Resident Transportation

Agency:	State of Vermont
State:	Vermont
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	V - Transportation, Travel and Relocation Services
Posted:	Mar 18, 2024
Due:	Apr 5, 2024
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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AGENCY/DEPT

133 State Street, 5th Floor | Montpelier VT 05633-8000

802-828-2211 phone |802-828-2222 fax

http://bgs.vermont.gov/purchasing

SEALED BID

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Resident Transportation

ISSUE DATE

QUESTIONS DUE

RFP RESPONSES DUE BY

March 18, 2024

March 26, 2024

April 5, 2024 – 1:30 PM (EST)

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES, AND ADDENDUMS

ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RFP WILL BE POSTED AT:

http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php

THE STATE WILL MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT INTERESTED PARTIES WITH

UPDATED INFORMATION. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH BIDDER TO

PERIODICALLY CHECK THE ABOVE WEBPAGEFOR ANY AND ALL NOTIFICATIONS,

RELEASES AND ADDENDUMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RFP.

STATE CONTACT:

E-MAIL:

Steven J. McClafferty, FHFMA, CSSGB, Finance Director

steven.mcclafferty@vermont.gov

1. OVERVIEW:

1.1. SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Through this Request for Proposal (RFP) the Vermont

Veterans’ Home (hereinafter the “State”) is seeking to establish contracts with one or more

companies that can provide Transportation for Veterans and Members for local and non-local

visits for clinical and non-clinical appointments. Local is defined as Bennington, Pownal, North

Bennington and Shaftsbury. Examples of non-local transports include Albany, NY; White River

Junctions, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center; Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, MA;

Boston, MA; Rutland, VT and Albany Medical Center.

1.2. CONTRACT PERIOD: Contracts arising from this RFP will be for a period of Five Years

with an option to renew for up to two additional twelve-month periods. The State anticipates the

start date for such contract(s) will be July 1, 2024 and end on June 30, 2029.

Revised: December 27, 2023

Page 1 of 19

1.3. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT: All communications concerning this RFP are to be

addressed in writing to the State Contact listed on the front page of this RFP. Actual or

attempted contact with any other individual from the State concerning this RFP is strictly

prohibited and may result in disqualification.

1.4. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD: Any bidder requiring clarification of any section of

this RFP or wishing to comment on any requirement of the RFP must submit specific questions

in writing no later than the deadline for question indicated on the first page of this RFP.

Questions may be e-mailed to the point of contact on the front page of this RFP. Questions or

comments not raised in writing on or before the last day of the question period are thereafter

waived. At the close of the question period a copy of all questions or comments and the State's

responses will be posted on the State’s web site http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php .

Every effort will be made to post this information as soon as possible after the question period

ends, contingent on the number and complexity of the questions.

1.5. CHANGES TO THIS RFP: Any modifications to this RFP will be made in writing by the State

through the issuance of an Addendum to this RFP and posted online at

http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php . Modifications from any other source are not to be

considered.

2. DETAILED REQUIREMENTS/DESIRED OUTCOMES:

2.1.

The State of Vermont is interested in obtaining bids to meet the following business

need(s): to transport residents of the Vermont Veterans’ Home to their clinical and non-clinical

appointments. These appointments may be in the local Bennington, Vermont area or out of state

or within the borders of the State of Vermont.

3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

3.1. PRICING: Bidders must price the terms of this solicitation at their best pricing. Any and all

costs that Bidder wishes the State to consider must be submitted for consideration. If

applicable, all equipment pricing is to include F.O.B. delivery to the ordering facility. No

request for extra delivery cost will be honored. All equipment shall be delivered assembled,

serviced, and ready for immediate use, unless otherwise requested by the State.

3.1.1. Prices and/or rates shall remain firm for the initial term of the contract. The pricing policy

submitted by Bidder must (i) be clearly structured, accountable, and auditable and (ii) cover the

full spectrum of materials and/or services required.

3.1.2. Cooperative Agreements. Bidders that have been awarded similar contracts through a

competitive bidding process with another state and/or cooperative are welcome to submit the

pricing in response to this solicitation.

