Laboratories, administration courier services

The Maryland Department of Health, Laboratories Administration is requesting bids for scheduled pick-up, transport, and delivery of laboratory coolers, supplies, human diagnostic specimens, environmental samples, and mail between the Central Laboratory at 1770 Ashland Ave. in Baltimore and clinics in Regions A–F, with bids due August 31, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and a mandatory pre-bid conference on August 13, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. via Google Meet. An MBE/DBE subcontracting goal of 5 percent applies.

Minimum qualifications require proof of at least three years of courier experience transporting biological and environmental specimens with a minimum annual revenue of $50,000 per year, demonstrated emergency pick-up capability with a four-hour response requirement for Regions A–D and an eight-hour response for Regions E–F, and 24/7 live dispatch telephone service. The contractor must maintain commercial general liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, crime insurance with $1 million per loss coverage, workers' compensation insurance, and vehicle insurance. HIPAA Business Associate compliance and driver training in bloodborne pathogens are required.

The contract is firm fixed price with no federal funding. Service hours are Monday through Friday with Saturday mail service and holiday coverage as specified in Appendix 8. Emergency pick-ups are compensated at $2.75 per mile; wait-time billing applies when delays exceed 35 minutes at a pick-up site. Liquidated damages are assessed for late arrivals, specimen loss or damage, and failure to meet emergency response timeframes. The contractor must maintain a Continuation of Operations Plan.

The contract term is five years with no renewal options, commencing August 1, 2025 through July 30, 2030. Written questions are due August 19, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Bids will be opened publicly on September 3, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. via Google Meet.