rfb-dncr-2026-20--1-.pdf

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THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

REQUEST FOR BID FOR THE 2026-28 INTERNATIONAL GROUP TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bid is to provide all labor, tools, transportation, materials, equipment and permits as necessary to provide the required level of services as described herein. The scope of work shall include the following, at Franconia Notch State Park/Cannon Mountain, Franconia, New Hampshire.

All work shall be completed in a reasonable time frame as mutually agreed upon with agency and vendor. The Vendor shall submit a proposed schedule to the state agency requesting services at each facility at least ten (10) days prior to each period.

Franconia Notch State Park, Cannon Mt Ski Area, The State of New Hampshire, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, seeks 26/27 and 27/28 International Group Transportation by a licensed company to transport international students to and from lodging properties. Transportation dates include dates from December 2026 through April 2028.

INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDOR:

Read the entire bid invitation prior to filling it out. Complete the pricing information in the “Offer” section (Detailed information on how to fill out the pricing information can be found in the “Offer” section); complete the “Vendor Contact Information” section; and finally, fill out, sign, and notarize page one of the bid invitation.

BID CONTACT:

Name: David Webster State of New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Cannon Mountain Division of Parks and Recreation 172 Pembroke Road Concord, New Hampshire 03301 Telephone: 603-823-7722 x721 Email: david.m.webster@dncr.nh.gov

BID SUBMITTAL:

All bids shall be submitted on this form (or an exact copy), shall be typed or clearly printed in ink, and shall be received on or before the date and time specified on page 1 of this bid under “Bid Closing”. Interested parties may submit a bid to the State of New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources by email to:

david.m.webster@dncr.nh.gov. All bids shall be clearly marked with bid number and date due.

BID INQUIRIES:

Any questions, clarifications, and/or requested changes shall be submitted by an individual authorized to commit their organization to the Terms and Conditions of this bid and shall be received in writing at the no later than 2:00 PM on the date listed in the timeline below. Questions shall not be submitted to anyone other than the BID CONTACT or his/her representative. Bidders that submit questions verbally or in writing to any other State entity or State personnel shall be found in violation of this part and may be found non-compliant.

Submissions shall clearly identify the bid Number, the Vendor’s name and address and the name of the person submitting the question.

BID DUE DATE:

All bid submissions shall be received at the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources no later than the date and time shown on the transmittal letter of this bid. Submissions received after the date and time specified shall be marked as “Late” and shall not be considered in the evaluation process.

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All offers shall remain valid for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days from the bid due date. A vendor’s disclosure or distribution of bids other than to DAS, Bureau of Purchase and Property may be grounds for disqualification.

ADDENDA:

In the event it becomes necessary to add to or revise any part of this bid prior to the scheduled submittal date, the NH Bureau of Purchase and Property shall post on our web site any Addenda. Before your submission and periodically prior to the RFB closing, Vendors are required to check the site for any addenda or other materials that may have been issued affecting the bid. The web site address is https://das.nh.gov/Purchasing/vendorresources.asp.

TIMELINE:

The timeline below is provided as a general guideline and is subject to change. Unless stated otherwise, consider the dates below a “no later than” date.

4/23/2026 Bid Solicitation distributed on or by 6/22/2026 Last day for questions, clarifications, and/or requested changes to bid 6/30/2026 2:00 PM (EST) Bid Closing 12/1/2026 Target Implementation of Contract

TERMS OF SUBMISSION:

All material received in response to this bid shall become the property of the State and shall not be returned to the Vendor. Regardless of the Vendors selected, the State reserves the right to use any information presented in a bid response. The content of each Vendor’s bid shall become public information once a contract(s) has been awarded.

A responding bid that has been completed and signed by your representative shall constitute your company’s acceptance of all State of New Hampshire terms and conditions and shall legally obligate your company to these terms and conditions.

