RFP 117-26 Workforce Scheduling & HOS Compliance Software and Implementation Support Services

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is requesting proposals for Workforce Scheduling and Hours of Service (HOS) Compliance software and full implementation support services, with proposals due October 13, 2026 by 2:00 p.m. via COMMBUYS. A pre-bid conference is scheduled for September 8, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. via Microsoft Teams, and the question deadline is September 18, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Supplier diversity accounts for 25 percent of overall technical scoring, with the MBTA encouraging participation from SBEs, MBEs, WBEs, VBEs, SDVOBEs, DOBEs, and LGBTBEs.

The solution must support approximately 88–96 administrative and supervisory users and 2,138 employees across multiple departments including Operations Control Center, Vehicle Maintenance, Engineering & Maintenance, Operations Training School, and Capital Programs Support. The software must provide rotating and fixed schedule creation, shift swaps, overtime management, vacancy management, fatigue violation monitoring, real-time time and attendance tracking, maintenance workforce coordination, employee self-service capabilities, mobile functionality, and comprehensive reporting and analytics across 127 functional and technical requirements spanning seven functional areas. The MBTA prefers implementation of the solution as-is with minimal customizations. All End User Deliverables must comply with Commonwealth of Massachusetts Enterprise Accessibility Standards and Web Accessibility Standards incorporating Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Level AA. Microsoft EntraID integration and single sign-on capability are required. Vendors must provide minimum six references from similar organizations with go-live dates within the past five years, preferably public-sector implementations.

Software subscription fees commence upon successful production deployment and go-live rather than contract execution. The initial contract term is five years with the MBTA reserving the right to exercise up to two additional two-year option periods for a maximum nine-year term. The MBTA is exempt from Federal Excise Tax and Massachusetts State Sales Tax (Exemption Number E-042-323-989). Pricing must be submitted using Attachment 3 (Cost Worksheet) and Attachment 4 (Cost Narrative) with unit prices, extended prices, and grand totals. Implementation services should be proposed as not-to-exceed amounts invoiced on a deliverable, phased, or milestone basis, with 20 percent retained until successful project completion and MBTA acceptance. Annual software subscription increases are expected to be zero in the first five years upon go-live and no more than 3 percent annually thereafter.

Minimum insurance requirements include Commercial General Liability ($1 million per occurrence / $1 million annual aggregate), Automobile Liability ($1 million combined single limit), Workers' Compensation (Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 152 with $1 million Employer's Liability per accident and disease), Umbrella Liability ($5 million per occurrence and aggregate), Professional Liability ($5 million per claim and aggregate with five-year extended reporting period), and Cyber Liability ($10 million for Network Security and Privacy Liability and $10 million for Data Breach expenses). All insurers must be licensed by the Massachusetts Division of Insurance with a Best's rating of A- or better. Bidder demonstrations are estimated for October 26, 2026, with contract execution anticipated by December 1, 2026, and service start date estimated for January 1, 2027.