Heavy Equipment & Tool Rentals and Related Services (AXIA)

The City of Tucson, in collaboration with Axia Cooperative, is soliciting proposals for Heavy Equipment & Tool Rentals and Related Services through RFP 260139, a cooperative purchasing procurement designed to serve the City and participating public agencies nationwide. The solicitation seeks qualified and experienced vendors to provide comprehensive equipment rental services across approximately 40 equipment categories, including aerial lifts, air compressors, concrete equipment, earthmoving equipment, forklifts, power generation systems, refuse vehicles, trailers, and water trucks, among others, for use by licensed and experienced professionals in construction, utility, public works, and related projects. Vendors must provide hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly rental options on an as-needed basis with no guaranteed minimums, and all pricing must be inclusive of shipping, fuel surcharges, delivery, and environmental fees to accommodate nationwide distribution. The evaluation criteria prioritize method of approach, qualifications and experience, and price proposal, with pricing submissions required on the City's price sheet template using not-to-exceed rates. A non-mandatory pre-submittal meeting is scheduled for January 28, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. via Microsoft Teams; the question submission deadline is February 2, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.; and proposals are due February 25, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. through the City's online bidding system. The resulting contract will have an initial three-year term with two optional one-year renewal periods. Vendors must register with the City's Business Services Department, obtain a City of Tucson business license or exemption determination, maintain comprehensive insurance including general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and commercial automobile liability of $1,000,000, and comply with the City's living wage ordinance, federal immigration laws, and sustainability requirements.

Multiple federal and local compliance requirements apply to this procurement, including Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wage requirements for construction activities exceeding $2,000, HUD Section 3 compliance mandating that 25% or more of all labor hours be performed by Section 3 workers and 5% or more by Targeted Section 3 workers, and Federal Transit Administration compliance requirements for contracts funded through FTA assistance. The solicitation is subject to HUD Form 5370-C labor standards provisions applicable to non-construction contracts, with different thresholds at $250,000 and above, requiring prevailing wage payments to maintenance laborers and comprehensive payroll documentation maintained for three years. Additional compliance obligations include Buy America provisions for steel and manufactured products in contracts exceeding $100,000, equal employment opportunity standards, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation considerations, anti-lobbying certifications under the Byrd Amendment for purchases exceeding $100,000, and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) compliance requirements. The estimated annual national volume for purchases through this contract is approximately $50,000,000, with an expected administrative fee of 2% of total net sales paid to Axia Cooperative by awarded suppliers. Contractors are required to comply with Section 3 business certification requirements, federal debarment verification, suspension certifications, drug and alcohol testing program compliance for FTA-funded work under 49 CFR Part 655, and environmental compliance obligations including the Clean Air Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act for purchases over $150,000. No funds are currently available; contract performance is contingent upon fund appropriation and availability.