Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) and Automated Voice Annunciation (AVA) Technology for the City of A

INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS
R. F. P. 26-35
AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATION (AVL) AND AUTOMATED VOICE ANNUNCIATION
(AVA) TECHNOLOGY FOR THE CITY OF ANNAPOLIS TRANSIT, ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
The Central Purchasing Office of the City of Annapolis is accepting sealed Proposals for
the procuring new Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) and Automated Voice Annunciation (AVA)
technology until 2:00 p.m., local time, Friday, May 29, 2026. Proposals shall be delivered or
emailed to the Central Purchasing Office, 25 Shaw Street, Annapolis, Maryland 21401,
bids@annapolis.gov. Late submittals shall not be accepted under any circumstances.
The scope of work includes, but is not limited to, providing hardware and compatible
software systems for automated aural stop announcements in accordance to the requirements
of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Interested parties are invited to attend a virtual pre-Proposal meeting on Wednesday,
April 29, 2026 at 1:30 p.m., local time, via Google Meet.
The City of Annapolis reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals, to waive informalities
as deemed appropriate by the City, to award multiple contracts, and to select the Proposal
deemed to be in the best interest of the City.
Charles M. "Mike" Garascia
Procurement Officer
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CITY OF ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATION (AVL) AND AUTOMATED VOICE ANNUNCIATION
(AVA) TECHNOLOGY FOR THE CITY OF ANNAPOLIS TRANSIT, ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
R. F. P. 26-35 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purchasing Definitions
Administrative & Selection Information
General Solicitation Provisions, Conditions and Clauses
Exceptions to Standard Documents
Federal Transportation Administration Clauses
Specifications (Project Description)
Bid Response Form
Affidavits
Non-Collusion Certificate
Sample Contract
Bid Bond
Attachments
Davis Bacon Wage Determination - Decision #2015-4265 Services
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CITY OF ANNAPOLIS
PURCHASING DEFINITIONS
Addenda or Addendum - Written or graphic instruments or documents issued prior to the
opening of Bids which clarify, correct or change the Bidding Documents or the Contract
Documents.
Administrative Information - The document which is entitled "Administrative & Selection
Information", and included as a part of the Bidding Documents.
Bid - A written submission or proposal including, but not limited to, price, terms of sale, and
description of work technical expertise, work experience, and any other information requested in
the Bidding Documents or on the Bid Forms, offered by a Bidder to the City for the work or services
to be performed pursuant to the Contract. May also be referred to as a "Proposal."
Bid Bond - The security required to be included in the Bid and furnished by the Bidder as a
guaranty of good faith to enter into a Contract with the City if awarded to the Bidder.
Bid Forms - The approved forms included in the Bidding Documents on which the City requires
the Bid to be set forth and submitted.
Bid Opening - The date and time set for the receipt of all Bids for a Solicitation, at which date
and time the City Procurement Officer, or his/her designee, shall open each received Bid.
Bid Price - The total dollar amount proposed by a Bidder as payment by the City in exchange for
the Bidder fulfilling the Contract.
Bidder - One who submits a Bid directly to the City, as distinct from a sub-bidder, who submits a
bid to a Bidder. May also be referred to as a "Proposer."
Bidding Documents - Documents that include these Definitions, the Bid Forms, the
Administrative Information, the Construction General Conditions, the General Solicitation
Provisions, Conditions and Clauses, the Specifications, and any and all proposed Contract
Documents, and including all Addenda issued prior to receipt of Bids.
Business Day - Every day shown on the calendar except Saturdays, Sundays and City holidays.
Calendar Day - Every day shown on the calendar, Saturdays, Sundays and City holidays
included.
City - City of Annapolis, Maryland, a municipal corporation of the State of Maryland, and any duly
authorized representative, agent, or employee.
Construction General Conditions - Those portions of the Bidding Documents that include
definitions, administrative details, instructions, terms and conditions specific to procurements
involving construction services, including, but not limited to, 00700 General Conditions of the
Construction Contract, and/or 00900 Exceptions to Standard Documents.
