RFP Contactless Fare Collection Platform and Supporting Services.pdf

This is a Request for Proposal issued by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) for the procurement of a comprehensive Contactless Fare Collection Platform and supporting services for bus operations across Connecticut. The platform must include 730 validators capable of accepting contactless EMV payments, fare calculation software, native iOS and Android mobile ticketing applications supporting up to 20 transit agencies, and integration with existing cash farebox systems and CTrail rail ticketing. Key deliverables encompass validator installation across eight CTtransit garages, migration of existing Go CT account data, support for university pass programs and reduced fare programs for seniors and persons with disabilities, payment processing solutions, minimum 80 hours of training, and digital marketing assets. The validators must support mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), QR code scanning, anti-pass back mechanisms, offline transaction storage for 96 hours, and physical durability suitable for New England climates with a 5-year expected lifespan. The mobile ticketing application must be revenue-ready within three months of contract notice to proceed and provide real-time analytics with fare capping capabilities. A mandatory pre-proposal conference is scheduled for February 5, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EST via Microsoft Teams, with registration required by 3:00 p.m. on February 4, 2026. The vendor question and answer period runs from February 6 through February 19, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EST. Proposals must be submitted electronically to dot.transit@ct.gov and received by April 7, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EDT, with six mailed copies postmarked by the same date. The initial contract term is five years with the option for two additional five-year extensions, extending the potential maximum contract term to fifteen years.

Evaluation criteria include technical compliance with 84 distinct requirements organized into five categories (Validators, Fare Calculation Software, Mobile Ticketing, Other Services, and CTrail Mobile Ticketing Options), pricing and payment terms competitiveness, and vendor capability to support simultaneous implementation across 13 Connecticut transit agencies. Vendors must provide separate merchant IDs for each transit agency and implement transparent fee pass-through using optimal Merchant Category Codes for credit card processing. Pricing must include cost categories for hardware, installation, implementation, annual fixed fees, and annual SaaS support fees, with transaction fees for both open-loop and mobile ticket transactions that may include price breaks based on transaction volume. No specific set-aside designations or restrictions on organization types are mentioned, and all vendors are eligible to respond. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information has been identified in the procurement materials. Contracts anticipated to exceed $50,000 in annual value will require completion of OPM Form 1, the State of Connecticut Campaign Contribution Certification, at the time of contract execution, indicating a substantial project investment. The platform must integrate with existing CTtransit infrastructure and regional transit agencies in Connecticut may enter into separate agreements with the selected contractor.