A signed response further signifies that from the time the bid is published (bid solicitation date and time) until a contract is awarded, no bidder shall offer or give, directly or indirectly, any gift, expense reimbursement, or honorarium, as defined by RSA 15-B, to any elected official, public official, public employee, constitutional official, or family member of any such official or employee who shall select, evaluate, or award the RFB.

Furthermore, a signed response signifies that any terms and/or conditions that may be or have been submitted by the Vendor are specifically null and void and are not a part of this bid invitation or any awarded purchase order, even if said terms and/or conditions contain language to the contrary.

The form P-37 Contract attached hereto shall be part of this bid and the basis for the contract(s). The successful Vendor and the State, following notification, shall promptly execute this contract form, which is to be completed by incorporating the service requirements and price conditions established by the vendor’s offer.

Complete bids shall be filled out on the original documents and format that are a part of this bid invitation.

Vendors may submit additional paperwork with pricing, but all pricing shall be on the documents provided with this bid invitation and in the State’s format.

CONTRACT TERM:

The term of the contract shall commence upon execution by the Commissioner of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (December 1, 2026) and shall continue thereafter through (ending date April 30, 2028) upon approval of the Governor and Executive council.

CONTRACT AWARD:

The award shall be made to the Vendor meeting the criteria established in this RFB and providing the lowest cost in total. The State reserves the right to reject any or all bids or any part thereof and add/delete items/locations to the contract. All award(s) shall be, in the form of a State of New Hampshire Contract.

https://das.nh.gov/Purchasing/vendorresources.asp

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Successful Vendor shall not be allowed to require any other type of order, nor shall the successful Vendor be allowed to require the filling out or signing of any other document by State of New Hampshire personnel.

NOTIFICATION AND AWARD OF CONTRACT(S):

Bid results shall not be given by telephone. For Vendors wishing to attend the bid closing, the names of the vendors submitting responses and pricing shall be made public. Other specific response information shall not be given out. Bid results shall be made public after final approval of the contract(s).

Bid results may also be viewed on our website at https://das.nh.gov/purchasing

For Vendors wishing to attend the bid closing: Names of the Vendors submitting responses and pricing shall be made public. In lieu of in person public bid openings the State shall conduct openings via electronic means until further notice.

LIABILITY:

The State shall not be held liable for any costs incurred by Vendors in the preparation of bids or for work performed prior to contract issuance.

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF BID OR PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS:

Generally, the full contents of any bid or proposal (including all materials submitted in connection with it, such as attachments, exhibits, addenda, and vendor presentations) become public information upon completion of final contract or purchase order negotiations with the selected vendor. Certain information concerning bids or proposals, including but not limited to pricing or scoring, is generally available to the public even before this time, in accordance with the provisions of NH RSA 21-G: 37.

To the extent consistent with applicable state and federal laws and regulations, as determined by the State, including, but not limited to, NH RSA Chapter 91-A (the “Right-to-Know” Law), the State shall, after final negotiations with the selected vendor are complete, attempt to maintain the confidentiality of portions of a bid or proposal that are clearly and properly marked by a bidder as confidential. Any and all information contained in or connected to a bid or proposal that a bidder considers confidential shall be clearly designated in the following manner:

If the bidder considers any portion of a submission confidential, they shall provide a separate copy of the full and complete document, fully redacting those portions by blacking them out and shall note on the applicable page or pages of the document that the redacted portion or portions are “confidential.” Use of any other term or method, such as stating that a document or portion thereof is “proprietary”, “not for public use”, or “for client’s use only”, is not acceptable. In addition to providing an additional fully redacted copy of the bid submission to the person listed as the point of contact on Page one (1) of this document, the identified information considered to be confidential must be accompanied by a separate letter stating the rationale for each item designated as confidential. In other words, the letter must specifically state why and under what legal authority each redaction has been made.

