Road Salt 2026

Addendums / Modifications. In the event that it becomes necessary to revise, modify, clarify,
or otherwise alter this RFP, including AOT's responses to questions and requests for
clarification, such addendum(s)/modification(s) shall be posted to the AOT Contract
Administration website.
IT IS THE BIDDER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO OBTAIN ANY RFP MODIFICATIONS ISSUED.
RFP modifications will be posted on the AOT Contract Administration website at:
https://vtrans.vermont.gov/contract-admin/proposals-requests/services
Reservation of Rights. All proposals become the property of AOT upon submission. The
cost of preparing, submitting, and presenting a proposal is the sole expense of the Bidder.
Unselected proposals shall be securely disposed of at AOT's discretion. AOT reserves the
right to reject any and all proposals received as a result of this solicitation, to negotiate with
any qualified source, to waive any formality and any technicalities, or to cancel this RFP in part
or in its entirety if it is in the best interest of AOT. The state also reserves the right to make
purchases outside of the awarded contract where it is deemed in the best interest of that
state. This solicitation of proposals in no way obligates AOT to award a contract.
Exceptions to Terms and Conditions. The Bidder must state in the proposal any exceptions
taken to the terms and conditions in this RFP. For each exception the Bidder shall identify the
term or condition, state the reason for the exception, and provide any other information
concerning the exception. Such exceptions, deviations, or conditional assumptions may,
however, result in rejection of the proposal as unresponsive. Failure to note exceptions when
responding to the RFP will be deemed to be acceptance of the State contract terms and
conditions. If exceptions are not noted in the response to this RFP but raised during contract
negotiations, the State reserves the right to cancel the negotiation if deemed to be in the best
interests of the State.
Multiple Award Anticipated. AOT intends to select one or multiple Contractors to perform
these services. Each contract will contain one or more locations awarded to the contractor.
There will be only one contractor per location. Award of contract(s) will be pursuant to an
acceptable and responsible proposal. AOT will enter into contracts, with an initial term of four
(4) years with consideration for annual price adjustments, as well as the option of
extending for one additional 6-month period.
Anticipated Effective Date will be June 15, 2026 and will be active through November 30,
2030 when exercising the optional extension.
Additional Purchasers: In the Cost Proposal attached to this solicitation, proposals are
required to indicate whether other state agencies or departments, municipalities, political
subdivisions and independent colleges of the State may participate in the contract awarded at
the same prices, terms and conditions. Additional Purchasers will be limited to locations within
the districts in which the bidder is awarded a contract. The additional purchasers will
negotiate and enter into their own agreements directly with the Contractor. A list of
municipalities that have previously expressed interest is located at the end of Attachment A,
Scope of Work.

If bidder agrees to extend the State's contract terms and prices to political subdivisions of the
state (including, but not limited to, cities, towns, and school districts) and any institution of
higher education chartered in Vermont and accredited or holding a certificate of approval from
the State Board of Education, all such items furnished will be billed directly to and paid for by
the political subdivisions of the state (including, but not limited to, cities, towns, and school
districts) and any institution of higher education chartered in Vermont and accredited or
holding a certificate of approval from the State Board of Education. Financial obligations of the
State are limited to the orders placed by the departments and agencies of the State having
legally available funds. The State incurs no financial obligations on behalf of political
subdivisions of the state (including, but not limited to, cities, towns, and school districts) and
any institution of higher education chartered in Vermont and accredited or holding a certificate
of approval from the State Board of Education that purchase under a state contract resulting
from this solicitation.
Optional Alternate Proposal. In addition to standard delivery pricing, this solicitation
includes an optional opportunity for vendors to propose alternate solutions utilizing vendor-
owned storage and distribution facilities.
Base bids for delivery to State-owned facilities and any optional alternate proposals will be
evaluated separately. Submission of an alternate proposal is not required for a bid to be
considered responsive. See Scope of Work and Proposal Requirements for details.
Inability to Perform Scope of Services. If at any time the Bidder is unable to provide the
services as outlined in the scope of work, the State reserves the right to utilize another
contract holder to obtain the services and product. This will result in an amendment to the
other contract holder to include that location within their contract.
Maximum Amount. The maximum amount(s) for the contract(s) will be set at a level based
on the number of locations awarded and the anticipated need for each location. Payment is
based on products or services actually delivered or performed. The maximum amount for this
contract does not guarantee that the Contractor will receive all of the maximum amount. Any
quantities stated in the detailed requirements of this solicitation are estimates only based on
prior usage, and are annual quantities, unless otherwise stated. Actual purchases may be
higher or lower depending on the State's needs. Additional deliveries or fill-ups are not
guaranteed.
No work may be performed after the expiration date plus exercised extensions of the
applicable Contract. In exceptional circumstances where it might be mutually desired to have
work extend beyond the term of a Contract, written authorization will be needed, overseen by
AOT's Contract Administration, and authorized by the Secretary of Transportation, the
Agency's Chief Financial Officer, other State Representatives as required and Federal
oversight agencies as required. A formal amendment will be required for any such extension.
Confidentiality. Bidders are hereby expressly directed not to include any confidential
information in their proposal submissions, except as specifically identified in this RFP. By
submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, Bidders acknowledge and agree to abide by
the terms and conditions outlined in this document, including the prohibition on submitting
confidential information. This prohibition reduces the burden on the State while preventing
Bidders-confidential information from entering the public record. All Proposals received will

