Courier Services

Barnstable County's Purchasing Department is issuing an Invitation for Bid (IFB #8124) for courier services to support the Barnstable County Water Analysis Laboratory. The procurement seeks a qualified courier service to collect water samples from clients across 15 towns in the region—including Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Mashpee, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet, and Yarmouth—and deliver them to the laboratory facility located at 3195 Main Street, Barnstable. The service operates across three established routes: Route 1 runs twice weekly (Tuesday and Thursday mornings) covering approximately 68.8 miles in 1 hour 43 minutes; Route 2 operates once weekly (Wednesday) covering approximately 43.6 miles in 1 hour 37 minutes to Falmouth; and Route 3 operates five days per week (Monday through Friday) covering approximately 17.5 miles in 37 minutes from the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center to the laboratory. The estimated initial service requirement is 15-20 hours per week with potential for expansion. Sealed bids must be submitted electronically through the Bonfire Online Bidding Platform by Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 11:00 AM, with bids to be opened publicly online immediately thereafter. Vendors must submit firm and fixed pricing for all costs associated with service delivery, including vehicle maintenance, courier labor, insurance, and transportation, along with per-hour and per-mile rates for future route expansion. Minimum qualifications include at least five years of demonstrated courier experience with lab sample delivery, valid business registration with the Massachusetts Secretary of State, all required licenses and vehicle registrations, and Commercial General Liability Insurance ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate), Automobile Liability Insurance ($1,000,000 combined single limit), Umbrella Liability Insurance ($2,000,000 minimum), and Workers' Compensation Insurance; individual couriers must possess a valid driver's license, current vehicle insurance, at least 12 months of courier experience, and the ability to lift 50 pounds.

The procurement does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions on types of organizations eligible to respond. No incumbent vendor information has been provided. The contract term runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with the County retaining the right to extend for up to two additional one-year terms for a maximum three-year contract period. Award notification is anticipated within 30 days of bid opening, extendable to 45 days by mutual agreement. Vendors must submit proposals including vendor qualifications, a Certificate of Non-Collusion and Tax Compliance form, three client references on similar projects, and completion of the online BidTable with pricing. No price escalation or additional surcharges are permitted during the contract term unless specifically authorized. The procurement document does not provide a specific budget range or award value; pricing will be determined through the competitive bidding process based on vendor responses for the three fixed-cost routes and expansion rates.