SLED Opportunity · OHIO · TOLEDO AREA REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY
AI Summary
TARTA seeks proposals to design and conduct a Community Value Survey to assess public transit perceptions and priorities, aiding strategic planning and community engagement.
This Request for Proposal (RFP) invites qualified firms to submit proposals to design and implement a Community Value Survey on behalf of the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA). The selected consultant will assist TARTA in identifying and measuring community perceptions, priorities, and the overall value of public transit services across the region. The project will include the development of a survey instrument, administration of the survey to key community and customer segments, and analysis of findings to help inform strategic planning, service improvements, and community engagement efforts.
Please upload your complete proposal here, including;
Non-Collusion Statement
Lobbying Certificate
Statement of Experience and Qualifications
All vendors doing $25,000 annually or more with TARTA MUST have a SAM registration. You can register by going to sam.gov or calling 1-866-606-8220
Please upload confirmation of registration here.
The party submitting this proposal confirms that they are authorized to do so by the Company noted in this proposal and has uploaded any signed documents required to show such authority. The submitting party further confirms that in compliance with this Request for Proposals and to all conditions imposed therein and hereby incorporated by reference, that by submitting, the Company noted in said proposal offers and agrees to furnish the services described herein in accordance with the attached proposal or as mutually agreed upon by subsequent negotiation.
Please upload your proposal without cost or pricing information here. Proposals submitted here shall not contain any pricing information and failure to comply with this may cause a proposal to be deemed nonresponsive. You will be submitting your pricing information in a separate section using a separate file in another portion of your submittal.
Your pricing information is required to be submitted completely separate from the rest of your proposal information. Please upload your pricing information here.
Do you wish to use an electronic pricing table with this RFP? Or do you wish for Proposers to submit their pricing as a form or page included with their proposal submittal in some other manner? Keep in mind that use of the electronic pricing table does not prevent you from obtaining a lump sum electronically and a further breakdown of pricing inside the individual proposals.
An answer of "Yes" here will enable the electronic pricing table for this project and will require at least 1 line item. An answer of "No" will disable the electronic pricing table for this particular project and allow you to obtain pricing solely within the submitted documents.
Will Addendum A for Federal Clauses be required for this project?
Do you wish to have proposals separate their pricing information into a separate file from the rest of the proposal? This is often used for Qualifications Based Evaluations where you are restricted from using cost as a basis for evaluation and scoring but are allowed to negotiate after opening the cost information for the highest rated Proposer.
An answer of "Yes" here will require Proposers to submit their pricing information separately. An answer of "No" here will receive pricing information along with the rest of the proposal.
Q (Survey Frequency & Long-Term Program Structure): The RFP references an “ongoing community value survey program with periodic reporting.” Could you clarify the anticipated frequency of survey waves (e.g., annual, biannual)?
A: For reporting we would like to see a minimum of biannual reporting.
Q (Evaluation Criteria Weighting): Can you confirm whether any weighting will be applied to the evaluation criteria outlined in Section 4? If so, could the relative weighting or prioritization of criteria be shared?
A: Evaluation criteria are points-based with a total of 100 possible points. Cost & Price: 40 Qualifications: 30 Project Plan: 20 Functional Requirements: 10
Q (Sample population): Is the intended survey sample population all residents/households within TARTA boundaries? Regardless of current or recent transit usage?
A: Yes
Q (Timeline): Please confirm the project timeline is three months following issuance of a Notice to Proceed.
A: We expect the vendor will provide service to TARTA promptly after being hired and that the effort will last approximately three (3) months, the contract will last for three (3) years with two (2) one (1) year options.
Q (Pricing): Is it TARTA's intent to conduct three annual surveys? And for the bidders to submit pricing for all three years?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Methodology): The RFP (page 5) states, “A survey program utilizing a written instrument is not acceptable.” Is this TARTA’s intent? Or will TARTA consider a data collection methodology that includes a printed survey instrument as well as electronic versions?
