Bus cleaning and disinfecting services, term contract

Palm Beach County Purchasing Department issued Invitation for Bid #23-034/ZG on behalf of the County's mass transit department, Palm Tran, to procure bus cleaning and disinfecting services for the County's public transit fleet. The procurement encompasses nightly interior cleaning and disinfecting of buses during non-service hours between 8:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m., seven days per week including holidays, across three service locations: North County (3,201 Electronics Way, West Palm Beach), South County (100 North Congress Avenue, Delray Beach), and Belle Glade (38,601 James Wheeler Way). The estimated fleet requiring services consists of 3 twenty-nine-foot buses, 16 thirty-five-foot buses, and 166 forty-foot buses, with cleaning coverage estimated at 85% on weekdays, 50% on Saturdays, and 40% on Sundays. Contractors must supply all necessary labor, supervision, tools, equipment, and materials, including natural-based or peroxide-based cleaners that meet EPA standards and do not damage bus equipment or create health hazards. Pricing must be submitted on a per-bus, per-day basis for each bus size category, with annual extensions calculated at 365 days, and an optional hourly rate for special projects and emergency services available twenty-four hours per day. Required qualifications include commercial general liability insurance of at least $500,000, business auto liability insurance of at least $500,000, and workers' compensation insurance in compliance with Florida Statute Chapter 440. A non-mandatory pre-bid conference was held on November 29, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., with the bid submission deadline of January 5, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.

The contract includes a 15% minority and women-owned business enterprise (M/WBE) subcontracting goal for contracts valued greater than $5,000,000, and a 5% local preference is available for bidders maintaining a permanent place of business in Palm Beach County, with an additional 5% preference for Glades-area businesses providing services within the Glades. The contract term shall be twelve months with four optional twelve-month renewal periods, subject to appropriation of funds and mutual written agreement with all original terms and unit prices maintained. No compensation shall be provided for travel, mobilization, demobilization, or other incidental expenses beyond the stated unit prices. No incumbent vendors or current contractors were identified in the solicitation documents. The specific budget or award value was not disclosed in the available documentation, though the M/WBE subcontracting goal threshold of $5,000,000 suggests the total contract value may exceed this amount.