The Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), acting as the Community Transportation Coordinator (CTC) for Pinellas County, is accepting qualification submittals from organizations interested in contracting with the MPO as a provider of non-emergency ambulatory and/or non-ambulatory transportation services for the Pinellas County Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) Program. The Pinellas County TD Program provides trips for its non-sponsored clients as well as for the clients of other agencies that purchase trips through the TD Program’s brokered system. Trips are also provided to clients of the Medicaid Non-Emergency Transportation (NET) Services Program. The Medicaid NET services program is subject to the renewal of a contract between the State and the MPO.
To be considered for a provider contract with the MPO, interested organizations or companies, hereinafter referred to as “Candidate Providers”, must submit a response to this RFQ. The response must describe the work experience of the Candidate Provider related to serving the transportation disadvantaged community in the State of Florida and address all the evaluation criteria as described in the complete RFQ packet. The response must demonstrate that the Candidate Provider’s services are compliant with the requirements of the Pinellas County TD Program. This includes the ability to provide services twenty-four hours a day seven days a week, countywide and inter-county, and to comply with all requirements and standards of the Pinellas County Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan (TDSP), Chapters 427, 41-2, 14-90, F.S., and all other applicable federal, state, county, and local regulations.
The complete Request for Qualifications (RFQ) packet can be obtained from the MPO website, http://www.pinellascounty. org/mpo/TDProviderRFQ.htm or from the address listed below. Requests for clarification of the requirements or inquiries about information contained in the RFQ package must be submitted in writing to hsobush@pinellascounty.org by 3:00 p.m., August 8, 2008. Responses to all questions will be posted on the MPO website. Qualifications submittals must be received by 4:30 p.m., August 29, 2008 at the office of the Pinellas County MPO. One (1) original and seven (7) copies of the response, as well as an electronic copy in text or Microsoft Word format, shall be submitted to:
Heather Sobush
Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization
600 Cleveland St., Suite 750
Clearwater, FL 33755
E-mail: hsobush@pinellascounty.org
Phone: (727)464-8200
Fax: (727)464-8201
Responses must follow the format and sequence of the RFQ. MPO staff and Local Coordinating Board (LCB) members will evaluate the responses received based on the responsiveness to the evaluation criteria and on the information being provided in the required sequence. The proposed RFQ schedule is shown below. The MPO reserves the right to change the schedule as necessary. Any changes will be posted on the MPO website.
RFP issued July 18
Questions/Clarifications received by
3:00 p.m. August 8
Proposals due to MPO by 4:30 p.m. August 29
RFQ Selection Committee meeting Week of September 8
Oral presentations to LCB as
requested & LCB recommendation September 16
Recommendation submitted to MPO
Board for approval October 8
Contract Executed and Notice to
Proceed November 1
The outside of the envelope containing the qualification submittal must be marked “RESPONSE TO RFQ TO PROVIDE NON-EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION SERVICES TO THE PINELLAS COUNTY TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED PROGRAM.” The MPO will accept no responsibility for responses not so marked. Responses are to remain in effect for 90 calendar days from the date of submission. The MPO reserves the right to reject any and all responses, to waive any formality concerning responses, or negotiate changes to the responses whenever such rejection or waiver or negotiation is in the best interest of the TD Program.
Lobbying of LCB members, MPO employees, and elected officials regarding the RFQ or contract for services related to call intake, ride scheduling, and client database management for the TD Program by any member of a Candidate Provider’s staff, or those people who are members of, or employed by, any legal entity affiliated with an organization that is responding to the RFQ is strictly prohibited. Such actions may cause the affected submittal to be rejected.
In accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d, section 303 of the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 6102, section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12132, and Federal transit law at 49 U.S.C. § 5332:
“The Agency shall not discriminate on the basis of race, age, creed, disability, marital status, color, national origin, or sex in the performance of this Contract. The Agency shall carry out applicable requirements of 49 CFR Part 26 in the award and administration of DOT assisted contracts. Failure by the Agency to carry out these requirements is a material breach of this Contract, which may result in the termination of this Contract or such other remedy, as the MPO deems appropriate.”
Each subcontract the Candidate Provider signs in regards to this Project must include the assurance in this paragraph (see 49 CFR 26.13(b)). The Candidate Provider agrees to comply with applicable federal and state implementing regulations and other implementing requirements the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) or Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged (CTD) may issue. In addition to the above assurance, the Candidate Provider shall not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, in accordance to Pinellas County Code Chapter 70 as amended.
The MPO ensures, in accordance with 49 CFR Part 26, that certified FDOT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)) Program participants have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in Department of Transportation assisted contracts. The MPO’s fiscal year 2009 DBE goal is 1.7%.
As part of the RFQ response, the Candidate Provider is required to complete Lobbying, Public Entities Crimes, and Debarment and Suspension certification statements.
