RFP #: 389-VEH-DCS26 Purchase of Vehicles

Location:	Mississippi
Posted:	Jan 16, 2026
Due:	Feb 17, 2026
Agency:	State Government of Mississippi
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	23 - Ground Effect Vehicles, Motor Vehicles, Trailers, and Cycles
Solicitation No:	77-20260115090312 DCSD
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NOTICE

The DeSoto County School District will accept sealed proposals until 9:00 am, CST, February 17, 2026, at the Office of

the Superintendent of Education, 5 E South Street, Hernando, MS 38632 for the purpose of purchasing the following:

RFP #:

Description:

389-VEH-DCS26

Purchase of Vehicles

Official bid documents can be downloaded from www.centralbidding.com. Electronic bids can be submitted free of

charge at www.centralbidding.com. For any questions regarding the electronic bidding process, please contact Central

Bidding at 833-412-5717 or email info@centralbidding.com.

In addition, RFP specifications and instruction forms may be obtained from the DCSD Department of Finance, 5 E.

South Street, Hernando, MS.

Jenifer Hale

Purchasing & Travel Manager

Email: dcs.purchasing@dcsms.org

Superintendent: Cory Uselton

Advertisement Dates: January 15 & 22, 2026

Procurement Schedule Timeline

The following is the tentative timetable for the procurement process.

Board Approval to Advertise

January 8, 2026

Send Advertisement to Paper

January 12, 2026

Newspaper Run Dates

January 15 & 22, 2026

Release of RFP

January 15, 2026

Submit RFP to Central Bidding

Deadline for Written

Clarifications/Questions

Addendum to be Issued to Respondents

DO NOT submit Proposal until after this date.

RFP DUE DATE

Please upload to Central Bidding free of

charge.

January 15, 2026

On or before January 30, 2026, 10:00 a.m., CST

On or before February 6, 2026

February 17, 2026, 9:00 a.m., CST

RFP Evaluations

Beginning after RFP Open

Intent to Award

On or before February 25, 2026

Submit to DCSD Board

Before February 26, 2026

Approval of Award by DCSD Board

March 5, 2026

Submit for MDE Approval

Purchase Order to be submitted

March 6, 2026

Upon MDE and Board Approval (Tentatively, March

9, 2026)

SECTION 1

RFP INSTRUCTIONS

1.1 Proposal and Acceptance Period

The Proposal may be signed and uploaded to Central Bidding (www.centralbidding.com) no

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later than the time and date specified for receipt of proposals. This is free of charge and is

DCSD’s preferred method. For any questions relating to the electronic bidding process, please

call Central Bidding at 225-810-4814. Please make sure to submit your proposal as one

document. However, the Vendor has the option to submit the Proposal in a sealed envelope

or package to 5 E. South Street, Hernando, MS 38632.

Timely submission of the proposal is the responsibility of the Vendor. Proposals

received after the specified time shall be rejected and returned to the Vendor unopened.

When mailing and to prevent premature opening, use the mailing label provided in the

RFP. When received by the DCSD, the time and date of receipt will be marked on the

outside of the envelope of package by the DCSD.

The DCSD Board of Education reserves the right to reject any and/or all Proposals. Likewise,

failure to submit all required information or to include required documents may be cause for

rejection of the proposal as non-responsive. The DCSD may, but is not obligated to, consider

the omission of any information requested as an informality or irregularity when, in their

opinion, the omitted information does not alter the amounts contained in the submitted

proposal or place other Vendors at a disadvantage. The right is reserved to award the

Proposal, if awarded, within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of proposal open date.

1.2 Pre-proposal Conference

There will not be a Pre-proposal Conference.

1.3 RFP Clarification, Deadline, and Acknowledgment

If a Vendor discovers any significant error, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in the

Request for Proposals, the Vendor should immediately notify the Purchasing Agent. All questions

must be submitted in writing. Clarifications to RFP specifications will be accepted and given

a response until the deadline noted on the Procurement Schedule. Per MS Code 31-7-13 (c)

(ii), no addendum to bid specifications may be issued within two (2) working days of the time

established for the receipt of bids unless such addendum also amends the bid opening to a date

not less than five (5) working days after the date of the addendum.

