Promotional Items and Apparel

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA), commonly known as Cincinnati Metro, is issuing a Request for Proposal for promotional items and apparel services covering Hamilton County and Cleveland City in Ohio. SORTA seeks to establish discount rates for catalog-related pricing on custom promotional products including apparel (t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, quarter-zip pullovers), drinkware (travel coffee holders, tumblers), and accessories (umbrellas, tote bags, pens, stress balls, carabiners, phone wallets, frisbees, business card holders, lip balm, and sunglasses) that will be imprinted or embroidered with Metro logos and artwork and ordered on an as-needed basis throughout the three-year contract period. Qualified vendors must provide pricing as percentage discounts from published price lists, flat rates, or a combination thereof, with all pricing including setup and imprinting fees, and must submit written estimates within one business day of request while maintaining competitive pricing throughout the contract term. A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for February 17, 2026, at 1:00 pm via Microsoft Teams, with a questions deadline of February 24, 2026, at 2:00 pm and responses due by March 3, 2026, at 4:00 pm. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the e-Procurement portal by March 12, 2026, at 2:00 pm. SORTA will evaluate proposals based on project approach and demonstrated understanding of Metro's needs (40%), firm and staffing qualifications (30%), and price (30%), and reserves the right to award to multiple vendors that best provide the required services. Value-added services are encouraged, including custom design capabilities, web-based ordering platforms with quote and ordering functionality, vendor-managed inventory services, and e-commerce solutions for Metro employees and customers with secure payment processing and detailed reporting by department.

No formal small business participation goals have been established for this procurement; however, bidders are strongly encouraged to include small and disadvantaged businesses where feasible. SORTA is a political subdivision of the State of Ohio established under Ohio Revised Code Section 306.30 et seq., serving the Cincinnati area including Hamilton County and portions of Butler, Clermont, and Warren Counties, and operating 48 fixed bus routes with approximately 300 transit buses plus paratransit and micro-transit services. Contractors must comply with comprehensive requirements outlined in the General Terms and Conditions, including payment within thirty calendar days of invoice approval, minimum insurance coverage of $1,000,000 each for combined general liability, automobile, crime, and professional liability, compliance with Federal laws and regulations, nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity standards, and maintenance of separate accounting records for three years following final payment. The contract is governed by Ohio law with jurisdiction in Hamilton County, Ohio courts, and SORTA reserves the right to terminate for convenience or default. No specific award value or budget range has been disclosed in the solicitation documents; pricing will be evaluated as part of the overall proposal assessment alongside qualifications and approach.