Bus Transportation for Intercollegiate Athletics

The State University of New York College at Geneseo is issuing an Invitation for Bids (IFB) for bus transportation services to support its intercollegiate athletics program in Jefferson County, New York. The procurement seeks a single bus transportation vendor to provide comprehensive charter services for a five-year contract term commencing August 1, 2026, covering academic years 2026-27 through 2030-31. The scope of services encompasses safe, reliable, and comfortable transportation for student-athletes, coaches, and staff to away contests and team events, with approximately 174 trips annually comprising 114 full days and 86 half days of travel during the initial contract year. All buses must be 2017 model year or newer and equipped with lavatories, heating and air conditioning, video and Wi-Fi capabilities, with capacity options of 25-to-30, 40-to-47, or 55-to-56 passengers. Minimum qualifications require bidders to demonstrate five years of charter bus transportation experience with a satisfactory performance record, successful experience servicing universities or colleges, an NYS Department of Transportation BUSNET score of at least 90 percent for 2023, 2024, and 2025, and compliance with Article 19-A of New York State Motor Vehicle and Traffic Law. The College will award the contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder based on the total five-year contract amount, with pricing remaining firm for 180 days from the bid due date and annual cost adjustments thereafter limited to inflation as measured by the consumer price index. The bid submission deadline is April 21, 2026, at 2:00 PM EST, with anticipated award notification on April 28, 2026, pending Attorney General and Office of State Comptroller approval.

The procurement includes diversity contracting goals requiring bidders to establish plans meeting MWBE objectives of 15 percent for Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (MBE) and 15 percent for Women-Owned Business Enterprises (WBE), as well as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) participation goal of 6 percent. Niagara Scenic Tours, Inc. is the incumbent contractor that previously held this procurement contract. Comprehensive insurance requirements mandate commercial general liability coverage of $5,000,000 per claim, automobile liability of $5,000,000 combined single limit, and workers' compensation coverage for all employees. The cost proposal structure requires unit pricing submissions for four service categories including 40-passenger bus services (estimated at 126 annual hours across 21 trips and 9,839 miles), 56-passenger bus services (estimated at 408 annual hours across 58 trips and 21,581 miles), 30-passenger bus services (estimated at 54 annual hours across 7 trips and 800 miles), and cancellation penalties, with vendors required to provide both year-one and complete five-year contract cost totals. The specific award value and budget range are not disclosed in the procurement documents; however, the cost proposal form and complete IFB documentation are available from Thomas Underwood at underwoo@geneseo.edu.