DOH 24/7 Courier Service to Transport Specimens and Specimen Collection Kits

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is seeking qualified vendors to provide 24/7 on-demand courier services for transporting specimens, specimen collection kits, vaccines, and medical countermeasures throughout Rhode Island, with additional service options to nearby areas in Massachusetts and Connecticut. The Request for Quotation (RFQ23002498) specifically requires vendors to pick up specimen collection kits from the Rhode Island State Health Laboratory and deliver them to various locations, as well as retrieve clinical specimens from different sites and transport them back to the State Health Laboratory. Key objectives include supporting outbreak investigations and enabling rapid response during urgent medical circumstances. The solicitation requires vendors to maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, including $1 million in general liability, workers compensation, automobile liability, $5 million in cyber/privacy coverage, and $1 million in bailee's liability. The procurement timeline includes a vendor Q&A period from March 6 to March 14, 2023, with electronic proposals due by April 3, 2023, at 3:00 PM GMT. The initial contract term will be three years, beginning approximately May 1, 2023, with potential for extension subject to funding availability.

The RFQ mandates 10% minimum participation from minority and women-owned business enterprises (MBE/WBE), requiring vendors to submit an MBE Utilization Plan to the Division of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion for review and approval. All prospective vendors must register in the Ocean State Procures system to submit proposals and be considered for award. While no incumbent vendor is identified, the state reserves the right to make single or multiple awards based on evaluation of responsive and responsible bids. Vendors must also comply with HIPAA requirements and be prepared to sign a business associate agreement due to handling protected health information. Specific pricing will be assessed on a per-trip basis for eight distinct service categories covering transportation scenarios between Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Although no specific total contract value is disclosed, the solicitation indicates that funding will be provided by the State of Rhode Island, with contract continuation beyond the initial fiscal year subject to available funding.