RFP #26-03 ? Reloadable cEMV Transit-Parking Payment Cards

Location:	California
Posted:	Mar 6, 2026
Due:	Mar 13, 2026
Agency:	Monterey-Salinas Transit
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	81 - Containers, Packaging, and Packing Supplies
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Joint Request for Proposals

#26-03

Reloadable cEMV Transit/Parking Payment Cards

RFP #26-03 SCHEDULE

Issue Date:

Friday, January 23, 2026

Question Submission Deadline:

Friday, February 6, 2026 by 12:00 PM

Deadline to Submit Proposals:

Friday, March 13, 2026 by 2:00 PM

Demos:

Week of April 20, 2026

Monterey-Salinas Transit

19 Upper Ragsdale Drive, Suite 200

Monterey, CA 93940

22360844.8

Joint Request for Proposals For

Reloadable cEMV Transit/Parking Payment Cards

BACKGROUND

The Monterey-Salinas Transit District (MST), Ventura County Transportation Commission,

Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority, Santa Barbara County Association of Governments,

Humboldt Transit Authority, San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority, Nevada County

Transit Services, Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District, the Santa Cruz Metropolitan

Transit District, and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (collectively referred to

as "Agencies" and individually as "Agency") request proposals from qualified firms (Proposers)

for reloadable contactless EMV (cEMV) cards to be used exclusively for public transit and

parking payment services. Through this joint Request for Proposals (RFP), the Agencies seek to

deploy a solution for riders who do not or cannot use a bankcard or mobile wallet by providing

an option to load cash onto a physical and/or digital cEMV payment card that is accepted by the

Agencies’ cEMV payment acceptance devices. This solution is intended to replace the Agencies'

closed loop card and be available to riders who currently pay with cash onboard transit vehicles,

at parking meters, and at off-street parking locations.

SOLICITATION TIMELINE

Proposals must be received by MST NO LATER THAN 2:00 PM, Pacific Time on Friday,

March 13, 2026. Any submissions received past this deadline will be considered non-responsive

and will not be accepted. Proposals must be submitted through Monterey-Salinas Transit

District’s Bonfire eProcurement portal. If you are not already registered, please do so at

www.mst.org/procurement and select “Become a Vendor.”

DESIGNATED PROCUREMENT CONTACT

For general questions, please contact Steven Bruno, Purchasing Agent at 831-264-5884 or

sbruno@mst.org.

ATTACHMENTS

The following attachments are hereby made part of this Request for Proposals (RFP) #26-03:

Appendix A – Sample Contract

Appendix A.01 – Federal Requirements

Appendix A.02 – Data Privacy and Security Requirements

Appendix B – Required Forms

Appendix B.01 – Certification of Contractor Regarding Debarment, Suspension,

and Other Responsibility Matters

Appendix B.02 – Federal Tax Delinquency and Conviction Certification

Appendix B.03 – Certification of Restrictions on Lobbying

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Appendix B.04 – MST Bidder Form

Appendix B.05 – Non-Collusion Affidavit

Appendix B.06 – Proposer's Statement Regarding Insurance Coverage

Appendix B.07 – Proposer Information Sheet

Appendix B.08 – Exceptions to the Sample Contract

Appendix B.09 – Subcontractor's Statement of Eligibility

Appendix B.10 – Cost Proposal

Appendix B.11 – Technical Requirements Form

GENERAL INFORMATION

I. JOINT PROCUREMENT

This RFP is a joint procurement of the Agencies. MST is leading and administering

the RFP on behalf of the Agencies. The Scope of Services includes the quantity of

cards and service requirements that each Agency needs based on each Agency's

reasonably expected needs as of the date the RFP was issued. MST will recommend

award of a contract to a Selected Proposer based on the Evaluation Criteria set forth

herein.

Each Agency may, but is not required to, enter into a contract with the Selected

Proposer, consistent with the terms and conditions of this RFP and the Selected

Proposer's proposal, for an Agency's respective cards and services, as specified in the

Scope of Services and Appendix C, subject to each Agency's internal approval

processes and available funding.

MST will in no event be responsible for any claims, demands, losses, damages,

compensation, or actions of any kind arising from or in any way related to contracts

executed by the other Agencies as a result of this RFP.

II. SAMPLE CONTRACT

The Selected Proposer will be required to execute a contract, a sample of which is

included in Appendix A – Sample Contract, with one or more Agencies, consistent

with the terms and conditions of the RFP and the Selected Proposer's proposal.