Submissions which do not conform to these instructions by failing to include a redacted copy (if required), by failing to include a letter specifying the rationale for each redaction, by failing to designate redactions in the manner required by these instructions, or by including redactions which are contrary to these instructions or operative law may be rejected by the State as not conforming to the requirements of the bid or proposal. The State will generally assume that a bid or proposal submitted without an additional redacted copy contains no information which the bidder deems confidential. Bids and proposals which contain no redactions, as well as redacted versions of submissions that have been accepted by the State, may be released to the public, including by means of posting on State web sites.

The State shall have no obligation to maintain the confidentiality of any portion of a bid, proposal or related material, which is not marked in accordance with the foregoing provisions. It is specifically understood and agreed that the bidder waives any claim of confidentiality as to any portion of a response to this RFB or RFP that is not marked as indicated above, and that unmarked (or improperly marked) submissions may be disseminated to any person, without limitation. Marking an entire bid, proposal, attachment or full sections thereof confidential without taking into consideration the public’s right to know shall neither be accepted nor honored by the State.

https://das.nh.gov/purchasing

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Notwithstanding any provision of this request for submission to the contrary, proposed pricing shall be subject to public disclosure REGARDLESS of whether or not marked as confidential.

If a request is made to the State by any person or entity to view or receive copies of any portion of a proposal and if disclosure is not prohibited under NH RSA 21-G:37 or any other applicable law or regulation, bidders acknowledge and agree that the State may disclose any and all portions of the proposal or related materials which is not marked as confidential. In the case of bids, proposals or related materials that contain portions marked confidential, the State shall assess what information it believes is subject to release; notify the bidder that the request has been made; indicate what, if any, portions of the proposal or related material shall not be released; and notify the bidder of the date it plans to release the materials. The State is not obligated to comply with a bidder’s designation regarding confidentiality. The State shall have no obligation to advise a bidder that an individual or entity is attempting to electronically access, or has been referred to, materials which have been made publicly available on the state’s web sites.

By submitting a bid or proposal, the bidder agrees that unless it obtains and provides to the State, prior to the date specified in the notice described in the paragraph above, a court order valid and enforceable in the State of New Hampshire, at its sole expense, enjoining the release of the requested information, the State may release the information on the date specified in the notice without any liability to the bidder.

Notwithstanding NH RSA 91-A:4, no information shall be available to the public, or to the members of the general court or its staff concerning specific responses to this bid invitation from the time this bid is published until the closing date for responses.

TERMINATION:

The State of New Hampshire shall have the right to terminate the contract at any time with written notice to the successful Vendor a thirty (30) day written notice.

VENDOR CERTIFICATIONS:

All Vendors shall be duly registered with the NH Bureau of Purchase and Property as State of New Hampshire vendors. All Vendors that are corporations, limited liability companies, or other limited liability business entities (this excludes sole proprietors and general partnerships) shall be duly registered with the New Hampshire Secretary of State to conduct business in the State of New Hampshire.

• STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE VENDOR APPLICATION: To be eligible for a contract award, a Vendor must have a completed Vendor Application Package on file with the NH Bureau of Purchase and Property. See the following website for information on obtaining and filing the required forms (no fee:

https://DAS.NH.Gov/Purchasing

• NEW HAMPSHIRE SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION: To be eligible for a contract award, a Vendor that is a corporation, limited liability company, or other limited liability business entity (this excludes sole proprietors and general partnerships) must be registered to conduct business in the State of New Hampshire AND in good standing with the NH Secretary of State. Please visit the following website to

Find out more about the requirements for registration with the NH Secretary of State:

http://sos.nh.gov/Corp_Div.aspx

• CONFIDENTIALITY & CRIMINAL RECORD: If Applicable, any employee or approved subcontractor of the Vendor who will be accessing or working with records of the State of New Hampshire shall be required to sign a Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement and a Release of Criminal Record Authorization Form. These forms shall be returned to the designated State agency prior to commencing any work.

• CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE:

Prior to being awarded a contract the Vendor shall be required to submit proof of comprehensive general liability insurance coverage prior to performing any services for the State. The coverage shall insure against all claims of bodily injury, death or property damage in amounts of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate. Coverage shall also include State of New Hampshire workers’ compensation insurance to the extent required by RSA Chapter 281-A.

