Request For Proposal for Armed Security Services

Western Reserve Transit Authority(WRTA) seeking  proposals for Armed and Unarmed Security Services for all WRTA properties in Youngstown, Oh. This includes the bus terminal at 340 W. Federal St., the Administration offices, Bus storage garage and Maintenance building at 604 Mahoning Ave. The final building is located at 730 Mahoning Ave it is currently being used for additional storage with plans to renovate for future offices and maintenance use. Hours of operation and required security services hours will listed in the Scope Of Work. WRTA will be seeking a contract based on one (1 )year, with options for four (4) additional years.

Background

This Project will support WRTA’s mission of maintaining and improving the safety of all WRTA employees and the passengers using the public transportation services provided by WRTA. WRTA  has been Youngstown's public transit system since 1971 providing daily services Monday–Saturday and and expanded to offering service to all of Mahoning County in 2008 . One additional fixed route service connecting Youngstown and Warren Oh. was added. The bulk of WRTA’s service consists of twenty-four (24) fixed routes, most of which originate from the Federal Station Transit Center, located in downtown Youngstown. WRTA also operates four (4) suburban loop routes in Mahoning County. WRTA also provides extensive curb-to-curb demand response services to the elderly and disabled throughout the county.  WRTA has a fleet of 88 transit vehicles of various sizes. WRTA currently operates 52 vehicles that service over 24 fixed routes in Mahoning County and parts of Trumbull County. WRTA also has 36 vehicles providing paratransit, and countywide door to door service in Mahoning County.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 2026-2
• Department: Human Resource/ Security Services
• Department Head: Dean Soroka (Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-03-31T14:00:00.000Z
• Answers Posted By: 2026-04-03T17:00:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-03-25T14:00:00.000Z — 604 Mahoning Ave Youngstown ,Oh. - WRTA Administration Bldg.

Addenda

• Official Notice #1: Addenda 1 issue date (released 2026-03-26T14:05:20.846Z)
• Addendum #1 (released 2026-04-02T14:44:17.203Z) —

  Addenda 1

Evaluation Criteria

• Qualification and Experience to Preform Services Required in the RFP (50 pts) —

  The overall qualifications and expertise of the submitting firm and assigned individuals.

  • experience for public transit security.
  • technical capabilities.
  • professional competence. 
  • qualifications of the firm. 
  • the proposed personnel assigned to the project.
• References - Approach to Services (35 pts) —
  • Are the references submitted by the proposer  similar to the services requested in  this procurement.
  • Describe how you would approach services specific to WRTA's needs.

   

• Cost Proposal (15 pts) —

  The submitted cost is fair and reasonable for the type of service required?

Submission Requirements

• Technical Proposal (required) —

  Are the applicable items/services as described within the Proposal Requirements section under the header Technical Proposal requirements satisfied?

• Acknowledgement of Grantee Status (required) —

  By confirming, the bidder acknowledges they are aware that the Western Reserve Transit Authority is a Grantee of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and as such all contracts entered into by the Grantee are subject to the rules and regulations of FTA and the Federal Transit Administration Act of 1964, as amended.

  This includes, but is not limited to the following:

  The bidder shall permit the authorized representatives of the Grantee, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Controller General of the United States to inspect and audit all records relating to this contract.

  The Western Reserve Transit Authority and FTA will become the owners of all documents prepared and submitted by the bidder relating to this contract.

• Government-Wide Debarment and Suspension (required) —

  Instructions for Certification: By confirming and submitting this bid or proposal, the prospective lower tier participant is providing the certification set out below.

