Financial Products and Card Services for Transportation Subsidy Programs On-Call

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) is requesting proposals for Financial Products and Card Services for Transportation Subsidy Programs on an on-call basis, with proposals due September 17, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. via email to bids@metro.net. The solicitation seeks prepaid debit cards referred to as Mobility Wallets to support future transportation subsidy pilot programs. This is a federally funded contract with no established Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) contract goal; however, successful bidders are encouraged to utilize DBE firms during performance, with such participation counted as race-neutral.

The scope encompasses EMV-compliant physical and virtual prepaid or credit cards with contactless and NFC capabilities, multilingual customer service in at least nine languages, ADA-accessible administrative dashboards and user portals, fraud monitoring systems, and card distribution channels. The contractor must serve 10,000 to 20,000 participants countywide under Phase 3 of the Mobility Wallet pilot, providing monthly transportation subsidies of up to $1,800 usable across transit, ride-hailing, bikeshare, scooters, and regional transportation services. Critical system design and testing milestones run from March through April 2027, with program launch and card distribution by June–July 2027. All subsidy funds must be maintained in segregated, secure accounts separate from contractor operational funds.

The base contract term is two years with an optional two-year extension, anticipated to launch in Spring/Summer 2027. The contract is funded through federal and state grants (CMAQ, ATTAIN, CRP) with approximately $20 million in subsidy administration under the base term and $14 million or more available under the optional extension, contingent on funding availability. Compensation uses a cost-reimbursement model with not-to-exceed pricing; contractors must submit detailed unit pricing for card issuance, processing fees, program management, and customer service, with rates held fixed through the option period.

Pre-qualification is required for all firms with proposals exceeding $500,000. A virtual pre-proposal conference is scheduled for August 3, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. via Microsoft Teams. Questions are due August 27, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. Evaluation criteria are weighted across Experience and Qualifications (10%), Card Technical Requirements (20%), Access, Customer Service, and Administrative Requirements (20%), Innovation and Partnership Approach (10%), Project Understanding and Delivery Readiness (10%), and Cost Proposal (30%). The contractor must achieve PCI DSS compliance, maintain at least 80 percent customer satisfaction, hold EMV Level 1 & 2 certification, and eliminate overdraft fees, inactivity fees, minimum balance requirements, and ATM fees.