BID PRICES:

Bid prices shall remain firm for the entire contract period and shall be in US dollars and shall include delivery and all other costs required by this bid invitation. Special charges, surcharges (including credit card transaction https://das.nh.gov/Purchasing http://sos.nh.gov/Corp_Div.aspx

Page 5 of 8 Contractor Initials ____ fees), or fuel charges of any kind (by whatever name) may not be added on at any time. Any and all charges shall be built into your bid price at the time of the bid. Unless otherwise specified, prices shall be F.O.B.

DESTINATION, (included in the price bid), which means delivered to a state agency's receiving dock or other designated point as specified in this contract or subsequent purchase orders without additional charge.

Shipments shall be made in order to arrive at the destination at a satisfactory time for unloading during receiving hours

Per Administrative Rule 606.01(e) “if there is a discrepancy between the unit price and the extension price in a response to an RFP, RFB or RFQ, the unit price shall be binding upon the vendor”

Price decreases shall become effective immediately as they become effective to the general trade or the Vendor’s best/preferred customer

AUDITS AND ACCOUNTING:

The successful Vendor shall allow representatives of the State of New Hampshire to have complete access to all records for the purpose of determining compliance with the terms and conditions of this bid invitation and in determining the award and for monitoring any resulting contract.

At intervals during the contract term, and prior to the termination of the contract, the successful Vendor may be required to provide a complete and accurate accounting of all products and quantities ordered by each agency and institution and by political sub-divisions and authorized non-profit organizations

ESTABLISHMENT OF ACCOUNTS:

Each State of New Hampshire agency shall have its own individual customer account number. There may also be instances where divisions or bureaus within an agency will need their own individual customer account numbers.

Should any State of New Hampshire agency place an order under the contract, the successful Vendor agrees to establish an account within three business days from the date the order is placed. However, there shall be no delay in any shipment, the agency shall receive the items ordered in accordance with the delivery time required under the “Delivery Time” section of this bid invitation, as if an account already exists for the agency.

PAYMENT:

Payment may made via ACH. Use the following link to enroll with the State Treasury for ACH payments:

https://www.nh.gov/treasury/state-vendors/index.htm

INVOICING:

Invoices shall be submitted on a monthly basis to the requesting agency. Payment shall be paid in full within thirty (30) days after receipt of invoice and acceptance to the State’s satisfaction.

VENDOR RESPONSIBILITY:

The successful Vendor shall be solely responsible for meeting all terms and conditions specified in the bid, and any resulting contract.

All State of New Hampshire bid invitations and addenda to these bid invitations are advertised on our website at: https://das.nh.gov/Purchasing/vendorresources.asp.

It is a prospective Vendor’s responsibility to access the website to determine any bid invitation under which they participate. It is also the Vendor(s)’s responsibility to access the website for any posted addendum.

The website is updated several times per day; it is the responsibility of the prospective Vendor to access the website frequently to ensure that no bidding opportunity or addendum is overlooked.

It is the prospective Vendor’s responsibility to forward a signed copy of any addendum requiring the Vendor’s signature to the Bureau of Purchase and Property with the bid response.

In preparation of a bid response, the prospective Vendor shall:

• Provide pricing information as indicated in the “Offer” section; and

• Provide all other information required for the bid response (if applicable); and

• Complete the “Vendor Contact Information” section; and

• Add applicable prospective Vendor information to the “Transmittal Letter” form, and sign the form in the space provided. The Transmittal Letter form must be signed under oath and acknowledged by a notary public or justice of the peace in order for the bid response to be considered.

https://www.nh.gov/treasury/state-vendors/index.htm https://das.nh.gov/Purchasing/vendorresources.asp

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IF AWARDED A CONTRACT:

The successful Vendor shall complete the following sections of the attached Agreement State of New Hampshire Form #P-37:

Section 1.3 Contractor Name Section 1.4 Contractor Address Section 1.11 Contractor Signature Section 1.12 Name & Title of Contractor Signatory (if Vendor is not a sole proprietor)

• Provide certificate of insurance indicating the coverage amounts required by Section 14 of the Form Number P-37.

