Transit Buses - Heavy Duty Category

The Washington State Department of Enterprise Services, acting on behalf of the Washington State Transit Bus Cooperative, is conducting a competitive solicitation for heavy-duty transit buses across multiple categories defined by length (30, 35, 40, 45, and 60 feet) and propulsion type (Diesel, Hybrid, CNG, Electric, and Hydrogen Fuel Cell). The procurement targets jurisdictions including Franklin, Grant, Grays Harbor, Chelan, and Yakima Counties, with an anticipated 4-5 contract awards per category. Bidders must submit comprehensive pricing documentation covering base bus models, delivery costs, optional components, and warranty coverage, with evaluation criteria allocating 1,280 points for cost factors and 640 points for non-cost factors like available options. The solicitation requires compliance with Federal Transit Administration standards, including Altoona testing requirements and Buy America provisions mandating 70% domestic content for rolling stock. Key procurement dates include a pre-bid conference on January 6, 2026, question submission deadline of January 28, 2026, bid submissions due February 9, 2026, apparent successful bidder announcement on March 1, 2026, and final contract awards anticipated by March 20, 2026.

The contract will be available to a broad range of eligible purchasers, including Washington state agencies, institutions of higher education, political subdivisions, federal agencies, public-benefit nonprofits, federally recognized Indian tribes, and similar entities from other states with executed Cooperative Contract Usage Agreements. While specific set-aside designations are not explicitly detailed, the solicitation includes procurement priorities such as points for compliance with Executive Order 18-03 (prohibiting mandatory individual arbitration) and additional points for prompt payment terms. The contract will have an initial two-year term with potential performance-based extensions up to three additional years, totaling a maximum five-year contract period. Historical sales data indicates approximately $1.1 billion in previous contract sales, though no minimum purchase guarantees are provided. Contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, including $2,000,000 in commercial general liability and commercial automobile liability, and will be subject to a 0.15% vendor management fee on total contract sales.