Notice of Intent to Award Sole Source Contract âÂ? Â? Battery Electric Bus Telematics Software

The Salem Area Mass Transit District (SAMTD/Cherriots) is issuing a notice of intent to award a sole-source contract to ChargePoint, Inc. for battery electric bus telematics software licenses, with written protests due October 27, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The sole-source determination is the decisive constraint: no competitive solicitation is planned, so the window for challenge is the only open channel for competing vendors.

The procurement covers cloud-based telematics licenses for SAMTD's 22 Gillig battery electric buses, which carry pre-installed ChargePoint DataHub hardware. The package includes Base Telematics Software Licensing (real-time vehicle tracking, route monitoring, and charging status) and Vehicle Insights Add-On Licensing (battery health analytics, predictive maintenance alerts, and charging efficiency reporting). SAMTD justifies the sole-source award on hardware compatibility: ChargePoint ViriCiti is the only solution engineered to communicate natively with the DataHub hardware. Alternative software would require replacing onboard gateway hardware across all vehicles at substantial capital cost.

The base contract value is $213,840, or $21,384 annually, for a 10-year term running November 2026 through November 30, 2036. ChargePoint has extended a 50% commercial discount, producing a net cost of $81.00 per vehicle per month. The 10-year term exceeds SAMTD Procurement Policy #413.03(G)'s standard 7-year limit, which permits exceptions supported by state and federal guidelines. SAMTD cites FTA Circular 4220.1G and Oregon Revised Statutes ORS 279B.075 as the basis for the exception, and states the term locks in the discount and prevents annual price escalations.

The notice posted October 20, 2026, for a 7-calendar-day period. Protests and comments go to procurement@cherriots.org.