Proposers must review all of the terms and conditions in the Sample Contract.

Submittal of a proposal will be deemed acceptance of all of the terms set forth in the

Sample Contract unless the Proposer includes any modifications requested to the

Sample Contract in Appendix B.08 – Exceptions to the Sample Contract. All requests

for exceptions must be listed in Appendix B.08, separately identified by section in the

Sample Contract, and include the requested change in redline format and a the

justification for the change.

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MST reserves the right to request further clarification of any requested exception

during negotiations and to exclude unacceptable exception(s). No exceptions may be

requested after the deadline for the submittal of proposals.

The contract(s) resulting from this RFP may be paid for in part or in whole using

federal funds. The selected Proposer will be required to abide by all applicable local,

state, and federal laws, including but not limited to the Federal Requirements

provided in Exhibit A to the Sample Contract, in the performance of the contract.

Exhibit A to the Sample Contract is not negotiable; MST will not consider any

exceptions to Exhibit A to the Sample Contract.

In addition, proposers must not be Federally debarred or suspended from entering into

Federally funded contracts in order to be considered for contract award. This will be

verified using a search of the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). Any

proposer that is Federally debarred or suspended will be disqualified.

III. REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION OF RFP; ADDENDA

All requests for clarification regarding the meaning or interpretation of any part of

this RFP should be submitted on MST’s Bonfire Portal no later than 12:00 PM on

Friday, February 6, 2026.

Should MST determine that a clarification of the RFP is in order, MST will issue a

written addendum clarifying the matter, which will be posted on MST’s Bonfire

Portal. Each Proposer has an on-going responsibility to check the Bonfire website for

addenda. MST has no obligation to provide any other notice of addenda being issued.

MST's failure to respond to a request for clarification or modification will be deemed

to be a rejection of such request. Any MST determination on any Proposer request

will be final. Addenda issued for this RFP, if any, must be expressly acknowledged in

Proposer’s cover letter.

IV. COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS

All communications regarding this RFP should be only with the MST's Purchasing

Agent listed above. In particular, Proposers and Proposers’ representatives may not

communicate about this RFP with any other Agency staff or officer, director,

employee, or agent of an Agency, outside the procedures set forth in this RFP. Any

communication in violation of this section may be grounds for MST rejecting the

Proposer's proposal and subject to public disclosure. This section does not prohibit a

Proposer from making oral statements or presentations in public to one or more

Agency representatives during a public meeting.

V. CONFIDENTIALITY

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The California Public Records Act (CPRA) (Government Code Sections 7920.000 et

seq.) mandates public access to public records not exempt from disclosure under the

CPRA. Therefore, unless the information is exempt from disclosure by law, the

content of the proposal, as well as any other written communication between MST

and a Proposer, is a public record that must be made available to the public upon

request.

a. Confidentiality Index and Waiver of Claims

If the Proposer believes its proposal, any other communications with MST, or any

documents or materials of any kind provided to MST to supplement or explain its

proposal, or in response to any MST inquiry or request in connection with this RFP

("supplemental materials"), contains information exempt from disclosure under the

CPRA, including trade secrets or other proprietary information that the Proposer

believes would cause substantial injury to the Proposer’s competitive position if

disclosed, the Proposer must request that MST withhold from disclosure the exempt

information by submitting:

1. An unredacted copy of the proposal, communication and/or supplemental

materials marking each page containing such exempt information as

confidential; and

2. A redacted copy of the proposal, communication and/or supplemental

materials that redacts the purportedly exempt information; and

3. A "confidentiality index" that complies with the following requirements:

a. For proposals, the confidentiality index must include: (i) the section

and page number of the proposal where the information except from

disclosure is located; and (ii) an explanation of why the information is

exempt from disclosure under the CPRA.

b. For communications and supplemental materials, the confidentiality

index must include: (i) the section and page number of the

communication or supplemental document where the information

except from disclosure is located, as appropriate; and (ii) an

explanation of why the information is exempt from disclosure under

the CPRA.

4. A signed letter with the following statement: "By submitting this

[proposal/communication/supplemental material], Proposer agrees to

indemnify, defend, and hold harmless MST, its directors, officers, employees

and agents, from any and against all damages (including but not limited to

attorneys’ fees that may be awarded to the party requesting the Proposer

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

RFP #26-03 ? Reloadable cEMV Transit-Parking Payment Cards

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