Charter Bus Services-SU Football School and Charter Bus Requirements; Insurance Requirements

Southern University and A&M College Baton Rouge Campus has issued a Request for Bid (RFB) numbered 10341 for charter bus services for the Southern University Football Team, scheduled for the 2025 season. The procurement involves comprehensive transportation services for 12 separate itineraries across multiple locations including Atlanta, Georgia; Itta Bena, Mississippi; Little Rock, Arkansas; and other cities. Specific bus requirements mandate 55-passenger coaches from 2019 or newer, equipped with air conditioning, clean restrooms, entertainment systems, and storage bays. Vendors must provide professional drivers with a minimum of three years of experience, and buses must include wireless capabilities, Direct TV, and uniformed drivers. The buses must carry $1,000,000 in general liability insurance, with all trips originating and terminating at the Southern University Baton Rouge Campus. The solicitation was advertised in The Advocate Newspaper on July 8 and July 11, 2025, with a bid submission deadline of July 18, 2025, at 10:30 AM. The university reserves the right to award the contract on an all-or-none basis or to multiple vendors.

The procurement includes compliance requirements with Louisiana Administrative Codes, Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance procedures, and Small Business Entrepreneurship Programs, suggesting potential set-aside opportunities for disadvantaged or small business enterprises. While specific set-aside percentages are not detailed, the emphasis on small business programs indicates potential preferential consideration for qualifying vendors. The contract appears to have no predetermined budget range publicly disclosed, with award potentially based on competitive bidding. Bidders must adhere to various state and federal regulations and demonstrate capability to meet the extensive transportation service specifications. Two contingent trips are included in the solicitation, dependent on competition outcomes, which adds potential flexibility to the contract. The university will arrange and pay for driver overnight accommodations, reducing logistical burden on the contracted bus service provider. Vendors must be prepared to navigate complex transportation requirements across multiple geographical locations for the Southern University Football Team's 2025 season.