New Hampshire Rural Intercity Bus Program Services

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation, Bureau of Rail and Transit, is soliciting proposals (RFP DOT 2026-02) for turnkey intercity bus service operations under the Federal Transit Administration's Section 5311(f) Rural Intercity Bus Program. The procurement seeks qualified vendors to operate subsidized intercity bus service on one of two routes: either Keene to Nashua with intermediate stops along the Route 101 corridor (including required stops at Brenner Bridge Parking Lot in Peterborough and a meaningful connection with Boston Express in Nashua), or Keene to Concord with intermediate stops along Routes 202 and 9 (including required stops at Hillsboro Park and Ride and a meaningful connection with Concord Coach Lines in Concord). Both routes must provide connections to Boston South Station and Logan Airport, with vendors expected to provide all vehicles (minimum Class 2 ADA-compliant vehicles), obtain required permits and insurance, conduct maintenance, and secure terminal access for connecting intercity bus services. The Department prefers two daily round trips (morning and afternoon) but will consider alternative service proposals. Vendors must demonstrate technical capability, management capacity, past performance, and competitive pricing, with proposals evaluated on a 100-point scale allocating 90 points to technical criteria (Proposed Service Meets Desired Specifications at 20 points; Technical Capability at 30 points; Management Structure and Key Personnel at 25 points; and Past and Present Performance at 15 points) and 10 points for price/cost based on a formula favoring the lowest proposed price. Key deadlines include vendor inquiry period closing February 27, 2026, final Department responses due March 6, 2026, proposal submissions due March 20, 2026 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time, with estimated vendor selection notification by April 8, 2026. The contract term is anticipated to be July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, with renewal options for up to two additional years subject to Department discretion and Governor and Executive Council approval.

Eligible vendor types include intercity bus providers, private nonprofit transportation providers, private for-profit transportation providers, local government authorities, public transportation operators, and Indian tribes, with no set-asides or restrictions limiting response eligibility. Vendors may claim Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) status if applicable, and all proposals must include evidence of insurance capability with a minimum A.M. Best rating of A- or higher and commercial general liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate. The contract is funded through Federal Transit Administration Section 5311(f) grants (CFDA number 20.509) with an estimated total funding of $1,800,000 inclusive of option years; the Department has received approval to provide up to $900,000 in toll credits or transportation development credits to serve as the match requirement, effectively making this a 100% federally funded project with vendors to propose their own fare structures and receive reimbursement for net operating expenses (gross operating expenses minus fare revenues). Selected vendors must comply with extensive federal requirements including Americans with Disabilities Act standards, civil rights and equal employment opportunity laws, Federal Transit Administration drug and alcohol testing programs, Public Transportation Employee Protective Arrangements, Buy America compliance for procurements exceeding $150,000, and various other federal regulations governing transportation services. All selected vendors must register in SAM.GOV and execute the State of New Hampshire Standard Terms and Conditions (Form P-37), and proposals must include organizational charts, management qualifications with resumes, detailed marketing plans, ADA compliance descriptions, and public notice of FTA funding application published in a newspaper of regional significance.