Charter Transportation Services

The State of Arkansas Department of Shared Administrative Services Office of State Procurement is soliciting bids for charter transportation services on behalf of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind (ARDB) under IFB S000000538, with bids due July 22, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Central Time via the ARBuy eProcurement system.

The scope comprises weekly weekend transportation for approximately 55 residential students between ARDB in Little Rock and their homes across four established routes (totaling approximately 1,467 miles per weekly cycle), plus ad hoc charter services for sporting, educational, and miscellaneous events within and outside Arkansas. Four bus routes operate on Friday-Sunday schedules serving multiple cities across Arkansas, including Texarkana, El Dorado, Jonesboro, and Springdale. All transportation originates from and returns to ARDB at 2400 W. Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.

Bidders must have a minimum of five years' experience in similar transportation services and maintain an office, bus shop, and depot within Central Arkansas as defined by ADEM Emergency Management Areas. Awardee must provide four full-size coach buses (minimum 40 passengers) and four sprinter buses (minimum 15 passengers), maintain minimum liability insurance of five million dollars, employ drivers with valid Commercial Driver's Licenses with passenger endorsement and Department of Transportation cards, and provide breakdown replacement buses within three hours at no additional cost. Pricing shall be submitted on a per-mile basis (cost per mile plus separate fuel component per mile) on a firm, fixed-price basis, with fuel costs negotiable annually based on the EIA Fuel Index for the Gulf Coast Region. Estimated annual mileage is 57,152 miles for charter buses and 54,340 miles for sprinter buses (111,492 combined).

The initial contract term is three years, with optional renewal for up to four additional one-year periods, not to exceed seven years total. The anticipated contract start date is September 1, 2026. Performance penalties of 5% monthly invoice credits apply for non-compliance with on-time performance, breakdown response, and service-delivery standards. Written questions are due by June 30, 2026, with consolidated answers posted by July 7, 2026. Award will be made to the lowest responsive bidder based on total annual cost.