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Contract - The written agreement between the City and the Successful Bidder covering the work
or services to be performed, and including all other Contract Documents that may be attached to
or incorporated into the Contract and made a part thereof.
Contract Bonds - The performance bond, payment bond, maintenance bond, and/or any other
instruments of security required by the City for the Contract.
Contract Documents - The Contract, Addenda, the Bid, the Bidding Documents, the Contract
Bonds, and the Specifications together with all written amendments, modifications and
supplements issued pursuant to the Contract.
Contract Item - An item of work specifically described and for which a price, either unit or lump
sum, is required. It includes the performance of all work described in these Bidding Documents
or described in any Contract Documents.
Day - Calendar Day unless otherwise designated.
General Solicitation Provisions, Conditions and Clauses - The document which is entitled
"City of Annapolis Purchasing General Solicitation Provisions, Conditions and Clauses", and
included as a part of the Bidding Documents supplied by the City of Annapolis to prospective
bidders.
Solicitation - The "Request for Proposal (R.F.P.)", "Invitation for Bid (I.F.B.)" or other request by
the City inviting Bidders to submit Bids for specifically requested goods, services or other work.
Specifications - Those portions of the Bidding Documents and/or the Contract Documents
consisting of written technical descriptions of work, services, materials, equipment, construction
systems and/or standards and workmanship to be provided under the Contract, including all
administrative details applicable thereto, and any reference documents or appendices.
Successful Bidder - The lowest, qualified, responsible and responsive Bidder to whom the City
(on the basis of the City's evaluation as hereinafter provided) makes an award, and whose Bid
conforms in all material respects to the Bidding Documents, including, but not limited to, all
mandatory and essential requirements of the Bid.
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CITY OF ANNAPOLIS
ADMINISTRATIVE & SELECTION INFORMATION
1. GENERAL
A. This Administrative & Selection Information portion contains the instructions for the
contents and submittal of the Bid, and the selection criteria to be used by the City for the
selection of the Successful Bidder.
B. The terms "Bid", "Bidder" and "Bidding" may be used interchangeably with the terms
"Proposal", "Proposer" and "Proposing" in these Bidding Documents depending of the
nature of this Solicitation.
C. If this Solicitation includes a Construction General Conditions portion, then the
language and requirements in that Construction General Conditions portion shall
control and supersede any conflicting language and/or requirements in either this
Administrative & Selection Information portion or the General Solicitation
Provisions, Conditions, and Clauses portion.
D. The Bid for this Solicitation will consist of two components - the Qualifications/Technical
Proposal and the Price Proposal. Unless otherwise specified, the "Bid" as included in
these Bidding Documents shall mean both the Qualifications/Technical Proposal and the
Price Proposal.
2. INSTRUCTIONS AND FORMS
A. TRANSMITTED SUBMISSIONS THROUGH EMAIL (PREFERRED): Bidders submitting
the Bid packages electronically shall submit those packages to bids@annapolis.gov
prior to the Bid due time and date. Late Bids shall not be accepted. A separate version
of the Bid, redacted in accordance with Section 15 ("Proprietary Information") shall also
be added to the electronic copy provided.
B. HARD COPIES: Hard copies of the Bid are not required but Bidders may submit
hard copies in lieu of email submission. If submitting hard copies, provide one (1)
original Bid (marked as such) and one (1) copy of the Bid prior to the Bid due
time and date. All Bids are to be submitted on and in accordance with the Bid
Forms provided by the Central Purchasing Office. Bids may be submitted in sealed
envelopes, as appropriate. The Bidder shall clearly identify the Bid on each
envelope and/or package. Late Bids shall not be accepted. Bidders submitting
hard copies shall submit a CD-Rom or flash drive containing the entire, identical
hard copy of the Bid in addition to the hard copies above. A separate version of
the Bid, redacted in accordance with Section 15 ("Proprietary Information") shall
also be added to the electronic copy provided.
All hard copies and electronic copies of Bids shall be submitted to:
Charles M. "Mike" Garascia, Procurement Officer
City of Annapolis
Central Purchasing Department
25 Shaw Street
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
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C. Questions concerning this Solicitation should be directed to Charles M. ("Mike") Garascia,
City Procurement Officer at bids@annapolis.gov. Questions will be received until DATE
at TIME. Also include in the email in the cc: line Kwaku Agyemang-Duah at
kad@annapolis.gov.
