SLED Opportunity · CALIFORNIA · MT. SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE
AI Summary
Mt. San Antonio College seeks qualified school bus providers to deliver safe, reliable transportation for academic programs, student services, and athletics. The RFP targets vendors with strong safety records and SPAB certification for single-day local and distance trips throughout the academic year.
Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) is soliciting proposals from qualified school bus providers to support the transportation needs of the College’s academic programs, student services, and intercollegiate athletics. The selected vendor(s) will be responsible for providing safe, reliable, and cost-effective school bus services for local and-distance travel throughout the academic year. School bus services are used to transport students, faculty, and staff to a variety of destinations for field trips, competitions, conferences, and special events. Trip requirements include single-day excursions only, with varying group sizes and destination distances. The College is seeking providers with a proven track record of safety, punctuality, customer service, and compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local transportation regulations, including SPAB (School Pupil Activity Bus) certification when required. This RFP aims to establish a contract with one or more vendors who can meet the diverse and evolving transportation needs of the College, with flexibility in scheduling, competitive pricing, and the capacity to accommodate varying trip types and volumes across the academic calendar.
Mt. SAC is a single-campus California community college district that annually currently serves over 50,000 full-time equivalent credit and noncredit students. Interested respondents to this RFP should go to www.mtsac.edu to learn more about the District. This website includes information, including the current educational, facilities, strategic, student equity, and technology plans that will be essential in the preparation of a response to this RFP.
Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) maintains a strong commitment to providing safe, reliable, and accessible transportation in support of its academic, athletic, and student programs. In December of 2020, a bid for five years, with yearly renewals, was solicited for School Bus services commencing on 3/26/21 and concluding on 3/25/26. The College is now seeking to establish a new five-year contract with at least one local service provider for enhanced consistency, streamlined scheduling, and cost-effective transportation for a broad range of College-sponsored activities.
Please use the See What Changed link to view all the changes made by this addendum.
Section 2.3 Trip Scheduling, Fees and Charges:
Changed: "Any additional cost incurred by default of the Contractor's obligation to provide timely service for any confirmed trip may be collected by the College from the Contractor and/or the Surety on the Performance Bond."
To: "Any additional cost incurred by default of the Contractor's obligation to provide timely service for any confirmed trip may be collected by the College from the Contractor."
Section 4 Pricing Proposal:
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Section 7 Vendor Questionnaire - 12. Wheelchair Capacity:
New section added
The College is requesting proposals from contractors with evidence of experience on three projects of similar scope within the last five years and feedback from refences associated with each project.
The Contractor shall indicate how they will serve the college through a local Bus Yard (Preference given to Yards within 50 miles of College). The College is also asking the Contractor to provide hours their Dispatch Office is open to the College. (Preference given to offices available 24 hours, seven days a week)
Comprehensive pricing covering the entire Scope of Work for the Entire 5-Year period
Proposals will be evaluated based on the vendor’s documented safety history over the past three years. Factors considered include accident frequency, severity, regulatory compliance history, and safety program practices.
Proposal demonstrates understanding of providing transportation services and client support for the safe and reliable operation of charter buses in accordance with this RFP and as defined in the Scope of Work, including an awareness of the challenges faced by the College in overseeing dynamic and time-sensitive scheduling needs.
Please tell us briefly about your company including:
Company background and years in operation
Description of services and vehicle fleet including bus sizes and quantity of each bus size.
Relevant experience with educational institutions
Dispatch and operational procedures
Please provide evidence of experience on at least three projects of similar scope within the last five years and at lease one reference for each project listed. Preference will be given for experience in Community Colleges, Universities, and K-12 Schools.
Please indicate how you will serve the college through a local Bus Yard (Preference given to Yards within 50 miles of College) and provide the hours of operation your Dispatch Office is open to the College. (Preference given to offices available 24 hours, seven days a week)
Please provide a summary of your company's safety record demonstrating a commitment to safe transportation practices and compliance with applicable federal and State of California regulations.
The information provided must not include any personally identifiable employee information and must be limited to the company-level data outlined below:
CHP Safety Rating
Provide your current California Highway Patrol (CHP) Safety Rating and date of most recent Terminal Inspection Program (TIP) review.
Include documentation of any conditional ratings issued within the past five (5) years and the resolution status.
Accident Rate / Preventable Collision Rate
Provide your company’s preventable accident rate for the past three (3) calendar years.
Include total number of accidents, number deemed preventable, and miles driven annually.
If available, include comparison to industry averages.
Experience Modification Rate (EMR)
Submit your current EMR along with an official verification letter from your workers’ compensation insurance provider.
DOT / Regulatory Compliance History
Disclose any serious citations, enforcement actions, or compliance findings issued by CHP, FMCSA, CPUC (if applicable), Cal/OSHA, or any other regulatory agency within the past five (5) years.
Include citation date, nature of violation, and resolution status.
Safety Program Overview
Provide a brief description or table of contents of your company’s Transportation Safety Program, outlining key policies including:
Driver qualification standards
Drug and alcohol testing compliance
Vehicle inspection and maintenance procedures
Emergency response protocols
Student loading and unloading procedures
Driver Safety Training Summary
Submit a general description of the safety training provided to drivers and staff, including frequency of training.
Examples may include:
Defensive driving
Student management
Emergency evacuation drills
First aid/CPR
Drug and alcohol awareness
CHP-required annual in-service training
Vehicle Inspection & Maintenance Audits
Include a summary or sample (redacted) of:
Preventive maintenance schedules
Internal fleet inspections
CHP inspection reports (most recent)
Corrective action procedures
Safety Awards or Recognition (Optional)
You may include copies or descriptions of any transportation safety awards, recognitions, or certifications received.
