Charter Bus Services

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) is seeking bids for Charter Bus Transportation Services through Invitation for Bid (IFB) 26IFB015 for the 2025-2026 school year. The procurement covers transportation services for various district activities, including student and staff field trips, academic and extracurricular events, athletic competitions, fine arts activities, career and technical education programs, and administrative travel. The district is requesting bids for five bus size categories ranging from 25 to 55 passenger capacities, potentially serving local, regional, and out-of-state destinations. Vendors must meet comprehensive requirements, including compliance with federal and state transportation regulations, providing experienced and background-checked drivers, maintaining modern vehicles no older than 10 years, offering 24-hour dispatch support, and maintaining various insurance coverages. Key evaluation criteria include purchase price, vendor reputation, service quality, district needs alignment, and total long-term cost. The bid is scheduled to be publicly noticed on October 31 and November 7, 2025, with bids due on November 18, 2025, at 2:00 pm CST, and the initial contract term is one year with options to renew for up to four additional one-year periods.

The district intends to make multiple awards to establish a pool of qualified vendors, with a focus on encouraging participation from small, local, and minority-owned firms. Vendors must comply with non-boycott provisions, conflict of interest disclosures, and restrictions on doing business with certain entities. The procurement allows for potential interlocal agreements through the Central Texas Purchasing Alliance (CTPA), which could extend contract usage to over 120 public school districts. Historical spend data indicates approximately 500-550 buses were used in the previous fiscal year, with a total spend of $803,827.81 across five vendors. While no minimum usage is guaranteed, the district will utilize vendors based on availability, trip requirements, and district interests. Vendors must submit comprehensive documentation, including a Bidder Questionnaire, Minimum Requirements Verification, and various compliance forms such as criminal history checks, debarment certifications, and strategic partner profiles. The district reserves the right to rank vendors within each bus category based on lowest responsive and responsible bid pricing, with submitted prices representing maximum (ceiling) rates.