- Florida School Bus Specifications, Effective January 2026; National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures, Revised 2025; and all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

24. Page 52, Attachment O, Florida School Bus Specifications, Effective January 1, 2026. There was not a link on Attachment O, the latest Florida School Bus Specifications that was found through open sources was from 2020. Can agency provide link to the latest Florida School Bus Specifications?

Answer: A copy of the draft Florida School Bus Specifications, effective January 2026, will be emailed to each registered bidder by Rhonda Forbes.

25. ITB 2026-07 Pricing Pages 2026-07, Can agency confirm that all the individual items listed under the pricing pages are optional items ONLY and separate pricing should be provided instead of including it in the base bus price?

Answer: Items [C1A] through [B26] are listed on the pricing pages for each bus configuration on separate tabs of the Excel pricing pages workbook. They should be priced individually as optional equipment, unless the item is marked 'STD' for standard equipment, which is included in the base price of the bus.

26. ITB 2026-07 Pricing Pages 2026-07, Can the agency clarify in which category should the Electric Type D models with Rear Motor be bid?

Answer: RIDE Mobility LLC has not met the certification requirements of rule 6A- 3.003, Florida Administrative Code– Certification as to Specifications of School Buses for its Type D model school bus. RIDE only submitted certified statements for its Type A and Type C electric school buses. Therefore, only RIDE Type A and Type C electric school bus configurations were inspected by agency staff and approved for sale in the state of Florida.

27. ITB 2026-07 Pricing Pages 2026-07, Pro Lo Hatch, Can agency clarify whether If the Pro Lo Hatch is the same as emergency roof hatch? Is there a specific brand required?

Answer: A Pro Lo Hatch is a low-profile roof hatch typically offered as optional equipment and priced above the standard roof hatch.

28. ITB 2026-07 Pricing Pages 2026-07, Vandal Box w/Key, Can the agency provide more details about the Vandal Box w/Key? What is the purpose? What location will the box be installed?

Answer:

• The vandal box is a lockable compartment used by the driver to secure personal belongings.

• See page III-16 of the Florida School Bus Specifications.

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VANDAL BOX, SIDE MOUNTED

There must be installed on all Types C and D buses an equipment compartment on the ceiling above the driver’s side window, measuring approximately 1,600 cubic inches. The compartment must have a door with a positive latch and a keyed-alike lock. No safety equipment shall be mounted inside this compartment.

29. ITB 2026-07 Pricing Pages 2026-07, Bus Lock Up system, Can the agency provide more details about the Bus Lock Up system? What is the purpose and functionality needed here?

Answer:

• BUS LOCKUP SYSTEM: See page III-16 of the Florida School Bus Specifications.

• There shall be an approved option whereby a bus can be locked at the emergency door as well as the entrance door. An ignition interlock is required for the emergency door to prevent the bus from starting if the emergency door or rear window (on RE units) is locked. This body option must be keyed alike with any other body option requiring the use of a key.

Potential proposers have 72 hours from posting of addenda to protest the requirements of each addendum. Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Section 120.57(3), or failure to post the bond or other security required by law within the time allowed for filing a bond shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes.

YOUR BID WILL NOT BE COMPLETE WITHOUT THIS DOCUMENT

SIGNED AND INCLUDED!

Company Name:

Vendor Name – written:

Authorized Signature:

Mailing Address:

City, State & Zip Code:

Telephone: E-Mail Address: