25-01022-B-DH Charter Bus Services

Atlanta Public Schools is procuring charter bus services for student and staff transportation to athletic events, band trips, field trips, and extracurricular activities through Invitation for Bid 25-01022-B-DH. The solicitation requires vendors to provide fully-staffed charter buses on an as-needed basis with hourly or mileage-based pricing subject to a minimum three-hour charge per trip. Qualified vendors must demonstrate a minimum of five years of experience as a charter bus service agency, maintain valid intrastate and interstate carrier licenses, possess Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration certification, and hold a satisfactory Federal Highway Administration rating. Required insurance coverage includes workers' compensation ($500,000 employers liability), general liability ($2,000,000 aggregate), automobile liability ($1,000,000), umbrella liability ($1,000,000), and sexual abuse and molestation liability ($1,000,000). The procurement timeline includes a pre-bid conference on July 31, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. ET via Microsoft Teams; written questions due by August 7, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET with responses posted by August 14, 2025; and bid submissions due online through Bonfire by 11:00 a.m. ET on August 25, 2025. Administrative review will occur August 28, 2025, with a Board of Education recommendation scheduled for October 6, 2025. The contract term is one year with four optional one-year renewal periods at APS's sole discretion, with pricing remaining firm for one year from the award date.

No mandatory minority/women-owned business enterprise goal is associated with this solicitation, though bidders are strongly encouraged to maximize MWBE participation. Local businesses located within the five-county metropolitan area—Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, or Gwinnett counties—may receive preferential consideration upon submission of an Occupation Tax Registration Certificate, with Fayette County also mentioned as eligible for local preference. Vendors must be registered as APS vendors, and travel agents or brokers that do not own or operate motor coaches are ineligible to submit bids. APS is exempt from state sales tax and federal excise tax, which should not be included in pricing. The solicitation documents do not reference incumbent vendors or specific budget ranges; however, vendors are responsible for all operating costs, including tolls, licenses, taxes, parking fees, and violation fines. APS reserves the right to award to multiple vendors, reject all bids, or terminate the contract for convenience or cause.