D. Any Bidder finding any discrepancy in or omission from the Specifications, the Bidding
Documents or any Bid Forms, in doubt as to any meaning, or considering the
Specifications, the Bidding Documents or any Bid Forms, to be discriminatory shall notify
the City Procurement Officer in writing not less than five (5) business days prior to the
scheduled Bid Opening. Any exceptions stated by a Bidder pursuant to this Section shall
not obligate the City to make any change in the Specifications, the Bidding Documents,
any Bid Forms, or any resulting Contract. The City Procurement Officer shall notify all
Bidders in writing, by Addendum, of any substantial revisions to the Bidding Documents.
E. Additional information or clarification of any instruction or information contained herein
may be obtained from the Central Purchasing Office. The City shall not be responsible
for Bidders adjusting their Bids based on oral instructions by any member of the City staff
or by any City contracted consultant, agent or other City representative. All
correspondence or communication regarding these Bidding Documents shall only be
directed to, and shall only be issued by, the Central Purchasing Office. The only authorized
deviations from the Bidding Documents shall be by an authorized Addendum issued by
the Central Purchasing Office. All other deviations by a Bidder or Bid shall be subject to
rejection by the City.
F. Each Bid shall be accompanied by a notarized "Non-Collusion Certificate" and a notarized
"Affidavit of Qualification to Proposal Pursuant to Annotated Code of Maryland, State
Finance and Procurement Article, Section 16-311" each executed by a legally authorized
representative of the Bidder.
G. Unless multiple or alternate Bids are requested in the Bidding Documents, multiple or
alternate Bids shall not be accepted. However, if a Bidder clearly indicates a base Bid,
rather than multiple or alternate Bids, that base Bid may be considered for award, at the
City's discretion, as though it were the only Bid submitted by that Bidder.
H. These Bidding Documents create no obligation on the part of the City to award a Contract
or to compensate Bidders for Bid preparation expenses. All costs to prepare and submit
a Bid shall be borne by the Bidder.
3. AWARD OF CONTRACT
A. The City shall award the Contract to a responsible and responsive Bidder offering the best
value, as determined by the City Procurement Officer. Factors, other than Bid Price, may
be considered in making the Contract award, as determined in the City's sole discretion.
B. An evaluation committee selected by the City shall judge the merit of all Bids received in
accordance with these Bidding Documents and the criteria defined herein.
C. Failure of a Bidder to provide in its Bid any information requested by the Bidding
Documents may result in disqualification of the Bid by the City. It is the sole responsibility
of the Bidder to provide all required information as identified in the Bidding Documents.
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D. During the City's evaluation process of all Bids, the City may conduct discussions or
interviewers with Bidders who submit Bids determined to be reasonably susceptible of
being selected for award by the City; provided, however, that Bids may also be accepted
without any such discussions or interviews.
E. All Bids shall remain subject to City acceptance for forty-five (45) Days after the day of the
Bid opening, but the City, in its sole discretion, may release any Bid and accompanying
Bid Bond prior to that date.
F. "Tie Bids" are responsive Bids from responsible Bidders that are identical in price, terms,
and conditions, and which meet all the requirements and evaluation criteria set forth in the
Bidding Documents. In the City's sole discretion, the Bidders with the Tie Bids may be
required to re-submit revised Bids to the City, and an award, if any, shall be made by the
City based on such revised Bids.
4. RESERVATIONS
A. The City Procurement Officer reserves the right to reject any or all Bids or parts of Bids,
and waive informalities or technicalities in Bids as shall, in the City Procurement Officer's
discretion, be in the best interest of the City.
B. The City Procurement Officer reserves the right to award Contracts or place orders on a
lump sum or individual item basis, or such combination as shall, in the City Procurement
Officer's discretion, be in the best interest of the City and as applicable.