become part of the contract file and will become a matter of public record, and may be
disclosed to the public in accordance with the Vermont Public Records Act, 1 V.S.A. 315 et
seq. If the proposal documents include material that is considered by the Bidder to be
proprietary and confidential under 1 V.S.A. 315 et seq., the Bidder shall submit a cover
letter that clearly identifies each page or section of the proposal that it believes is proprietary
and confidential. The Bidder shall also provide in their cover letter 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, the Bidder must include a redacted copy of its 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 can the entire response be marked confidential, and the State
reserves the right to disqualify responses so marked.
Please be aware that all contracts solicited and/or contracted through VTBuys will be
uploaded to the VTBuys Public Portal, wherein it can be viewed by any interested party.
Hourly rates and other cost proposal information included in Attachment B Payment
Provisions of the contract awarded will be viewable.
PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS
The quality of proposals and adherence to solicitation response requirements and/or restrictions
are considered reflective of the manner in which the Bidder could be expected to conduct
business and will be given due consideration throughout the evaluation process.
Failure to provide all required information or indications that the Bidder did not conform to all terms
as set forth in the RFP and attachments may make the offer non-responsive and may result in
the elimination of the Bidder from further consideration for award.
Proposals or unsolicited revisions submitted after the specified due date and time will not be
accepted and will be securely disposed of.
Required Electronic Submittal Information
Proposals will only be received electronically via an FTP site. In order to upload your
proposal, you must obtain a user account. This account will be provided when Contract
Administration receives your request via email. If you already have credentials, you still need
to request access to this specific RFP folder, or you will be unable to submit your proposal.
Please submit your request for a user account by emailing the single point of contact listed in
this RFP above as soon as possible and no later than four (4) business days before the RFP
due date to ensure there is ample time to set up the user account(s). The subject of the email
should state "FTP Account Request for Road Salt 2026".

You will then receive login credentials and guidance (in separate emails) for uploading your
proposal. If you are unable to submit your documents by uploading to the specified FTP
site(s), please notify the sole point of contact for additional guidance.
When submitting your proposal(s), please use the following naming convention:
RoadSaltProposal_CompanyName_RoadSalt2026
Submit your proposals via the provided FTP site prior to 2:00 P.M. on Monday, May 11,
2026.
Public Proposal Opening: All proposals will be opened and read publicly on Monday, May
11, 2026, immediately after the 2:00 p.m. deadline. You may attend in person at Barre
City Place, 219 North Main Street, Conference Room 134, Barre Vermont 05679 or use
this link to join the meeting via Microsoft Teams.
https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/226470387992263?p=gdc4M9V0t8WMhczoH2
If you would like to attend in person, you will need to call following number to gain access to
the building, (802) 522-2902. An AOT representative will provide access to the building and
room 134.
At the date and time specified above, all timely received proposals will be publicly opened by
the issuing Agency. The opening will occur promptly at the stated time, and no proposals will
be accepted after that time.
During the public opening, the following information will be read aloud and/or recorded:
* Name of each Bidder
* Each Location proposed, proposal cost per location, typically expressed as a unit price
(e.g., cost per ton) and any total estimated cost if applicable
* Optional Alternate Proposal costs per location
* Acknowledgement of any required proposal forms, addenda, or pricing schedules, as
deemed appropriate
Attendance: The public opening is open to Bidders and the general public. Attendance may
be in person or via remote means, if specified in the solicitation. Bidders are not required to
attend.
Late Proposals: Proposals received after the exact time specified for opening will be
considered late and will not be opened or considered for award.
Post-Opening Process: Following the public opening, proposals will be reviewed to confirm:
* Compliance with all solicitation requirements and specifications
* Completion of all required forms and certifications
* Mathematical accuracy of pricing
Award will be made in accordance with the criteria set forth in the solicitation.