After the deadline shown above, no more specification questions will be accepted. Until the

deadline, please submit any specification questions in writing to:

Jenifer Hale

Email: DCS.Purchasing@dcsms.org

It is the Vendor’s responsibility to ensure receipt of all addenda. Please do not submit your

Proposal until after the date noted in the Procurement Schedule. Vendors shall acknowledge

receipt of any addenda to this solicitation by noting acknowledgement on the RFP Signature Form

contained herein. The RFP Signature Form shall be submitted as part of the Vendor’s response.

Failure to list any addenda as received may result in the rejection of the proposal.

1.4 RFP Proposal Open Force Majeure

If DCSD is closed for any reason, including but not limited to: acts of God, lockouts, riots, acts of

war, epidemics, government regulations superimposed after the fact, fire, earthquakes, ice, snow,

floods or other natural disasters (the “Force Majeure Events”), which closure prevents the opening

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of bids at the advertised date and time, all proposals received shall be openedon the next business

day that the DCSD shall be open and at the previously advertised time. The new date and time of

the RFP opening, as determined in the accordance with the paragraph, shall be advertised, and

all Vendors, upon submission of a proposal, shall be deemed to have knowledge of and shall have

agreed to the provisions of this paragraph. Proposals shall be received by the DCSD until the new

date and time of the RFP opening as set forth herein. The DCSD shall not be held responsible for

the receipt of any proposals for which the delivery was attempted and failed due to the closure of

the DCSD because of a Force Majeure Event. Each Vendor shall be required to ensure the delivery

and receipt of its proposal by the DCSD prior to the new date and time of the RFP opening.

1.5 Preparation of RFP

Unless otherwise stated, all information and/or questions in the RFP pages shall be correctly filled

in, either typed in or printed in ink. Vendors shall acknowledge receipt of each addendum issued

in the space provided on the RFP Signature Form. If handwritten, Vendors are warned against

making any erasures or alterations of any kind, and proposals that contain omissions, erasures,

conditions, or alterations may be rejected. All erasures or written corrections must be initialed by

the Vendor. The Vendor will not be allowed additional compensation for failure to be so informed.

Failure to examine any Proposal requirements, specifications, and/or instructions will be at the

Vendor’s risk.

1.6 Sample/Demo

Not Applicable to this RFP.

1.7 Cost-Proposal Form

All pricing must be submitted on the Official Proposal Form that is included in this RFP and per

specifications. The Unit Cost must be all inclusive and per the specifications, including vehicle,

warranty, title fee, and delivery. If applicable to the RFP, if there is an error in the extended price,

the unit price shall prevail.

Failure to complete each required field and sign the Official Proposal Form may result in the

Vendor being deemed nonresponsive. The Vendor agrees that submission of a signed

Proposal Form is certification that the Vendor will accept an award made to it as a result of the

submission.

If handwritten, Vendors are warned against making any erasures or alterations of any kind, and

bids that contain omissions, erasures, conditions, or alterations may be rejected. All erasures or

written corrections must be initialed by the Vendor.

1.8 Quantities

The DCSD reserves the right to adjust the quantities stated in the RFP. Available funding versus

prices quoted may affect actual quantities ordered. The DCSD may choose to increase or decrease

quantities stated in the RFP depending on the circumstance.

1.9 Receipt, Registration, and Opening of Proposals

If not electronically uploaded to Central Bidding, Proposals shall be time-date stamped upon

receipt and registered as an official received proposal. The Opening of Proposals will be

opened to the public but only names and amounts will be read aloud. Proposals will not be

disclosed to unauthorized persons prior to awarding the contract. Proposal’s will be opened

and taken under advisement to be reviewed and evaluated in accordance with the stated

criteria. After award of the contract, all Proposals shall be open to public inspection, subject

to any continuing prohibition under disclosure of confidential data, which is designated as such

in a proposal, and which is consistent with the laws of the State of MS.

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1.10 Negotiations

N/A

1.11 Rejection of Proposals

Proposals that do not conform to the requirements set forth in this Request for Proposals may

be rejected by the DCSD. Proposals may be rejected for reasons that include, but are not

limited to, the following:

1.11.1 The proposal contains unauthorized amendments to the requirements of the Request for

Proposals.

1.11.2 The proposal is conditional.

1.11.3 The proposal is incomplete or contains irregularities, which make the proposal indefinite

or ambiguous.