A: We will consider a methodology that includes printed survey instruments as well as electronic versions.
Q (Interviews): Does TARTA intend to conduct interviews with top-ranked bidders? If so, has TARTA identified a date/timeframe for such interviews? Would such interviews be conducted virtually or in-person?
A: No
Q (Budget): Has TARTA established a not-to-exceed amount for this project? If so, what is the amount?
A: No
Q (Data, Analytics & Decision Intelligence): 1. How does TARTA intend to utilize survey data beyond reporting to support ongoing strategic planning, service optimization, and policy decisions?
A: TARTA will use survey data to inform strategic planning, guide resource allocation, and support service optimization by identifying gaps, improving customer experience, and aligning services with community needs.
Q (Data, Analytics & Decision Intelligence): 2. Does TARTA have interest in incorporating predictive analytics (e.g., ridership trends, satisfaction forecasting, or scenario modeling) into the analysis?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Data, Analytics & Decision Intelligence): 3. Are vendors encouraged to integrate external datasets (e.g., demographic, mobility, or socioeconomic data) to enhance survey insights and benchmarking?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Data, Analytics & Decision Intelligence): 4. Would TARTA consider implementing real-time or continuously updated dashboards for monitoring community sentiment and survey results over time?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Data, Analytics & Decision Intelligence): 5. Does TARTA expect ongoing data pipelines for continuous survey programs or periodic one-time survey analysis?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Data, Analytics & Decision Intelligence): 6. What are the key success metrics and evaluation criteria beyond statistical validity that will define the success of the survey program?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Data, Analytics & Decision Intelligence): 7. How will innovation, analytics capabilities, and AI-driven insights be weighted in proposal evaluation?
A: Evaluation criteria are points-based with a total of 100 possible points. Cost & Price: 40 Qualifications: 30 Project Plan: 20 Functional Requirements: 10
Q (Behavioral & Community Intelligence): 8. Does TARTA expect deeper behavioral insights (e.g., transit usage patterns, decision drivers, or barriers to adoption) beyond standard survey responses?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Behavioral & Community Intelligence): 9. Is there interest in incorporating ground-level or real-world data (e.g., geo-tagged observations or community-based inputs) to validate and enrich survey findings?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Behavioral & Community Intelligence): 10. Would TARTA value advanced segmentation approaches (e.g., behavioral, geographic, or mobility-based segmentation) beyond standard demographic groupings?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Behavioral & Community Intelligence): 11. Is advanced sentiment analysis of open-ended responses (e.g., AI-driven theme detection) expected or considered value-added?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Behavioral & Community Intelligence): 12. What level of stakeholder or community engagement is expected as part of the survey process?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Geospatial & Location Intelligence): 13. Does TARTA expect geospatial analysis (e.g., route-level insights, service area mapping, or geographic patterns in perception) as part of the deliverables?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Geospatial & Location Intelligence): 14. Should survey data be linked with GIS systems or spatial datasets to support planning and service improvements?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Methodology & Data Collection Innovation): 15. To what extent are vendors encouraged to propose innovative data collection methods (e.g., mobile-first surveys, multimodal inputs such as image or video)?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Methodology & Data Collection Innovation): 16. Are there any constraints or preferences regarding survey delivery methods (e.g., in-person, phone, digital alternatives) to ensure statistically valid results?
A: No
Q (Methodology & Data Collection Innovation): 17. Will TARTA provide baseline or historical survey data for benchmarking and comparison?
A: This will be the first time a specific community value survey will be conducted. TARTA can provide historical survey data from other surveys conducted on customer satisfaction.
Q (Methodology & Data Collection Innovation): 18. What are the expected response rates and sample size targets across different customer and community segments?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Technology, AI & Platform Capabilities): 19. Is TARTA open to AI-enabled tools (e.g., automated insights, recommendation engines, or predictive dashboards) as part of the deliverables?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Technology, AI & Platform Capabilities): 20. What level of flexibility is expected for integrating third-party analytics platforms or Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) into the solution?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Implementation, Reporting & Performance Measurement): 21. What level of detail, format, and frequency is expected for reporting (e.g., dashboards, executive summaries, or public-facing outputs)?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Implementation, Reporting & Performance Measurement): 22. Does TARTA expect vendor support for presenting findings to stakeholders and translating insights into actionable strategies?
