MSD Daily Transportation Services (DESE)

The State of Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for daily transportation services for the Missouri School for the Deaf located in Fulton, Missouri. The solicitation seeks vendors to provide school bus transportation across four specific routes: New Florence, Jefferson City, Columbia, and Mexico. The contract requires transportation services using both wheelchair-lift equipped and standard school buses, with detailed specifications including 176 service days for wheelchair-accessible buses and 1 service day for standard buses on each route. Vendors must submit firm, fixed pricing per bus per day, which must comprehensively include fuel costs (with preset rates of $2.629 for gasoline or $2.924 for diesel) and all other operational expenses such as maintenance, insurance, overhead, and driver wages. The RFP was posted on July 3, 2019, with proposals due by July 15, 2019, at 3:00 PM CDT, and covers a one-year contract period with options for three additional one-year renewals. Evaluation will focus on pricing, with vendors required to propose maximum allowable percentage increases or minimum percentage decreases for potential renewal periods.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions on vendor types were mentioned in the solicitation documents. The RFP appears open to all qualified transportation service providers without preference for disadvantaged enterprises or specific business classifications. No incumbent vendor was identified in the documents, and no existing infrastructure integration requirements were specified. While the total contract value was not explicitly stated, the comprehensive pricing structure suggests a significant annual investment, with each route requiring multiple bus services and extensive daily transportation. The solicitation indicates the state will award the contract to the lowest and best responsive bidder, with payment terms set at net 45 days and delivery specified as Free on Board (FOB) Destination to the Missouri School for the Deaf facility in Fulton. Vendors must complete and submit Exhibits A-D as part of their proposal, either through the MissouriBUYS system or as a hard copy to the Division of Purchasing.