Notice of Award: The Bid Tabulation will be posted to the AOT website, located here:
Contracts for Services - Bid Results and Awards | Agency of Transportation within 24 hours
of proposal opening.
Results of the procurement will be communicated through an official notice of award once the
evaluation process is complete. The apparent low proposal at opening does not constitute a
contract award.
For evaluation purposes, base bids and optional alternate proposals may be evaluated
separately. The State may consider total delivered cost, including any handling, storage, and
distribution costs associated with alternate proposals.
The State may also consider operational factors including, but not limited to, logistics,
proximity to service areas, supply reliability, and overall efficiency in determining the proposal
most advantageous to the State.
The State reserves the right to award based on base bids, alternate proposals, or a
combination thereof, and is not required to select the lowest price if another proposal is
determined to provide a better overall value. Alternate proposals will not be directly compared
to base bid pricing on a strictly low-cost basis but will be evaluated based on the best value
to the State.
TECHNICAL PROPOSAL - FORMAT AND CONTENT
The proposal shall not exceed ten (10) pages. Sections that count toward the page limit are
noted below. All pages that count toward the page limit shall be numbered consecutively. The
pages shall be formatted as 812" x 11" sheets. Font shall be size 12.
The proposal shall include the following elements, in separately labeled sections, as required.
A. Cover Letter. All Bidders or their authorized representative shall prepare and sign a cover
letter. Submission of the letter shall constitute a representation by the Bidder that it is
willing and able to perform the services described in the RFP and their proposal response.
Indicate which management personnel will be responsible for the delivery of services
under the contract and a description of how the organization's resources will be applied.
This section counts toward the ten (10) page limit.
B. Technical Capability/Approach. In this section, the Bidder must explain their
understanding of AOT's intent, objectives, and how the Bidder proposes to achieve those
objectives. The Bidder must discuss their experience, capabilities, and plan for providing
the described services and any additional factors for AOT's consideration. This section
must include a description of the anti-cake treatment that will be used, the quantity of
inhibitor per ton of salt, lab procedure method for determining the uniform presence of the
anti-cake as part of the Quality Control Plan information requested in Attachment A, Scope
of Work. This section counts toward the ten (10) page limit.

C. Business and Management Structure. Provide a description of the bidding
organization's size, background, and structure. This section should provide clear
information as to the lines of communication and how the Business ensures Quality
Control & Quality Assurance. Include information as to how Local, Regional, and National
Offices will coordinate to provide successful services. Information detailing your delivery
methods if via rail see Rail Revenue Consideration below in item #1 under Method of
Award. This section counts toward the ten (10) page limit.
D. Price/Cost. Complete the attached Cost Proposal Form.
Bidders shall complete the attached Cost Proposal Form (Attachment S) in accordance
with the instructions provided herein. Bidders may submit pricing for one or more
locations.
Base Bid - Required. Bidders must submit a Base Bid as a firm fixed price per ton,
delivered to each specified location. The Base Bid price shall be all-inclusive, including but
not limited to material, delivery, labor, equipment, and all other associated costs. No
additional charges beyond the submitted per ton price will be accepted under the Base
Bid.
Optional Alternate Proposal - Pricing (If applicable). Bidders may, in addition to the
required Base Bid, submit pricing for an Optional Alternate Proposal for vendor-owned
storage and distribution, as described in Attachment A (Scope of Work).
Pricing for Optional Alternate Proposals must be clearly identified and separate from Base
Bid pricing and shall include, as applicable: Price per ton of salt, Handling and/or loading
fees (per ton), Storage feeds (if applicable), and Delivery costs.
Bidders must ensure that all pricing components associated with the Optional Alternate
Proposal are: Clearly structured, transparent and itemized, and capable of being evaluated
on a total cost basis.
Pricing for Optional Alternate Proposals shall be submitted using the designated sections
of the Cost Proposal Form.
Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Requirements: All pricing submitted under this solicitation shall
be firm fixed price for the initial one (1) year term of the contract. Base Bid pricing shall be
all-inclusive as defined above. Optional Alternate Proposal pricing shall include all
applicable cost components necessary to fully implement the proposed service model.
No additional or undisclosed costs will be accepted beyond those identified in the Cost
Proposal.
Price Adjustments. The firm fixed prices as submitted shall remain in effect for the initial
first-year term of the contract. Consideration of annual price adjustments for each
subsequent year will be accepted.
Proposed pricing adjustments shall be submitted annually to the Contract Manager, whose
contact information will be provided upon award and included in the resulting contract.