• Provide proof of sufficient workers’ compensation insurance coverage or evidence of exemption from RSA Chapter 81-A.

• If the successful Vendor is a corporation, limited liability company, or other limited liability business entity, then provide a certificate of good standing issued by the NH Secretary of State or, for a newly incorporated, formed, or registered entity, a copy of the appropriate registration document certified by the NH Secretary of State.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Complete specifications required are detailed in the SCOPE OF SERVICES section of this bid invitation. In responding to the bid invitation, the prospective Vendor shall address all requirements for information as outlined herein.

SITE VISITATION:

Prior to bidding, it is each Vendor's responsibility to become thoroughly familiar with the sites of the intended service, to determine everything necessary to accomplish the services. Failure of the Vendor to make a site visit does not relieve the Vendor of responsibility to fully understand what is necessary to accomplish a successful and complete annual maintenance agreement.

Franconia Notch State Park, Cannon Mt Ski Area, The State of New Hampshire, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, seeks 26/27 & 27/28 International Group Transportation by a licensed company to transport international students to and from lodging properties. Transportation dates include dates from December 2026 through April 2028.

Background

Cannon Mountain is looking for a bus or transportation company to transport international students to and from Cannon Mountain and their respective lodging property (locations include: Franconia, Linwood and Mt. Washington Valley areas).

Prospective vendors should be available for morning pick-ups, ranging in time from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and afternoon pick-ups, ranging from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the 2026-2027 & 2027-2028 seasons or December 2026 through April 2028.

Scope of Services

1. Vendor must be able to transfer more than one school from more than one location or property on any given day, regardless of holidays.

2. Pick-up times generally include times between 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Vendor must be flexible with times to accommodate varying situations at the resort and lodging properties.

3. Pick-up and drop-off locations are generally from the Linwood/Franconia NH area and the Mt. Washington Valley area.

4. Vendor must have the ability to transport a minimum of 15 passengers and a maximum of 200 passengers (per school) with as few transportation vehicles/busses as possible, per requests made on the Function Sheet.

5. Vendor shall send scheduled number of buses as what’s requested and confirmed on Function Sheets. Vendor shall not send one bus to do two trips unless previously confirmed. In emergency situations where second or third bus is unable to make a trip, Vendor may request a bus to do more than one trip for a group to transport to or from lodging property or Cannon to remain in accordance with pick-up and drop-off times.

6. Requested and confirmed number of buses will be sent via a Function Sheet; sent a month prior to a group’s arrival. Vendor shall not assume a group is confirmed or the number of buses until the final Function Sheet has been received.

7. Vendor buses shall be able accommodate a maximum of 51 people per bus.

8. The relative cost must include a per-day, per-vehicle/bus fee (both a.m. and p.m. trips); hourly rate will not be accepted.

9. Vendor, when requested, shall transport equipment on vehicles/busses when space and safety allows both to and from Cannon and respective lodging properties.

10. Dates of transportation required: December 2026 through April 2028 during the winter operating seasons.

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11. Any additional fees related to delays, schedule deviations, or service changes must be clearly defined in advance and communicated in writing. Such fees shall only be applied following mutual discussion and agreement. In cases where the vendor experiences delays or service disruptions, including late arrivals or missed service, the State reserves the right to request a proportional adjustment or credit.

Preferred Experience

1. Prior experience in transporting students, groups and winter equipment.

2. In-depth knowledge of North Country lodging properties, as well as relative driving conditions during the winter months.

3. Required licensing to operate charter bus/school bus/etc.

Project Budget

The Budget for this project is fixed and may not exceed contracted amount unless approved by Cannon Mt management. The bidder shall agree that the budget is firm and shall remain so throughout the performance of work.

