CATS Bus Operations Wheelchair Lift parts

The City of Charlotte, North Carolina, through its Department of General Services-City Procurement, issued Invitation to Bid (ITB) #269-2026-2045A on behalf of the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) Bus Operations Division to establish a reliable source for wheelchair lift parts and related services. This is an indefinite-quantity unit price contract solicitation covering over 400 individual line items representing various wheelchair lift components and assemblies compatible with multiple lift manufacturers and bus models, including Gillig, LOFL, MCI, Arboc, Ricon, Goshen, and Ford Promaster platforms, with estimated annual usage quantities ranging from 8 to 120 units per item. The successful vendor must deliver all products within 48 hours of order placement on an F.O.B. destination basis, provide a dedicated full-time Account Executive available by cell phone at all times with required communication responses within two business days, supply products with a minimum one-year manufacturer's written warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship, and submit monthly usage reports. All pricing must be submitted as fixed unit prices per item, including shipping, delivery, discounts, and storage, with no additional charges permitted, and vendors may increase prices no more than once within a 12-month period upon ninety days' prior written notice, limited to the Consumer Price Index percentage increase for all Urban Consumers. Written questions must be submitted by May 21, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EST, with bids due electronically through the Bonfire e-Procurement Portal by June 3, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. EST, with bid opening to occur via Microsoft Teams on the same date. Contract award by Charlotte City Council is anticipated for August 10, 2026, with an effective date of September 1, 2026, and an initial three-year term with the City's option to extend for up to two additional one-year extensions unless the bidder objects in writing at least ninety days prior to the extension term. The City will evaluate bids based on the lowest responsive responsible bidder, considering vendor qualifications and experience, quality, delivery, workmanship, and environmentally preferable attributes.

This procurement includes federal compliance requirements due to funding through the Federal Transit Administration, mandating that all bidders comply with Buy America provisions, civil rights laws, employment protections including E-Verify, debarment certifications, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) provisions on a race-neutral basis, though no separate DBE goal has been established for this contract. Bidders must submit multiple required forms with their proposals, including a Bid Submission Form, List of Subcontractors/Suppliers documenting DBE and non-DBE utilization commitments, References Form identifying three previous clients, Exceptions Form for any proposed changes to ITB terms, and federal certifications including debarment certification, Byrd Anti-Lobbying Certification, and Non-Discrimination Provision certification; only NCDOT-certified DBEs qualify to meet contract goals. The solicitation documents do not identify any incumbent vendors or current contractors. Bids submitted are valid for one hundred twenty (120) calendar days from the bid opening date, and the City reserves the right to reject any and all bids, award by line item or combination of items, and recover and re-bid the solicitation. No specific budget range or award values are provided in the solicitation documents; pricing will be determined through the competitive bidding process based on the fixed unit prices submitted by responsive bidders for the over 400 line items in the pricing sheet.