Best Pricing Requirement. Bidders must submit their most competitive pricing for both
Base Bid and any Optional Alternate Proposal.
Price Protection: The successful contractor(s) will be required to protect the State against
any increase in salt prices throughout each annually agreed upon price during the
contract period, and will allow the State the benefit of any decrease on or after the date
said reduction takes effect.
Required Certifications/Documents:
Sections 1-6 DO NOT count toward the ten (10) page limit.
1. Debarment and Non-Collusion Affidavit - Form CA-91: All Bidders will be required
to execute a sworn statement, certifying that the Bidder has not, either directly or
indirectly, entered into any agreement, participated in any collusion, or otherwise taken
any action in restraint of free competitive bidding in connection with such contract.
2. Contractor's EEO Certification - Form CA-109: The certification is required by the
Equal Employment Opportunity regulations of the Secretary of Labor (41 CFR 60-1.7(b)
(1)), and must be submitted by Contractors and proposed subcontractors only in
connection with contracts and subcontracts which are subject to the equal opportunity
clause.
3. Worker Classification Compliance Requirements (Self Reporting and
Subcontractor Reporting): The form must be completed in its entirety and submitted
as part of the response for the proposal to be considered valid.
4. Executive Order 02-22 Vendor Certification: The form must be completed in its
entirety and submitted as part of the response for the proposal to be considered valid.
5. Past Performance and Reference Forms - fillable PDF provided.
6. Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS): MSDS Sheets are required for any identified
anti-cake or other additives used in the bidder's product as applicable.
COST PROPOSAL - FORMAT AND CONTENT
The Cost Proposal Form is attached to this RFP as Attachment S. Bidder may propose on all
or some locations. Each location may have its own pricing.
Any resulting contract will be based on the approved Cost Proposal.

METHOD OF AWARD
Awards will be made under the provisions of 29 V.S.A. 903. 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. The State intends to
award by garage, not district.
AOT will award a contract in the best interest of the State. The selection will be a Best Value
Selection.
The selection panel is comprised of AOT employees from varying Departments and Bureaus
and in some cases external interested parties. The panel members may or may not be
familiar with your company. With that in mind, it is important to provide detailed information
regarding the evaluation criteria listed below.
The selection panel will evaluate proposals based upon the following factors and related sub-
factors, which are of equal weight:
* Technical Capability/Approach
* Business and Management Structure
* Price/Cost
All other considerations noted above being equal, preference will be given to the following:
1. RAIL REVENUE CONSIDERATION: Title 29, 903(b) requires the State of Vermont to
consider the revenue to the state from the lease of state-owned rail lines in evaluating bid
proposals.
Accordingly, the State of Vermont will consider potential revenue per ton for salt shipped
via VT Railway on track leased from the state.
Bidders that will ship salt via any Vermont owned railway must include the following
information in the Cost Proposal:
* Railway Used
* Estimated quantity of salt for each garage location that qualifies for the revenue
consideration.
Failure to provide all required information noted above, will result in the State not
considering any such salt adjustment. All information should be provided within the
Business and Management Structure Section noted above.
2. Executive Order 05-16: Climate Change Considerations in State Procurements
After consideration of all relevant factors, a Bidders 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. Bidders must

complete the Climate Change Considerations in State Procurements Certification, which is
included in the Certificate of Compliance for this RFP.
3. Vermont Preference
All other considerations being equal, preference will be given first to resident Bidders of
the 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.
Contract Award
Business Registration. The Contractor awarded a contract shall, upon notification of award,
apply for registration with the Vermont Secretary of State's Office in order to do business in the
State of Vermont, if not already so registered. AOT will not process the contract until the
Contractor is registered with the Secretary of State's office and is in good standing. The
registration form may be obtained from the Vermont Secretary of State: 128 State Street,
Montpelier VT 05609-1101. The telephone number is 800-439-8683. Registration can be
completed online at: https://bizfilings.vermont.gov/homepage
VTBuys - State of Vermont eProcurement System. AOT is transitioning to a new
procurement system, VTBuys, accessible at https://vtbuys.suppliers.vermont.gov. This system
may be used for contract management, invoicing, and payments going forward.
Registering now will help prevent delays or complications with future contracts, amendments,
or payments.
If your business is not yet registered in VTBuys, please complete your registration as soon as
possible to ensure you are prepared for future contract activities and payment processing
through the new system. Even if you are a current or former Contractor with the State of
Vermont, you will still need to register as a Supplier in the VTBuys system.
For step-by-step instructions for both creating an account and registering, please view the
tutorial videos located here: https://vtbuysprocurement.vermont.gov/supplier-trainings.
Additional VTBuys Resources:
* AOT VTBuys Suppliers & Bidders Homepage:
https://vtbuysprocurement.vermont.gov/suppliers-Bidders
* Supplier User Guide:
https://vtbuysprocurement.vermont.gov/document/guide-suppliers-vtbuys
* Suppliers' Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
https://vtbuysprocurement.vermont.gov/frequently-asked-questionsquestions
Insurance. The Contractor shall submit to AOT a certificate of insurance showing that
minimum coverages are in effect. The certificate must be submitted to the office of Contract
Administration prior to execution of the agreement. No work may be performed for any AOT
contract and/or Notice to Proceed, including mobilization, without compliant insurance
being on file at AOT Contract Administration. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to
maintain current certificates of insurance on file with the State through the term of the
contract.