Q&A 3.docx

This is a Question & Answer document issued by the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES) regarding a competitive solicitation for light/medium duty transit buses on behalf of the Washington State Transit Bus Cooperative. The document provides official responses to six clarification questions submitted during the solicitation period and does not require any amendments to the original solicitation document. Key procedural clarifications include confirmation that bidders may submit only one compliant base model per category for cost scoring, with additional models permitted as optional line items in the price sheet; that all completed documents, including Exhibit A-2 FTA Certifications, must remain in their original Word format and not be converted to PDF; and that pricing and technical evaluation will proceed as originally specified without modification to the award structure.

The document addresses substantive technical and evaluation criteria questions, clarifying that the state will ensure fair and objective evaluation by applying minimum quality and specification standards defined in Exhibit B1, with higher-cost vehicles accommodable through additional options lines. The state confirmed it will not increase the fixed cap of four awardees per category and will gather information on bidder capacity, character, and performance through multiple mechanisms including previous contract performance, references, internet searches, and federal and state database reviews in accordance with RCW 39.26.190. Additionally, the document provides a technical clarification that "electrical-assisted steering" refers specifically to electric power steering (EPS) racks where steering assist is provided directly by an electric motor acting on the steering gear, not hydraulic systems with electric motors.