C. The City Procurement Officer may waive minor differences between a Bid and the
Specifications provided these minor differences do not violate the Specifications intent, or
materially affect the operation for which the item or items are being purchased, or increase
estimated maintenance, repair or other costs and expenses to the City.
D. The City reserves the right to negotiate in any manner necessary to best serve the public
interest, and to make a whole award, multiple awards, a partial award, or no award. The
City reserves the right to cancel this Solicitation, in whole or in part, as deemed necessary.
The City reserves the right to award a Contract based upon Bids received without further
negotiation and may do so, and Bidders shall not rely upon the opportunity to alter their
Bids at any time after submittal, including during discussions or interviews with the City, if
any.
5. AMENDMENTS TO BIDDING DOCUMENTS
A. In the event that revisions are made to any portion of the Bidding Documents, Addenda
shall be provided by the City to all Bidders who received the original Solicitation and are
registered on the "Bidders List" for this Solicitation. Bidders that did not receive the original
Solicitation directly from the City must furnish appropriate entity data and contact
information to the City Procurement Officer in order to receive any Addenda to the Bidding
Documents or this Solicitation. Questions will be accepted at bids@annapolis.gov
prior to 5:00 p.m. local time, Friday, May 15, 2026.
B. Any Addendum issued by the City shall be acknowledged by all Bidders in at least one (1)
of the following manners:
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i. Copies of all Addenda shall be attached to the Bid;
OR
ii. The appropriate Addenda are acknowledged on the "Bid Response Form".
C. Failure to indicate receipt of Addenda by a Bidder may result in rejection of that Bid as
non-responsive by the City.
6. BIDDER ABILITY
To demonstrate qualifications to respond to this Solicitation, each Bidder shall be prepared to
submit within five (5) Days of the City Procurement Officer's request written evidence, including,
but not limited to, financial data, previous experience, present commitments, and any other such
data as may be called for below, or as requested by the City Procurement Officer. Each Bid shall
contain evidence of the Bidder's qualification to do business in the State of Maryland or a covenant
to obtain such qualification prior to award of any Contract.
7. SUBCONTRACTORS
A. If, at the time of Bid submittal, any Bidder intends to subcontract any portion of the
Contract, the Bidder shall state the extent of such subcontracting on a separate sheet
attached to the Bid. Within five (5) business days upon request by the City, the Bidder
shall also submit a list of all subcontractors proposed to be used for the Contract, including
names, addresses, telephone numbers and business license numbers.
B. If the City, after due investigation, has reasonable objection to any proposed
subcontractor, the City may request the apparent Successful Bidder to submit an
acceptable substitute subcontractor without an increase in its Bid price before giving
Notice of Award. If the apparent Successful Bidder declines to make any such substitution,
its Bid may be rejected by the City, and the Successful Bidder would thereby sacrifice any
Bid security to the City as liquidated damages. Any subcontractor so listed and to whom
the City does not make written objection prior to giving Notice of Award shall be deemed
acceptable to the City.
C. Acceptance of any such subcontractor shall not constitute a waiver of any right of the City
to reject defective work, material or equipment, or work, material or equipment not in
conformance with the requirements of the Contract, or waiver of the City's right to later
consider any such subcontractor unacceptable for a reasonable cause.
8. COMPETITION
A. To better ensure fair competition and to permit a determination of the Successful Bidder,
the City may reject (1) a Bid if it shows any omission, irregularities, alteration of Bid Forms
and/or additions not called for, (2) conditional or unconditional unresponsive Bids, or (3)
Bids obviously unbalanced.
B. Specifications provided are based on City needs and uses, estimated costs of operation
and maintenance, and other significant or limiting factors to meet City requirements.
Minimum or maximum Specifications are not established arbitrarily to limit competition.
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C. If products to be provided to the City or to be used in providing any service to the City
contain any substances or materials that could be hazardous or injurious to a person's
health, a material safety data sheet (MSDS) shall be provided to the City Procurement
Office with the Bid.