3.2. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS: The State shall have the authority to evaluate Responses and

select the Bidder(s) as may be determined to be in the best interest of the State and consistent

with the goals and performance requirements outlined in this RFP. The State of Vermont

reserves the right to obtain clarification or additional information necessary to properly

evaluate a proposal. Failure of bidder to respond to a request for additional information or

clarification could result in rejection of that bidder's proposal. To secure a project that is

deemed to be in the best interest of the State, the State reserves the right to accept or reject any

and all bids, in whole or in part, with or without cause, and to waive technicalities in

submissions. The State also reserves the right to make purchases outside of the awarded

contracts where it is deemed in the best interest of the State.

Revised: December 27, 2023

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3.2.1. Best and Final Offer (BAFO). At any time after submission of Responses and prior to the

final selection of Bidder(s) for Contract negotiation or execution, the State may invite

Bidder(s) to provide a BAFO. The state reserves the right to request BAFOs from only those

Bidders that meet the minimum qualification requirements and/or have not been eliminated

from consideration during the evaluation process.

3.2.2. Presentation. An in-person or webinar presentation by the Bidder may be required by the

State if it will help the State’s evaluation process. The State will factor information presented

during presentations into the evaluation. Bidders will be responsible for all costs associated

with providing the presentation.

3.3. WORKER CLASSIFICATION COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS: In accordance with

Section 32 of The Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54), Bidders

must comply with the following provisions and requirements.

3.3.1. Self Reporting: For bid amounts exceeding $250,000.00, Bidder shall complete the

appropriate section in the attached Certificate of Compliance for purposes of self-reporting

information relating to past violations, convictions, suspensions, and any other information

related to past performance relative to coding and classification of workers. The State is

requiring information on any violations that occurred in the previous 12 months.

3.3.2. Subcontractor Reporting: For bid amounts exceeding $250,000.00, Bidders are hereby

notified that upon award of contract, and prior to contract execution, the State shall be

provided with a list of all proposed subcontractors and subcontractors’ subcontractors,

together with the identity of those subcontractors’ workers compensation insurance

providers, and additional required or requested information, as applicable, in accordance with

Section 32 of The Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54). This

requirement does not apply to subcontractors providing supplies only and no labor to the

overall contract or project. This list MUST be updated and provided to the State as additional

subcontractors are hired. A sample form is available online at

http://bgs.vermont.gov/purchasing-contracting/forms. The subcontractor reporting form is

not required to be submitted with the bid response.

3.4. EXECUTIVE ORDER 05-16: CLIMATE CHANGE CONSIDERATIONS IN STATE

PROCUREMENTS:

For bid amounts exceeding $25,000.00 Bidders are requested to complete the Climate Change

Considerations in State Procurements Certification, which is included in the Certificate of

Compliance for this RFP.

After consideration of all relevant factors, a bidder that demonstrates business practices that

promote clean energy and address climate change as identified in the Certification, shall be given

favorable consideration in the competitive bidding process. Such favorable consideration shall be

consistent with and not supersede any preference given to resident bidders of the State and/or

products raised or manufactured in the State, as explained in the Method of Award section. But,

such favorable consideration shall not be employed if prohibited by law or other relevant

authority or agreement.

3.5. METHOD OF AWARD: Awards will be made in the best interest of the State. The State

may award one or more contracts and reserves the right to make additional awards to other

compliant bidders at any time if such award is deemed to be in the best interest of the State.

All other considerations being equal, preference will be given first to resident bidders of the

Revised: December 27, 2023

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state and/or to products raised or manufactured in the state, and then to bidders who have

practices that promote clean energy and address climate change, as identified in the applicable

Certificate of Compliance.

3.5.1. Evaluation Criteria: Consideration shall be given to the Bidder’s project approach and

methodology, qualifications and experience, ability to provide the services within the defined

timeline, cost, and/or success in completing similar projects, as applicable, and to the extent

specified below.

• Understanding of work

• Working with veterans

• Reliability/Flexibility

• Geriatric Experience

• Cost/Pricing

3.6. CONTRACT NEGOTIATION: Upon completion of the evaluation process, the State may

select one or more bidders with which to negotiate a contract, based on the evaluation findings

and other criteria deemed relevant for ensuring that the decision made is in the best interest of

the State. In the event State is not successful in negotiating a contract with a selected bidder,

the State reserves the option of negotiating with another bidder, or to end the proposal process

entirely.

3.7. COST OF PREPARATION: Bidder shall be solely responsible for all expenses incurred in

the preparation of a response to this RFP and shall be responsible for all expenses associated

with any presentations or demonstrations associated with this request and/or any proposals

made.

