SLED Opportunity · MASSACHUSETTS · CITY OF CAMBRIDGE
AI Summary
City of Cambridge seeks bids for coach bus transportation services for educational and recreational trips. Services require safe, accessible 46-51 passenger buses with experienced drivers, compliance with regulations, and availability year-round. Bids due April 16, 2026.
The City of Cambridge would like to invite you to submit a bid for Coach Bus Transportation Service for Educational & Recreational trips. If submitting electronically, Bids are to be submitted through the Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cambridgema. Bids are to be submitted no later than 11:00 am on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
The Department of Human Services (DHSP) is requesting bids from qualified transportation providers to provide coach bus transportation services for educational and recreational trips for program participants. The selected contractor(s) shall provide safe, reliable, and accessible coach bus transportation services. The majority of trips will be approximately 100 miles round trip, though some trips may vary in distance and duration.
All Department of Human Services trips will be scheduled through this contract. Other City departments may schedule trips under this contract at their discretion during the life of this contract, subject to the contract's maximum obligation.
The types of trips taken are both educational and recreational, with a majority of trips being approximately 100 mile round trips from pick up point to drop off.
Certificates of insurance must be provided upon execution of the contract.
Contractor agrees to conform to all the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to the rules and regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission and to the rules and regulations of any other governing body when applicable to the transporting of people.
Contractor must have same size accessible coaches available at no additional cost. If vehicles not owned by contractor specify owner & location of garage.
Buses will be ordered in writing, a minimum of five days before the date they are needed.
Written bus orders will provide details regarding trips, which may be cancelled in the case of inclement weather, or exigent circumstances. In all other cases, notice of cancellation must be a minimum of 24 hours in advance. In the event a cancellation occurs with less than 24 hours' notice, the contractor may assess the City up to $25.00 per day per trip. Such penalty is subject to review, by the City, if the City protests the penalties in writing.
Vehicles will be 46-51 passenger coaches, as requested by the City, with air conditioning, heating and lavatories. They must be in good working order and in clean condition.
Requirements for cleanliness and operation readiness will include, but not be limited to, the following:
Driver and trip leader will be required to complete a written evaluation of the buses' condition at the beginning and end of each trip.
Contractor must have a replacement vehicle available at all times, and will indicate on bid where the replacement vehicle will be garaged.
No standees will be allowed. No one will be allowed on the bus except members of the group, their chaperones, and the driver. The driver is not to bring passengers (guests) on trips.
It is expected that the Coach buses will arrive prior to the scheduled departure time, in no case shall the City be kept waiting for a rental vehicle more than 15 minutes beyond the time previously stipulated in writing for departures and returns. After 15 minutes beyond the City may choose in its sole discretion to cancel a bus order, without penalty, and seek alternate transportation for a renter group. If a bus breaks down or becomes non-functional for more than one hour during the course of a trip, there will be no charge to the City for that trip.
All drivers must be well versed in correct travel routes prior to each assignment, and the trip leader reserves the right to designate route to travel.
For all pick up and drop off trips within Massachusetts, the MapQuest mileage guide will be used. For trips outside Massachusetts, AAA will be used.
The Contractor is required to cooperate in allowing the City to make random unscheduled inspections of vehicles and services at a time and date of the City's choosing
All authorizations for scheduling trips through the City of Cambridge Human Services Department rests solely with the Assistant City Manager for Human Services or the Assistant City Manager's designee. The City will provide a list of designees upon execution of the contract. The City reserves the right to amend this list as necessary and will provide written notice of such changes. No orders shall be accepted from any Human Services Department employee, without the consent of the Assistant City Manager or the Assistant City Manager's designee. All complaints or requests for interpretations under the contract awarded as a result of this bid must be in writing, to the Purchasing Agent with a copy to the Assistant City Manager for Human Services.