All services performed under this Contract(s) shall be performed between the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M unless other arrangements are made in advance with the State. Any deviation in work hours shall be pre-approved by the Contracting Officer.

The State requires ten-day advance knowledge of said work schedules to provide security and access to respective work areas. No premium charges shall be paid for any off-hour work.

The Vendor shall not commence work until a conference is held with each agency, at which representatives of the Vendor and the State are present. The conference shall be arranged by the requesting agency (State).

The State shall require correction of defective work or damages to any part of a building or its appurtenances when caused by the Vendor’s employees, equipment or supplies. The Vendor shall replace in satisfactory condition all defective work and damages rendered thereby or any other damages incurred. Upon failure of the Vendor to proceed promptly with the necessary corrections, the State may withhold any amount necessary to correct all defective work or damages from payments to the Vendor.

The work staff shall consist of qualified persons completely familiar with the products and equipment they shall use. The Contracting Officer may require the Vendor to dismiss from the work such employees as deems incompetent, careless, insubordinate, or otherwise objectionable, or whose continued employment on the work is deemed to be contrary to the public interest or inconsistent with the best interest of security and the State.

The Vendor or their personnel shall not represent themselves as employees or agents of the State.

While on State property, employees shall be subject to the control of the State, but under no circumstances shall such persons be deemed to be employees of the State.

All personnel shall observe all regulations or special restrictions in effect at the State Agency.

The Vendor’s personnel shall be allowed only in areas where services are being performed. The use of State telephones is prohibited.

If sub-contractors are to be utilized, please include information regarding the proposed sub-contractors including the name of the company, their address, contact person and three references for clients they are currently servicing. Approval by the State must be received prior to a sub-contractor starting any work.

OBLIGATIONS AND LIABILITY OF THE VENDOR:

The successful vendor shall perform all the work and furnish all the materials, tools, equipment and safety devices necessary to perform in the manner and within the time hereinafter specified. Vendor shall complete the entire work to the satisfaction of the State and in accordance with the specifications herein mentioned, at the price herein agreed upon and fixed therefore. All the work, labor and equipment to be done and furnished under this contract(s), shall be done and furnished strictly pursuant to, and in conformity with the specifications described herein, and the directions of the State representatives as given from time to time during the progress of the work, under the terms of this contract(s) and also in accordance with contract drawings.

The successful Vendor shall take full responsibility for the work to be performed pursuant to the Scope of Services included herein; for the protection of said work; and for preventing injuries to persons and damage to property and utilities on or about said work. The Vendor shall in no way be relieved of such responsibility by any authority of the State to give permission or issue orders relating to any part of the work, by any such permission given or orders issued, or by any failure of the State to give such permission or issue such orders. The successful Vendor shall bear all losses accruing to the Vendor as a result of the amount, quality, or character of the work required, or because the nature

Page 8 of 8 Contractor Initials ____ or characteristics of the work location is different from what the Vendor estimated or expected, or due to delays or other complications caused by the weather, elements, or other natural causes.

OFFER:

Vendor hereby offers to provide the services to the State of New Hampshire as specified at the prices quoted below. In complete accordance with general and detailed specifications included herewith.

COST:

Transportation of International groups for 26/27 season: Transportation of International groups for 27/28 season:

$ per trip (Estimated 95 trips):_________________________ $ per trip (Estimated 95 trips):_________________________

Total cost for 26/27 season:_____________________ Total cost for 27/28 season:_____________________

VENDOR CONTACT INFORMATION:

Please provide contact information below for a person knowledgeable of and who can answer questions regarding, this bid response.

Contact Person Local Telephone Number Toll Free Telephone Number

Fax Number E-mail Address Company Website

Vendor Company Name Vendor Address

I certify the accuracy of this information:

Signature of Contact Person Date

Note: To be considered, bid shall be signed and notarized on front cover sheet in the space provided.