DYS Connecting Loved Ones Sooner Than Expected (CLOSE) Transportation

The Ohio Department of Youth Services is issuing a Request for Proposal for transportation services under the Connecting Loved Ones Sooner Than Expected (CLOSE) program, which aims to provide free transportation to family members and guardians visiting youth in state-operated facilities. The procurement seeks transportation services from eight pickup locations (Akron, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo, Warren, and Youngstown) to five facilities: three correctional facilities (Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility, Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility, and Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility) and two private facilities (Center for Adolescent Services and Lighthouse Youth Services at Paint Creek). The contractor must provide vehicles capable of transporting 20 or more passengers that are ADA-compliant with car seat accommodations and must possess Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration certification, with all drivers holding valid Ohio driver's licenses and complying with federal regulations on maximum driving time. The program includes regularly scheduled monthly weekend transports to correctional facilities with 48-hour notification and monthly weekend transports to private facilities with two business days' notice, as well as special event transportation requiring five business days' notice. Proposals will be evaluated on technical requirements (250 points maximum) and cost (25 points maximum) using a 0-5 scale, with the inquiry period running from February 24, 2026 through March 13, 2026, and proposals due by March 20, 2026 at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. The contract term is one year with renewal options up to 24 additional months at the agency's sole discretion, and pricing is calculated on a round-trip basis dependent on pickup location and destination facility, with the contractor responsible for all tolls and fees.

The RFP allows for multiple awards with one contractor per region, though a single contractor may be awarded multiple regions, and preference is given to Ohio and border state offerors with applicable state procurement preferences for Buy Ohio and Veterans Friendly Business Enterprise designations. All services must be performed within the United States, and contractors must affirm compliance with Executive Order 2022-02D, which prohibits services from Russian companies or institutions, and certify that no state data will be sent, accessed, maintained, backed up, stored, or made available remotely outside the United States without written waiver. Contractors must maintain minimum insurance coverage of $2,000,000 for commercial general liability and $1,000,000 for automobile liability, comply with standard Ohio terms and conditions governing all state contracts, and warrant compliance with federal, state, and local laws including drug-free workplace, non-debarment, antitrust, ethics, and conflict of interest requirements. The RFP does not specify an incumbent vendor or current contractor, nor does it list a specific budget range or award value; pricing will be determined based on the submitted proposals and actual transportation needs. Payment will be rendered within 30 calendar days of proper invoice receipt through electronic funds transfer, with DYS only paying for completed trips and applying a $500 cancellation fee if the agency fails to cancel a trip within two days.