3.8. CONTRACT TERMS: The selected bidder(s) will be expected to sign a contract with the

State, including the Standard Contract Form and Attachment C as attached to this RFP for

reference.

3.8.1. Business Registration. To be awarded a contract by the State of Vermont a bidder (except

an individual doing business in his/her own name) must be registered with the Vermont

Secretary of State’s office https://sos.vermont.gov/corporations/registration/ and must obtain a

Contractor’s Business Account Number issued by the Vermont Department of Taxes

http://tax.vermont.gov/ .

3.8.2. The contract will obligate the bidder to provide the services and/or products identified in its

bid, at the prices listed.

3.8.3. Payment Terms. Percentage discounts may be offered for prompt payments of invoices;

however, such discounts must be in effect for a period of 30 days or more in order to be

considered in making awards.

3.8.4. Quality. If applicable, all products provided under a contract with the State will be new

and unused, unless otherwise stated. Factory seconds or remanufactured products will not be

accepted unless specifically requested by the purchasing agency. All products provided by

the contractor must meet all federal, state, and local standards for quality and safety

requirements. Products not meeting these standards will be deemed unacceptable and

returned to the contractor for credit at no charge to the State.

Revised: December 27, 2023

Page 4 of 19

3.9. LEGAL SERVICES: If this RFP seeks a contract for legal services, the following

requirements shall apply.

3.9.1. Bidders shall disclose any matters adverse to the State.

3.9.2. Bidders shall be in good standing with their relevant authority.

3.9.3. The selected bidder(s) must agree to the following additional provisions in any contract

resulting from this RFP:

• Professional Liability Insurance – Before commencing work on this contract and

throughout the term of this contract, contractor shall procure and maintain professional

liability insurance for any and all services performed under this contract, with

minimum coverage of $1,000,000.00 per claim and $1,000,000.00 aggregate.

• Legal services – Contractor will be providing legal services under this contract. Contractor

agrees that during the term of the contract he or she will not represent anyone in a

matter, proceeding, or lawsuit against the State of Vermont or any of its agencies or

instrumentalities. After termination of this contract, contractor also agrees that he or

she will not represent anyone in a matter, proceeding, or lawsuit substantially related to

this contract.

3.9.4. Final award of contract will be contingent upon prior written approval of the Vermont

Attorney General’s Office, as required by Agency of Administration Bulletin 17.10.

4. CONTENT AND FORMAT OF RESPONSES: The content and format requirements listed below

are the minimum requirements for State evaluation. These requirements are not intended to limit the

content of a Bidder’s proposal. Bidders may include additional information or offer alternative

solutions for the State’s consideration. However, the State discourages overly lengthy and costly

proposals, and Bidders are advised to include only such information in their response as may be

relevant to the requirements of this RFP.

4.1. The bid should include a Cover Letter and Technical Response and Price Schedule.

4.2. COVER LETTER:

4.2.1. Confidentiality. To the extent your bid contains information you consider to be proprietary

and confidential, you must comply with the following requirements concerning the contents

of your cover letter and the submission of a redacted copy of your bid (or affected portions

thereof).

4.2.2. All responses to this RFP will become part of the contract file and will become a matter of

public record under the State’s Public Records Act, 1 V.S.A. § 315 et seq. (the “Public

Records Act”). If your response must include material that you consider to be proprietary and

confidential under the Public Records Act, your cover letter must clearly identify each page

or section of your response that you consider proprietary and confidential. Your cover letter

must also include a written explanation for each marked section explaining why such

material should be considered exempt from public disclosure in the event of a public records

request, pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 317(c), including the prospective harm to the competitive

position of the bidder if the identified material were to be released. Additionally, you must

include a redacted copy of your response for portions that are considered proprietary and

confidential. Redactions must be limited so that the reviewer may understand the nature of

the information being withheld. It is typically inappropriate to redact entire pages, or to

redact the titles/captions of tables and figures. Under no circumstances may your entire

Revised: December 27, 2023

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This is the opportunity summary page. You are currently viewing an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation. For more information, please visit the Publication URL Web page.

TITLE	QUESTIONS DUE	ANSWERS POSTED	DUE DATE	NO POSTING AFTER
Resident Transportation	03/26/2024 04:30PM		04/05/2024 01:30PM

Resident Transportation

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