9. DEVIATIONS FROM SPECIFICATIONS
A. All deviations from the Bidding Documents, the Specifications, and any sample Contract
shall be noted in detail by the Bidder in the Bid at the time of submission. The absence of
a written list of deviations at the time of Bid submission shall hold the Bidder strictly
accountable to the City for furnishing material, equipment and services in full accordance
with the Bidding Documents, the Specifications, and any sample Contract as written with
NO deviations. The City may reject any products, services or work not fully meeting the
Specifications and the Bidding Documents.
B. When an item is designated as "no substitutes" in the Bidding Documents and/or the
Specifications, only that brand/manufacturer and stock number shall be accepted by the
City. The City, however, may accept goods manufactured by the same manufacturer and
sold under a different competitive brand name.
C. If an item is not designated as "no substitutes", then the name of any manufacturer, trade
name, or vendor catalog number mentioned in the Specifications is for the sole purpose
of designating a standard of quality and type of product, and the City will still consider Bids
that designate other brands or other manufacturer's products. On such Bids that designate
other brands or products, the Bidder shall clearly indicate the product which is being
substituted or replaced, and shall supply a sample or sufficient data to enable an intelligent
comparison of the substitute or replacement product with the product designated in the
Specification. Catalog specification sheets and descriptive data shall be attached to the
Bid where applicable. Failure to submit the above information for substitute or replacement
products may be sufficient grounds for rejection of the Bid by the City.
D. No Bidder shall be allowed to offer more than one (1) price for each item even if though
the Bidder may believe that two (2) or more types or styles will meet the Specifications.
Bidders shall determine for themselves which of the two (2) or more possible types or
styles to offer as a part of their Bids. If a Bidder submits more than one (1) price on any
item, all prices for that item may be rejected at the discretion of the City Procurement
Officer.
10. DISPUTES OVER ITEM OR SERVICE
A. In cases of disputes as to whether or not an item or service quoted or delivered meets the
Bidding Document and the Specifications, the decision of the City Procurement Officer, or
his/her authorized representative, shall be final and binding on the Bidder. Prior to making
such a decision, the City Procurement Officer may request a written recommendation from
the head of the City agency or department using the materials or services, or other
objective sources.
B. Bidders desiring to appeal a decision of the Central Purchasing Office under this Section
10 shall deliver a written appeal as specified in Section 11, directly below.
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11. BID PROTESTS
STEP 1A - Bidder Protest of Award:
The Bidder must file a written Bid protest of award with the Procurement Officer not later than
three (3) business days after the release of the Notice of Award. A protest based on alleged
improprieties in the Solicitation which are apparent either before the Bid opening or before the
closing date for receipt of initial Bids shall be filed not later than three (3) business days before
the opening date. Oral objections, whether or not acted on, are not protests.
(a) Required Contents of Written Protest:
1. Name and address of protestor.
2. Bid number.
3. Reasons for protest.
4. Supporting exhibits, evidence or documents to support claim.
(b) Fee Schedule:
For Bids of $10,000.00 or more, there will be a "Protest Filing Fee" of $500.00. For Bids
under $10,000.00, there will be a "Protest Filing Fee" of $100.00.
STEP 1B - Bidder Protest of Bid Rejection:
The Bidder must file a written bid protest of Bid rejection with the City Procurement Officer not
later than three (3) business days from the date of its Bid rejection. Oral objections, whether or
not acted on, are not protests. The protest must comply with Step 1A(a), and shall be subject to
the fees in Step 1A(b).
STEP 2 - Procurement Response to Bidder Protest:
The City Procurement Officer will review the Bidder's protest and respond to the Bidder in writing
within ten (10) business days of receipt of protest.
STEP 3 - Bidder Appeal:
The Bidder may appeal the decision by the City Procurement Officer to the Director of Central
Services. The Bidder must file a written appeal not later than three (3) business days from the
date of the City Procurement Officer's response in Step 2. Oral objections, whether or not acted
on, are not appeals. The appeal must comply with Step 1A(a), but may include any additional
documentation as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Bidder.
STEP 4 - Director Response to Bidder Appeal:
The Director will review the Bidder's appeal, and respond to the Bidder in writing within fifteen
(15) business days of receipt of appeal.
STEP 5 - Second Bidder Appeal:
The Bidder may appeal the decision by the Director to the City Manager. The Bidder must file a
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