REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR HEAD START CHILDREN ATTENDING MUSKEGON COUNTY CENTERS

Agency:	Muskegon Area Intermediate School District
State:	Michigan
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	541611 - Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
Posted Date:	Feb 16, 2024
Due Date:	Mar 29, 2024
Bid Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
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MAISD Bid Requests

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR HEAD START CHILDREN ATTENDING MUSKEGON COUNTY CENTERS
RFP 2024

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District (MAISD) will accept proposals from interested transportation providers for the provision of transportation services to fulfill the needs and requirements of Head Start of Muskegon/Oceana, a free preschool program for children ages three and four from lower-income families with classroom locations throughout Muskegon County, Michigan.
The MAISD operates on an equal opportunity/affirmative action basis in its procurement policy and encourages small businesses, minority-owned, and woman-owned businesses to submit proposals.
Sealed proposals shall be mailed to the MAISD Educational Services Center, 630 Harvey Street, Muskegon, MI 49442, postmarked no later than Friday, March 29, 2024. Proposals should be directed to Mr. Stuart Jones, Executive Director of Early Childhood Services. Proposals received postmarked after this time will be returned unopened. The proposing entity’s name and address must appear on the outside of the envelope. The words “PROPOSAL FOR HEAD START TRANSPORTATION SERVICES” must also appear.

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Muskegon Area Intermediate School District

Head Start of Muskegon/Oceana

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND SPECIFICATIONS (RFP): TRANSPORTATION

SERVICES FOR HEAD START CHILDREN

ATTENDING MUSKEGON COUNTY CENTERS

FEBRUARY 2024

INSTRUCTIONS TO POTENTIAL PROVIDERS:

1) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District

(MAISD) will accept proposals from interested transportation providers for the provision of

transportation services to fulfill the needs and requirements of Head Start of

Muskegon/Oceana, a free preschool program for children ages three and four from

lower-income families with classroom locations throughout Muskegon County, Michigan.

2) The MAISD operates on an equal opportunity/affirmative action basis in its procurement

policy and encourages small businesses, minority-owned, and woman-owned businesses to

submit proposals.

3) Sealed proposals shall be mailed to the MAISD Educational Services Center, 630 Harvey

Street, Muskegon, MI 49442, postmarked no later than Friday, March 29, 2024. Proposals

should be directed to Mr. Stuart Jones, Executive Director of Early Childhood Services.

Proposals received postmarked after this time will be returned unopened. The proposing

entity’s name and address must appear on the outside of the envelope. The words

“PROPOSAL FOR HEAD START TRANSPORTATION SERVICES” must also appear.

4) Proposing entities are to submit:

a) a proposal in the form of a written narrative addressing at a minimum the

following subjects:

i. Describe present agency/business operations and transportation

experience, including a list of current entities for which the proposing

entity provides or has provided transportation services within the past five

years. Please include address(es) and phone number(s) of such entities.

ii. Describe specific plans/efforts to recruit qualified drivers to ensure an

adequate number of drivers to staff the Head Start program’s routes. Also

provide:

1. Pay scale range (low to high) of bus drivers.

2. Average hourly rate of bus drivers who would be employed to

serve Head Start routes.

iii. Describe proposed location(s), security, and storage of Head Start buses

when not in use.

iv. Plans/ability to provide mechanical maintenance, repair, and washing of

Head Start bus fleet.

v. Plans/ability to provide door-to-door routing of Head Start children. Note

that weekly route changes occur as children are added and dropped from

the program. Please describe staffing model, technology system, and

plans to minimize mileage on buses before and after picking up and

dropping off children.

vi. Describe proposed supervisory/management structure. Include staff titles,

brief description of duties, and the estimated hours dedicated to the

management/supervision of Head Start transportation.

vii. Report of any accident(s) sustained by the proposing entity within the past

five years in which there was property damage over $1,000 or in which

there was an injury or death.

viii. Describe any deviations from the stated specifications which are not

addressed on the worksheet.

b) Signed Byrd Anti-Lobbying and Equal Opportunity Employer certifications,

enclosed.

c) Completed and signed Head Start Transportation Proposal Worksheet, enclosed.

5) The contents of the RFP and the proposing entity’s response thereto shall be incorporated

into the contract upon mutually agreed negotiations, and if a contract ensues.

6) Proposals may be withdrawn at any time prior to the proposal opening date and time by

placing a withdrawal request in writing and submitting it to Stuart Jones, 630 Harvey Street,

Muskegon, MI 49442.

7) The proposal must remain valid for a minimum of ninety (90) days from the date cited

above.

8) Questions regarding proposal procedures, rules, content, specifications, requirements, etc.,

may be directed to Stuart Jones at (231) 767-7272.

9) Proposals will be opened not before Monday, April 1, 2024.

10) No award will be made at the time of opening.

11) Applicants may call the MAISD, (231) 767-7272, to obtain status after April 1, 2024.

12) Any errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the specifications discovered by a proposing

entity must be brought to the attention of the MAISD immediately. Such errors shall be

promptly corrected for all proposing entities and no proposing entity shall be permitted to

take advantage of or suffer harm from these errors.

13) Specifications and requirements provided here are intended to describe the desired service

and its parameters. An alternative may be offered, if deviations are clearly specified.

Failure to outline such deviations may be grounds for rejection of the proposal.

14) The MAISD will retain sole authority for determining what constitutes an acceptable

deviation from the specifications/requirements.

15) The MAISD reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals; reserves the right to

award the contract to other than the low proposing entity; reserves all rights granted to it by

law; and reserves the right to waive formalities and to take such action as it deems necessary

in the best interest of the MAISD and the Head Start Program.

16) The MAISD shall evaluate the proposal(s) and award the contract based upon the proposal

that is most advantageous to the MAISD. Factors to be considered shall be based on, but

not limited to, the following, the first three carrying the most importance:

▪ Price, net cost to the MAISD.

▪ Anticipated safety and efficiency of the transportation system.

▪ Experience, integrity, compliance with public policy, financial and technical

resources, and other qualifications of the proposing entities.

▪ Interview with potential providers by MAISD and/or local districts.

▪ Adherence to specifications and requirements.

17) The MAISD is not liable for any cost incurred by the proposing entity prior to signing of a

contract by all parties.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The following is a summary of the Head Start of Muskegon/Oceana transportation

program. The Head Start program is designed to offer educational, social, and other

opportunities to children between the ages of 3 and 5 years and their families. The federal

program serves children nationwide, prioritizing children from economically disadvantaged

families as well as children with special needs. The MAISD receives grant funds to operate this

program within Muskegon and Oceana counties. Eighty percent (80%) of the total costs of the

Head Start of Muskegon/Oceana program are financed with Federal grant dollars. Program

services are delivered through school districts at a variety of classroom sites. Program activities

begin each September and conclude in June; children move in and out of the individual sites - or

drop - throughout the school year. In Muskegon County, 602 children participate at twelve (12)

separate sites, eight (8) of which are anticipated to have bus transportation in the Fall of 2024. In

general, programs shall be operated at school district sites throughout the service area September

through early June, Monday through Thursday. The program averages sessions 140-145 days

per year depending on the number of cancellations for weather, etc. considerations.

The transportation service area is Muskegon County, Michigan. Morning programs

(approximately 8:00 a.m. to noon), afternoon programs (approximately noon to 4:00 p.m.), and

school day programs (approximately 8:00 to 4:30) are held. Refer to Appendix A for a list of the

identified program delivery sites, the programs held at each, and the number of bus runs.

Transportation routes are established to most effectively serve all groups.

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR HEAD START CHILDREN ATTENDING MUSKEGON COUNTY CENTERS

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