CATS Bus Brakes and Suspension Parts

The City of Charlotte, Department of General Services, on behalf of the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) Bus Operations Division, is issuing Invitation to Bid (ITB) #269-2026-2041 for a supplier to provide brake and suspension parts and associated services for a five-year initial contract term with two optional one-year extensions. The procurement seeks to establish a reliable source for the purchase, delivery, and maintenance of over 600 line items of brake and suspension components needed to service CATS's fleet of 246 buses and 95 paratransit vehicles, including brake drums and rotors, air springs and bellows, bearings and seals, slack adjusters, S-cams, brake chambers, fasteners, and assemblies from manufacturers such as Gillig, NFI/MCI, and Meritor. All products must be new, of the highest quality and workmanship, with manufacturer's written warranties guaranteeing freedom from defects for a minimum of one year, and must be delivered within 48 hours of order placement to FOB destination points with all delivery costs included in unit pricing. Bidders must submit notice of proposed alternate products by April 17, 2026, written questions by April 30, 2026, and final sealed bids electronically through the Bonfire e-Procurement Portal by May 13, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. EST, with bid opening conducted via Microsoft Teams. Pricing shall be submitted as fixed unit prices per item with no allowances for additional charges, and the City will award the contract based on the lowest responsive responsible bidder, considering vendor qualifications, experience, quality, delivery performance, and environmentally preferable attributes, with the right to award by item, combination of items, or grand total. Contract award requires approval by Charlotte City Council, anticipated in June 2026, with an anticipated effective date of September 2026.

There are no specific minority, women-owned, or small business set-aside goals identified in this solicitation; however, bidders must comply with federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program requirements with a current goal of 0.0% DBE participation and must provide detailed documentation of all subcontractors and suppliers. All bidders must submit federal certifications including non-discrimination compliance, Buy America compliance certifications or documented exceptions, debarment and suspension status certifications, and Byrd Anti-Lobbying certifications. No incumbent vendor information or existing preferred suppliers are referenced in the solicitation documents. Bidders are required to maintain comprehensive insurance coverage and comply with all federal and state laws, including federal funding requirements related to civil rights and Buy America provisions. The solicitation documents do not specify a total contract value or budget range; however, the City does not guarantee minimum purchase quantities, indicating that actual purchases will be made on an as-needed basis during the contract term based on operational requirements. All bids remain valid for one hundred twenty (120) calendar days from the date of bid opening, and the City reserves the right to reject any and all bids, waive formalities and technicalities, and re-bid the solicitation if necessary.