Janesville Transit RFP for Bus Advertising Services

The City of Janesville, Wisconsin, through Janesville Transit, is issuing a Request for Proposal to procure bus advertising sales services and revenue-sharing arrangements with a qualified contractor. The contractor will be responsible for designing, creating, installing, maintaining, and removing advertisements on the exterior and interior of a fleet of 17 buses (expanding to 18 in October 2026), consisting of six 35-foot buses from 2019, nine 35-foot buses from 2020, two 35-foot buses from 2022, and one 40-foot bus arriving in Fall 2026. The contractor must ensure all advertisements comply with city advertising policies that prohibit tobacco, political, and certain adult-oriented content. Key deliverables include comprehensive sales services, ad design and installation capabilities, regular maintenance of advertising materials, and removal services at contract conclusion. Evaluation criteria prioritize revenue generation (50%), experience of the firm and assigned sales representative (30%), and management methodologies (20%). Critical deadlines include an optional site visit on April 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., a question submission deadline of April 10, 2026, a proposal submission deadline of April 21, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. (via email to smithr@ci.janesville.wi.us), interviews and negotiations scheduled for April 27-30, 2026, and an anticipated contract award notice on May 5, 2026. The contract term is three years beginning June 1, 2026, with two optional renewal years available.

Janesville Transit currently receives 50% revenue share from its existing contractor plus a guaranteed monthly minimum of approximately $2,900, with recent annual revenue ranging from $28,393 in 2022 to $53,555 in 2023. Contractors must propose one of three compensation structures: a guaranteed minimum monthly payment, a percentage of gross monthly receipts, or a combination of both. All respondents must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, including workers' compensation, commercial general liability with $1,000,000 per occurrence limits, automobile liability with $1,000,000 limits, and umbrella liability with $1,000,000 limits. The procurement requires completion of ten mandatory forms addressing federal regulation compliance, DBE certification, debarment and suspension certification, lobbying certification, and compliance with city advertising policies, with incomplete certifications resulting in automatic disqualification. The contract is subject to Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WISDOT) grant requirements, and all contractors must comply with federal civil rights laws, clean air standards, safety regulations, and trafficking in persons prohibitions. No specific set-aside designations are mentioned, though DBE certification is required documentation.