Purchase and Delivery of Diesel Exhaust Fluid For METRO's Transit Buses

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) is issuing an Invitation for Bid (IFB No. Doc1968711798) for the purchase and delivery of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) to support its transit bus fleet operations across five bus operating facilities in the Houston metropolitan area: Kashmere BOF, West BOF, Polk BOF, Fallbrook BOF, and Hiram Clarke BOF. The contractor will supply and deliver up to 375,000 gallons of DEF annually (estimated at approximately 273,024 gallons based on actual facility usage) over a three-year contract period on a firm fixed-price, FOB Destination basis with no minimum order requirements. The DEF must meet or exceed Cummins, ISO 22241-1, and AUS32 specifications with precise chemical composition requirements including urea content of 31.8-33.2 percent by weight, density of 9.07-9.12 pounds per gallon at 68°F, and strict limitations on contaminants including biuret, aldehydes, phosphate, and various heavy metals. Deliveries must be completed within 24 hours of order placement between 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding METRO-observed holidays, with the contractor responsible for filling existing 330-gallon totes and 300-500 gallon stationary tanks at designated facilities. Bidders must submit product data sheets and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) with their proposals, and pricing must include all costs, current or anticipated federal excise taxes, and duties as firm fixed prices for each of the three contract years, with adjustments permitted only with thirty days' notice if based on a published price list or otherwise guided by the Producer Price Index. The pre-bid briefing is scheduled for February 18, 2026, at 9:45 a.m. via Microsoft Teams, sealed bids must be submitted electronically through METRO's EUNA procurement portal and as one hardcopy to the METRO Procurement Office by 2:00 p.m. CST on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, with bid opening occurring publicly on March 5, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. CST, and the anticipated contract start date is May 7, 2026.

There are no specific set-aside designations or disadvantaged enterprise restrictions identified in this solicitation; however, METRO encourages small business participation generally and does not have an established small business participation goal for this contract. This is the first contract of its kind for METRO, with no incumbent contractor, indicating the agency is establishing a new supplier relationship for DEF delivery to these facilities. Bidders must demonstrate financial capability, satisfactory past performance records, and compliance with debarment and suspension requirements, along with certification of ethical conduct, boycott prohibitions, and vaccine passport eligibility as required under Texas statutory provisions. The contract will be awarded for a fixed three-year term or until the contract not-to-exceed amount is expended, whichever occurs last, contingent upon approval by the METRO Board of Directors, though specific budget allocations or award value ranges are not disclosed in the procurement documents. METRO is funding the entire contract with local funds with no federal funding designated, and the contractor must maintain detailed sales slips and invoices documenting each delivery transaction, with METRO retaining the right to add additional facilities upon written notice and the Project Manager retaining authority to approve all delivered DEF.