  1. It will comply and facilitate compliance with U.S. DOT regulations, “Nonprocurement Suspension and Debarment,” 2 CFR part 1200, which adopts and supplements the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (U.S. OMB) “Guidelines to Agencies on Government wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement),” 2 CFR part 180,
  2. To the best of its knowledge and belief, that its Principals and Sub recipients at the first tier:
     1. Are eligible to participate in covered transactions of any Federal department or agency and are not presently:
        1. Debarred,
        2. Suspended,
        3. Proposed for debarment,
        4. Declared ineligible,
        5. Voluntarily excluded, or
        6. Disqualified, 
     2. Its management has not within a three-year period preceding its latest application or proposal been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against any of them for: (1) Commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State, or local) transaction, or contract under a public transaction, (2) Violation of any Federal or State antitrust statute, or (3) Commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making any false statement, or receiving stolen property,
     3. It is not presently indicted for, or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State, or local) with commission of any of the offenses listed in the preceding subsection 2.b of this Certification,
     4. It has not had one or more public transactions (Federal, State, or local) terminated for cause or default within a three-year period preceding this Certification,
     5. If, at a later time, it receives any information that contradicts the statements of subsections 2.a – 2.d above, it will promptly provide that information to FTA, 
     6. It will treat each lower tier contract or lower tier subcontract under its Project as a covered lower tier contract for purposes of 2 CFR part 1200 and 2 CFR part 180 if it:
        1. Equals or exceeds $25,000,
        2. Is for audit services, or
     7. Requires the consent of a Federal official, and It will require that each covered lower tier contractor and subcontractor:
        1. Comply and facilitate compliance with the Federal requirements of 2 CFR parts 180 and 1200, and
        2. Assure that each lower tier participant in its Project is not presently declared by any Federal department or agency to be:
           1. Debarred from participation in its federally funded project,
           2. Suspended from participation in its federally funded project,
           3. Proposed for debarment from participation in its federally funded project,
           4. Declared ineligible to participate in its federally funded project,
           5. Voluntarily excluded from participation in its federally funded project, or
           6. Disqualified from participation in its federally funded Project, and 
  3. It will provide a written explanation as indicated on a page attached in FTA’s TEAM-Web or the Signature Page if it or any of its principals, including any of its first tier Sub recipients or its Third-Party Participants at a lower tier, is unable to certify compliance with the preceding statements in this Certification Group.
• Certification of Restrictions on Lobbying (required) —

  I, the bidder's representative certifies, to the best of my belief on behalf of the represented company that: 

  1. No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment,  or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative  agreement.
  2. If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for making lobbying contacts to an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with the federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit standard Form LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying", in accordance with its instructions. [as amended by: Government wide Guidance for New Restrictions on Lobbying;61 Fed. Reg. 1413 (1/19/96]
  3. The undersigned shall require that all language of this certification be included in the award documents for all subawards at all tiers (including subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) and that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly.

  This certification is a material representation of the fact upon which reliance is placed when this transaction was made or entered into.  Submission of this certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this transaction imposed by 31 U.S.C. Section 1352, (as amended by the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995).  Any person who fails to file the required certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure.

  The bidding Contractor certifies or affirms the truthfulness and accuracy of each statement of its certification and disclosure, if any.  In addition, the Contractor understands and agrees that the provisions of 31 U.S.C. A3801 et seq., apply to this certification and disclosure, if any.

• DBE Program Tracking (required) —

  Pursuant to 49 CFR part 26, WRTA is required to request the age of the interested company.  Please identify age of the company.  

• DBE Program Tracking (required) —

  Pursuant to 49 CFR part 26 WRTA is required to request the annual gross receipts of the interested company.  Please select the appropriately.   

• Required Forms (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

  1. Signature of Bidder Form
  2. Non-Collusion Declaration
  3. Interest of Public Officials Form
  4. Interest of Trustees, Officers and Employees Form
  5. Delinquent Personal Property Form
  6. Federal Tax Liability Certification Form

  Online notarized forms are preferred. Copies of completed and notarized forms will be accepted with proposal submission. In order for proposals to be considered responsive, all forms must be submitted prior to solicitation response deadline.  Original notarized forms will be requested from apparent responsive, responsible low bidder prior to contract award.  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. Failure to complete all forms and upload will deem bid non responsive and will be excluded from the evaluation process. 

• Certificate of Insurance (required) —

  Please provide current Certificate of Insurance.  At time of award and before beginning work, contractor shall provide certificate of General Liability insurance and Auto Liability insurance with minimum amounts of coverage of $1.0 million per occurrence.  WRTA shall be named as both certificate holder and as additional insured on the policy. 

• References (required) —

  Please download the below document, complete, and upload, with references pertaining to this type of procurement.

• Additional Proposal Information (required) —

  Upload only proposal information's that pertains to this procurement.

• Is this federally funded? (required) —

  Please respond.

• What is the cost estimate for this project? (required)

Questions & Answers