1.11.4 The proposal is received late.

1.11.5 The proposal is not signed by an authorized representative of the Vendor.

1.11.6 The proposal is not submitted on the RFP’s Official Proposal Form.

1.11.7 The proposal contains false or misleading statements or references.

1.12 Expenses Incurred

The DCSD accepts no responsibility for any expense incurred by the Vendor in the

preparation or presentation of a proposal. Such expenses shall be borne exclusively by the

Vendor.

1.13 Proprietary Information

Proprietary Information shall mean information owned by the Vendor to which the Vendor claims

an interest to be protected under law. Proprietary Information is information which qualifies as

a trade secret, or any material which can be kept confidential under Mississippi’s Public

Records Act, Title 25, Chapter 61, Mississippi Code of 1972. To be deemed “Proprietary

Information” for purposes of the Proposal, any such information must be appropriately marked

as “Proprietary” at the time of disclosure. Requests to review the proprietary information will

be handled in accordance with applicable legal procedures. Pricing is not proprietary.

1.14 Registration with Mississippi Secretary of State

By submitting a proposal, the Vendor certifies that it is registered to do business in the State

of Mississippi as prescribed by the Mississippi Secretary of State or, if not already registered,

that it will do so within seven (7) business days of being offered an award. Sole proprietors

are not required to register with the Mississippi Secretary of State.

1.15 Debarment

By submitting a proposal, the Vendor certifies that it is not currently debarred from submitting

proposals for contracts issued by any political subdivision or agency of the State of Mississippi

or Federal Government and that it is not an agent of a person or entity that is currently debarred

from submitting proposals for contracts issued by any political subdivision or agency of the

State of Mississippi.

1.16 Form of Contract

The contract shall be an all-inclusive unit price. The complete Contract shall consist of the Vendor’s

Request for Proposal, including Addendums.

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SECTION 2

VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS

2.1 Purpose

The DCSD is seeking established dealers to provide four (4) brand new vehicles for use in the

DCSD fleet. The new vehicles shall be defined as vehicles from the 2026 and 2025 model year

for the proposed manufacturer and model and that have not been previously sold, leased,

loaned, or used as a demo vehicle. Vehicle purchases may be awarded to one single vendor

or on an individual basis. If the awarded vendor cannot fulfill the entire quantity of requested

vehicles, DCSD reserves the right to move to the next vendor and make multiple awards in

order to fulfill the requested number of vehicles.

2.2 Vehicle Specifications

4 (4) brand new 2026 or 2025 Ford F150s or Chevrolet ½ ton trucks (Per Manufacturer

Standards) or approved equal. No hybrids will be accepted.

Minimum Requirements:

• Vehicles shall be equipped with all standard equipment/options as specified by the

manufacturer for the vendor’s model being offered.

• All items shall be factory installed.

• 4-door Crew Cab

• 5.0L V8 gas engine

• Automatic Transmission

• Keyless Entry, 2 keys

• Tilt

• Power Steering

• Air conditioning

• Cruise

• Radio

• 2-wheel drive

• Trailer tow package

• Power windows and door locks

• Power brakes

• Cloth seats

• Non-Carpeted floorboards

• Full Size Underbody Spare

• 5.5 bed with spray in bedliner

• Tinted Glass

• Exterior Body Color: White

• Interior Color: Space Gray, or a color option approved by the DCSD

• Manufacturer Warranty

• Price shall include title fee

• Hold vehicle and pricing for 30 days to provide sufficient time for the approval process

and issuance of purchase order. DCSD’s anticipated time is by March 9th.

• Delivery FOB Point

• DCSD is tax exempt

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This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Smart Number	77-20260115090312 DCSD	Advertised Date	01/16/2026 12:00 PM
RFx #	3170034800	Submission Date	02/17/2026 9:00 AM
RFx Status	Open	Major Procurement Category	COMMODITIES
RFx Opening Date	N/A	Sub Procurement Category	EQUIPMENT - NON-TECHNOLOGY
RFx Type	MDA - RFx
Agency	MPTAP
RFx Description	The DeSoto County School District will accept sealed proposals until 9:00 am, CST, February 17, 2026, at the Office of the Superintendent of Education, 5 E South Street, Hernando, MS 38632 for the purpose of purchasing the following: RFP #: 389-VEH-DCS26

PRODUCT CATEGORY	PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
07006	Automobiles