Hazardous waste management & disposal

Buffalo Public Schools is soliciting proposals through a Request for Proposals process for comprehensive hazardous waste management and disposal services serving approximately 70 schools and facilities across Erie County and Buffalo City, New York. The procurement seeks qualified firms to provide collection, inventory, storage, handling, packaging, documentation, transportation, transfer, and disposal of hazardous materials including old paints, paint thinners, kerosene, fuel oil, printing inks, cleaners, boiler chemical treatments, and laboratory chemicals such as nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and potassium hydroxide, with disposal methods encompassing recycling, treatment, neutralization, processing, destruction, and hazardous waste landfill placement. Respondents must demonstrate a minimum of five years of experience in hazardous waste management and disposal services for elementary and secondary school districts or similarly-sized agencies, possess current permits and licenses required for hazardous waste transportation in applicable states, maintain 24/7 emergency response capability with one-hour initial response and two-hour on-site arrival, and comply with New York State prevailing wage requirements under Section 220 of the Labor Law. The solicitation is evaluated on a 100-point scale with cost weighted at 30 points, qualifications and experience at 20 points, certifications and licenses at 20 points, project approach and emergency response at 20 points, and compliance at 10 points; respondents must achieve a minimum non-cost score of 42 out of 70 points to be considered for award. Questions may be submitted through the BONFIRE portal by March 30, 2026 at 8:00 AM, with answers posted April 2, 2026, and proposals must be submitted electronically or via mail by April 23, 2026 at 4:00 PM, with contract award anticipated May 20, 2026 and services commencing July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with five potential one-year renewal options extending through June 30, 2032.

The procurement does not include set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, though respondents may voluntarily report Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) certification status and utilization on required forms. No subcontractors are permitted under this contract, and the award will be made to a single vendor on an exclusive basis without splitting the award among multiple respondents; performance bonds and bid bonds are not required. The prior awardee was NRC, which held the contract under RFP 23-0624E2-078 for three years with a current year award of $50,000, providing a benchmark for historical pricing and performance expectations. Respondents must submit comprehensive documentation including an Offering Questionnaire, Non-Collusive Bidding Certification, Insurance Certificate, Equal Opportunity Employer Information Report with workforce demographic data, references, W-9 form, and optional certifications such as MWBE and Anti-Lobbying narratives through the BONFIRE portal at https://buffaloschools.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/227620. Workers' Compensation and Public Liability and Property Damage Liability insurance with minimum limits of $500,000 per person and $1,000,000 per accident for bodily injury and $300,000 for property damage must be furnished prior to contract execution, and all contractors must comply with data confidentiality and security requirements under the Data Sharing and Confidentiality Agreement protecting student information in accordance with FERPA, HIPAA, and New York Education Law Section 2-d.