Transportation Services for Children in Clark County

The State of Nevada Purchasing Division, on behalf of the Department of Human Services, Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS), is seeking qualified transportation service providers to deliver daily transportation services for children ages 3-11 enrolled in Early Childhood Mental Health Services (ECMHS) and Latency Day Treatment (LADT) programs across three locations in Clark County: North Las Vegas, Henderson, and central Las Vegas. The services will operate approximately 208 days per year on Monday through Thursday, excluding state holidays and program closures, with transportation time limits capped at one hour for children under six years old and 2.5 hours for children ages 7-11. The contractor must maintain a minimum of six drivers per day to support two ECMHS sites (each with up to two sessions daily serving six children ages 3-6) and one LADT site (one session daily serving up to 12 children ages 7-11), with the contract commencing November 1, 2026, and continuing through October 31, 2030. All vehicles must meet Nevada safety standards, include functioning seat belts, age-appropriate car seats and booster seats provided by DCFS, accommodate children and DCFS staff, and maintain functional air conditioning. Vendors must meet all applicable state and federal child transportation requirements, including Nevada Transportation Authority certification, demonstrate proven systems for driver background checks, DMV driving history reviews, regular drug testing, and maintain required insurance coverage and HIPAA compliance. The Request for Proposals employs a weighted scoring methodology with technical factors accounting for 200 points and cost accounting for 5 points, evaluating demonstrated ability to serve all three locations (50 points), ability to meet vendor and vehicle requirements (40 points), flexibility and commitment to partnership (35 points), plans to minimize service disruptions (30 points), ability to offer consistent driver-to-route assignments (20 points), capacity to scale services (15 points), and understanding of youth- and family-focused approaches (10 points). The deadline for proposal submissions is May 14, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time, with a deadline for submission questions by April 24, 2026, answers posted on or about May 1, 2026, client references due by May 13, 2026, evaluation estimated for May 21, 2026, notice of intent on or about May 21, 2026, and notice of award on or about June 5, 2026.

The solicitation contains no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, though vendors with a principal place of business outside Nevada may qualify for inverse preference if their home state applies in-state preferences not afforded to Nevada-based vendors. All vendors must comply with mandatory minimum requirements including Nevada business licensing, sam.gov registration, data encryption and stateside data storage requirements, and compliance with Nevada's ethical standards and boycott of Israel provisions. No incumbent vendor information or existing contracted infrastructure has been identified in the solicitation materials. Vendors must submit proposals on a per-trip rate basis and include proof of Nevada Transportation Authority certification, capacity to serve all three locations, safety protocols and driver qualification procedures, and a summary of company experience with references from clients on projects of similar size and scope. The specific budget or award value has not been disclosed to encourage competitive bidding; however, proposals should emphasize consistent driver-to-route assignments, scalability as enrollment grows, and commitment to coordinating with DCFS staff for scheduling, feedback, and problem-solving. The State intends to award one contract with an estimated contract term of four years, subject to Board of Examiners approval, and the State strongly prefers vendors accept the standard form contract and insurance schedule as written.