Shuttle Services at Western State Hospital

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), specifically the Behavioral Health Administration at Western State Hospital, is seeking a qualified contractor to provide shuttle services for hospital staff transportation between temporary parking lots and workstations through a competitive solicitation (RFP #2542-001). The procurement is located in Pierce County and will require a contractor to operate shuttle buses Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., utilizing one to three buses with 16-36 passenger capacities. Key deliverables include providing CDL-licensed drivers, maintaining professional appearance, complying with healthcare screening requirements, and submitting monthly passenger and safety incident reports. Contractors must have a minimum of two years of commercial shuttle service experience and provide ADA-compliant vehicles. Evaluation criteria encompass 130 total possible points, with 50 points allocated to cost proposals and additional preference points for Washington Small Businesses and Veteran-owned businesses. Critical dates include a pre-bid conference on May 27, 2025, proposal submissions due by July 10, 2025, and an anticipated contract start date of September 6, 2025, with potential contract performance spanning one to three years.

The solicitation includes a Contractor Inclusion Plan that encourages participation of Washington State Certified Minority, Women's, Veteran, and Small Businesses, though no mandatory minimum participation levels are specified. Bidders are required to outline diverse business inclusion strategies and identify a team member responsible for managing these efforts. While no incumbent vendor is mentioned, the contract is tied to campus construction necessitating alternative transportation. The solicitation emphasizes transparency and ethical bidding, requiring comprehensive vendor vetting through documents like the Contractor Intake form, which captures details on business organization, ownership type, and potential conflicts. Though specific total contract value is not explicitly stated, the procurement documents indicate daily service of 23.5 driver hours, suggesting a substantial annual contract value. Contractors must maintain significant insurance coverage, including $2,000,000 per occurrence in general liability insurance and $4,000,000 in general aggregate, indicating the substantial operational expectations for this shuttle service contract.