Paratransit Contractor (VoAccess)

Volusia County, Florida is seeking a qualified paratransit contractor to provide cost-effective and efficient door-to-door transportation services throughout the county under its VoAccess program, which currently processes approximately 250,000 trips annually. The County operates a partially-brokered system where contracted operators provide approximately 30 percent of trips while the remaining 70 percent is managed in-house, and seeks to expand its contractor network to support the ADA and transit-disadvantaged population. Paratransit services must be available seven days per week, including holidays, from 6:00 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays, with door-to-door service throughout Volusia County including the greater Daytona Beach area and all surrounding municipalities. Contractors must provide ADA-accessible vehicles no older than 15 years with wheelchair securement stations, video surveillance, and two-way communication systems, and must employ qualified drivers who meet extensive requirements including valid Florida driver's licenses, clean driving records, background checks updated every two years, DOT physicals, defensive driving training, and passenger assistance training. The contractor must maintain an operating base within Volusia County with adequate administrative facilities, communications systems, and internet connectivity, and is compensated on a per-trip basis according to Exhibit B Fee Schedule, with compensation covering all vehicle maintenance, insurance, and driver employment costs. Performance standards require 90 percent on-time performance, no more than 1.7 complaints per 1,000 boardings, and no more than one preventable accident per 100,000 miles, with quarterly financial incentives of up to $250 available for exceeding standards and disincentives of $50 to $500 assessed for failures to meet standards. A non-mandatory pre-solicitation conference is scheduled for March 16, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Votran Large Conference Room in South Daytona, with virtual attendance available; the deadline for submitting questions is March 24, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.; and responses must be submitted electronically through the County's eProcurement Portal by April 7, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Evaluation criteria include qualifications and experience (15%), references demonstrating minimum five years of relevant service (12%), project approach and understanding (15%), financial stability and litigation history (12%), technical ability including drug-free workplace and safety compliance (12%), adequate facilities for operations and storage (12%), vehicle maintenance and ADA accessibility (12%), and price (10%).

The County is seeking multiple award recipients and does not appear to impose set-asides for disadvantaged business enterprises, though the solicitation establishes a disadvantaged business enterprise participation goal of 5.2% using race-neutral means for FTA-funded contracts, with contractors required to submit quarterly written reports detailing DBE utilization and expenditures. Respondents must meet comprehensive insurance requirements including workers' compensation with Florida statutory coverage, auto liability insurance with combined single limits of $125,000 per person bodily injury and $250,000 per accident bodily injury, abuse and molestation insurance with $100,000 per occurrence limits, and must maintain primary and non-contributory coverage with the County named as an additional insured. The County currently utilizes four paratransit contractors to assist with demand in the partially-brokered system, indicating an existing contractor network that the County seeks to expand rather than replace entirely. Contractors must comply with all Federal Transit Administration third-party contract clauses, register with E-Verify, maintain drug-free workplace policies, and comply with prevailing wage requirements under the Davis-Bacon Act, while also adhering to federal record retention requirements mandating maintenance of all project-related documents for a minimum of three years after contract termination. The successful respondent(s) will be awarded a contract for an initial three-year term with two optional one-year renewals contingent upon mutual written agreement and County Council approval; however, specific award values or budget ranges are not disclosed in the solicitation documents, with compensation structured instead on a per-trip basis according to the Fee Schedule.