A: Yes
Q (Implementation, Reporting & Performance Measurement): 23. Are interim milestones, timelines, or phased deliverables required throughout the project period?
A: Yes
Q (Implementation, Reporting & Performance Measurement): 24. What level of training or knowledge transfer is expected for TARTA staff to support ongoing use of survey tools or analytics outputs?
A: TARTA expects the selected vendor to provide comprehensive training and knowledge transfer to ensure staff can independently utilize survey tools and interpret analytics outputs. This includes training sessions, clear documentation, and user-friendly guidance on survey administration and any related tools.
Q (Subcontracting & Partnerships): 25. Does TARTA allow or encourage subcontracting for specialized services such as data analytics, geospatial intelligence, or survey administration, and what is the approval process and any scope limitations?
A: It is the responsibility of the vendor to structure and submit their proposal in a manner they deem appropriate, provided it aligns with the requirements outlined in the solicitation.
Q (Commercial & Strategic Considerations): 26. Can proposers include optional value-added services (e.g., advanced analytics, dashboards, or continuous monitoring solutions) beyond the base scope for evaluation?
A: It is the responsibility of the vendor to structure and submit their proposal in a manner they deem appropriate, provided it aligns with the requirements outlined in the solicitation.
Q (Commercial & Strategic Considerations): 27. Should multiple pricing scenarios (e.g., phased, modular, or expanded scope options) be included in the proposal?
A: It is the responsibility of the vendor to structure and submit their proposal in a manner they deem appropriate, provided it aligns with the requirements outlined in the solicitation.
Q (Previous Survey Questionnaires and Reports): Can TARTA provide copies of previous questionnaires and reports to proposers?
A: No
Q (TARTA Ridership): Does TARTA know or have available what percentage of county residents ride TARTA?
A: No
Q (Established Rider Demographics): Does TARTA have any existing demographic information on riders, such as would be collected through OD surveys and/or from Title VI reporting?
A: We have community demographic information for Lucas County and Rossoford residents that can be found in our Titile VI report on our website.
Q (Executive Presentation): Should the proposer assume in-person or a virtual presentation of results to TARTA's executive team?
A: Proposers should assume both in-person or virtual presentations.
Q (Desired N-Sizes): Does TARTA have desired n-sizes in mind or is TARTA open to recommendations from the consultant?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Fixed Route and Microtransit Ridership/Sampling Plan): Can TARTA provide ridership by route and for microtransit for development of a sampling plan?
A: The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) expects the selected vendor to provide comprehensive training and knowledge transfer to ensure staff can independently utilize survey tools and interpret analytics outputs beyond the life of the contract. This should include hands-on training sessions, clear documentation, and user-friendly guidance on survey administration, data dashboards, and reporting functions.
Q (Language Accessibility): What languages do you recommend or would prefer the survey to be in, other than English?
A: Please refer to our Title IV report located on our website.
Q (Survey Execution Cadence): Understanding that there may be a need for future survey design and implementation, is this RFP for a single baseline survey? Is there a need to quote for additional surveys at this time, and if so, how many and at what cadence?
A: Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Previous Survey Comparisons): What types of surveys have been completed in the past and how many would need to be reviewed for comparison to this new survey?
A: TARTA has conducted customer experience surveys. Vendors are responsible for structuring and submitting their proposals in the manner they deem most appropriate and effective. Proposals should be organized at the vendor’s discretion, provided they fully address and align with the requirements, scope, and evaluation criteria outlined in this solicitation.
Q (Rider List Availability): Would we able to have access to ridership lists to solicit study participants, and if so, how many contacts are on this list?
A: No
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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