Please submit proof of the following current licenses and documentation in order to be considered responsive:
Valid Motor Carrier Permit (MCP) issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
U.S. DOT Number
Most recent CHP Terminal Inspection (TIP) report or rating letter showing satisfactory status
Proof of current California School Bus Contractor operating authority and compliance with all CHP and DMV requirement
Please identify your solutions for the potential challenges faced by the College in overseeing dynamic and time-sensitive scheduling needs.
Please confirm compliance with all our Insurance requirements stated in the General Provisions Section #6.14
Please confirm that all drivers assigned to any Mt. SAC transportation requests hold a valid California Class B Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with Passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsements, along with a current California School Bus Special Driver Certificate.
(Please do not disclose any driver names or personal identifying information.)
Please confirm that all drivers assigned to any Mt. SAC requests have a valid Medical Examiner's Certificate. (Please do not disclose any Driver's names or personal information)
Please confirm that that all drivers assigned to any Mt. SAC requests are enrolled in a DOT-compliant Drug & Alcohol Testing Program. (Please do not disclose any Driver's names or personal information)
Contractor agrees that any trip that exceeds the 5-hour minimum charge will be billed at their proposed Rate Per Mile or Rate Per Hour charge (whichever is lower) as listed in the Pricing Proposal Section of the RFP.
Please list all your wheelchair bus capacity sizes and your minimum flat rate for each (min. 5 hours).
The undersigned declares, states and certifies that:
I am aware of the provisions and requirements of California Government Code §§8350 et seq., the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1990.
I am authorized to certify, and do certify, on behalf of Contractor that a drug free workplace will be provided by Contractor by doing all of the following:
Contractor and I understand that if the District determines that Contractor has either: (a) made a false certification herein, or (b) violated this certification by failing to carry out and to implement the requirements of California Government Code §§8355, the Contract awarded herein is subject to termination, suspension of payments, or both. Contractor and I further understand that, should Contractor violate the terms of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1990, Contractor may be subject to debarment in accordance with the provisions of California Government Code §§8350, et seq.
Contractor and I are aware of the provisions of California Government Code §§8350, et seq. and hereby certify that Contractor and I will adhere to, fulfill, satisfy and discharge all provisions of and obligations under the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1990.
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that all of the foregoing is true and correct.
Pursuant to Public Contract Code (PCC) section 2204, an Iran Contracting Act certification is required for solicitations of goods or services of one million dollars ($1,000,000) or more.
I certify that I am duly authorized to legally bind the Vendor/Contractor to this certification, that the contents of this certification are true, and that this certification is made under the laws of the State of California.
Vendor/Contractor shall check ONLY ONE of the following choices below:
Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. Only fill out pages 1-2 if you are in the state of California.
If, after confirming with the College the availability of bus of a particular size and type is deemed no longer available for the College's use, it is the Contractor's responsibility to arrange for a bus of the type and size requested and confirmed, from another bus company. The Contractor shall invoice the College for buses provided by other companies at the rates specified herein. Frequent use of subcontracted buses shall be grounds for termination of this contract.
I certify that I have downloaded, read, understood and agreed to all of the solicitation and contract documents herein
Please provide a brief description of the project. Your answer will populate the Introduction Summary Section.
Please enter the estimated term of this project:
EXAMPLE:
"The contract term is estimated to be for one year from start to finish"
enter the contract start date:
MM/DD/YYYY
Q (Refusal of trips): Please confirm that awarded Contractors can refuse reservation requests without penalty.
A: Yes, the contractor may decline an assignment without penalty prior to accepting or confirming the order. However, once an order has been accepted, the expectation is that the contractor will fulfill the agreed-upon services. If an accepted order is subsequently declined within the specified timeframe outlined in the RFP (i.e., within 3 hours of the scheduled trip), the contractor will be assessed a fee equivalent to the cancellation charges the College would incur under the same conditions. Additionally, repeated instances of declining assignments at the time they are offered may result in the College seeking services from alternative transportation providers. Refer to the Trip Cancellation by the College below: Trip Cancellation by the College: The College will not incur charges for trip cancellations made at least 3 hours prior to the scheduled departure. Cancellations made less than 3 hours before departure will result in reimbursement to the Contractor for either the full estimated/confirmed cost of the trip or the contract daily rate per bus for a 3-hour period—whichever amount is less.
Q (Auto Liability Insurance): Section 6.14, can the $10,000,000 auto liability requirement be met with a combination of a $5,000,000 base policy and a $5,000,000 umbrella/excess policy?
A: Yes, that is acceptable.
Q (Pre-Proposal Meeting): If you were not able to attend the meeting 3/23, can you still submit a bid?
A: No, the pre-proposal meeting was mandatory so only those that attended can submit a proposal.
Q (7.5 Licensing & Compliance): The response section asks for a copy of a Motor Carrier Permit from DMV. These are issued to carrier of goods, not passenger carriers. Can we provide a copy of our certificate to operate from the Public Utilities Commission instead?
A: Proposers may submit their CPUC Charter-Party Carrier Operating Authority in lieu of a Motor Carrier Permit if their operation is regulated under CPUC authority rather than the DMV MCP program. However, proposers must still provide proof of all other required licenses and regulatory compliance applicable to school bus operations such as the following list: - Valid California School Bus Contractor Operating Authority - Current CHP Terminal Inspection (TIP) report showing Satisfactory rating - Valid Motor Carrier Permit (if applicable) - CPUC Charter-Party Carrier Permit (if applicable) - USDOT Number - Drivers hold Class B CDL with Passenger Endorsement + School Bus Certificate
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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