In the event that Contractor's actions (such as tardiness or failure to appear as scheduled) result in cancellation of an activity which has incurred a non-refundable expense to DHSP (such as, but not limited to admission fees), the Contractor shall be liable for that expense.
Coach Buses must be equipped with fully operational communication equipment and must be in communication with the Contractor's central office at all times except when the trip's destination is out of range of the equipment.
Contractor will accept the contract under the acknowledgment that increased usage will occur during summer months July and August and two school vacation weeks and occasional full day programming days as scheduled by the Cambridge School Department. Contractor must make accommodations to service all requested trips during these time periods under the same notification requirements as other trips.
Under this contract the coach bus may not leave the site unless written authorization is obtained from the user Group leader. If the coach bus leaves the site without being authorized to do so, the contractor will waive all charges for that trip.
The City will not pay a minimum charge for trips.
The number of hours and trips referenced in the price proposal is an estimated number, it is provided so that the City can compare bids in a uniform format. The City may decrease the number of trips as needed.
Successful bidder and City agree to meet and confer concerning an appropriate billing schedule.
Prevailing Wage
The Contractor shall pay school bus drivers employed under this contract in accordance with the attached prevailing wage rate as determined by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Occupational Safety.
Please select one
If a corporation, include the State in which you are incorporated in.
If a partnership, include the names of partners.
If an individual, include relevant information.
Please include the name, title, telephone and email address of the authorized representative
The Vendor/Contractor certifies that it has not been and currently is not debarred or suspended by any federal, state, or municipal governmental agency under G. L. c. 29, § 29F or other applicable law, nor will it contract with a debarred or suspended subcontractor on any public contract.
An unchecked response, a failure to respond, or a failure to meet to any of the following Quality Requirements will result in a rejection of your bid. Please check each of the following Quality Requirements as confirmations.
Bidder has been in business under this company name for at least two years.
It is true that none of the drivers to be utilized for this contract has been convicted of any moving violations within the last 5 years.
It is true that none of the drivers for this contract has been convicted of driving under the influence within the last 5 years.
It is true that all current drivers have had a Criminal History Offender Information (CORI) checked and performed.
It is true that all new employees will have a CORI performed before start of Employment.
Bidders shall submit a list of three references for which the bidder has supplied similar services. References shall include contact information including contact name, addresses and telephone numbers for each to inquire as to their satisfaction with the bidders’ product and service. In addition, the City reserves the right to use itself as a reference, to contact references not listed and to otherwise perform its own due diligence when making a responsibility determination. A bid maybe rejected on the basis of one or more references reporting less than excellent past performance.
Include contact name, address and telephone #
Include contact name, address and telephone #
Include contact name, address and telephone #
Please electronically sign and upload the following documents using this URL: https://cambridgema.na4.adobesign.com/public/esignWidget?wid=CBFCIBAA3AAABLblqZhCD4UnZSN3XyfqZi9ZxGyvlhSnIlYThymiofiiHN4CtIXU4t2tYM27cVaMk7bVx6AI*
Bidder certifies that this bid is made without collusion with any other person, firm or corporation making any other bid or who otherwise would make a bid.
Bidder shall submit a copy of the ICC rights, D.P.U. License with its bid
1. No. of Coach Buses owned/leased by bidder
2. No. of Coach Buses with seat belts:
3. Capacity of Coach Bus with seat Belts
4. Day and times available Coach Bus with seat belts:
5. Coach Buses owned/leased by bidder will be garaged at:
6. No. of years in Business:
7. No. of Wheelchair Accessible Coach Buses:
8. Capacity of each Wheelchair Accessible Coach Bus.
9. Day and times available Wheelchair Accessible Coach Buses.
10. Locations Wheelchair Accessible Coach buses are garaged.
11. Owner of Coach Bus if other than Bidder:
12. No. of owner of Coach Bus if other than bidder:
13.Location(s) where replacement vehicle(s) is (are) garaged :
Example: Office Supplies
Example: Janitorial Services
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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