RIC Campus Shuttle Services

Rhode Island College, through the State of Rhode Island Department of Administration, Division of Purchases, is requesting proposals for on-campus shuttle bus services under RFP27006822, with proposals due August 7, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT. Vendor questions are due July 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM EDT. All MBE, WBE, and Disability Business Enterprise subcontractors and suppliers must be certified by the Division of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion MBE Compliance Office or the Governor's Commission on Disabilities, respectively, at the time of bid submission; MBE/WBE participation is evaluated as a scoring factor, and vendors must submit a detailed Participation Plan form identifying certified subcontractors and the percentage of total contract value each represents.

The scope covers one 14-passenger, ADA-compliant shuttle vehicle operating a campus loop with approximately 11 stops on RIC's main campus in Providence. Service runs Monday through Thursday, 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM and Friday, 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM during the academic year (late August through mid-May), with approximately 3,000 annual shuttle-hours anticipated. The vendor must provide real-time mobile tracking compatible with Apple and Android, local transportation to market and pharmacy locations within one mile of campus during the final operational hour each weekday, preventive maintenance, driver training, and monthly and weekly operational reports. Vehicles must be no more than three years old at contract start and no more than five years old during the term, with replacement within 90 minutes if equipment fails. Drivers must satisfy all state and federal requirements, pass background checks, drug testing, and fingerprinting.

The contract period is three years, August 31, 2026 through August 30, 2029, with an option to renew for up to two additional 12-month periods. Pricing is submitted on an hourly rate basis covering all operational costs; the anticipated baseline is 3,000 hours annually, with 20 percent variance triggering price renegotiation. A 0.33% contract administrative fee will be withheld from invoices. Required insurance includes general liability ($1 million per occurrence), workers' compensation ($100,000 per accident), and automobile liability ($1 million per occurrence). Technical proposals are scored on a maximum of 70 points (staff qualifications, vendor capability and experience, and work plan); cost proposals on 30 points; and ISBE participation on up to 6 bonus points. A minimum technical score of 55 points is required to advance to cost evaluation. Proposals must be submitted electronically through Ocean State Procures.