Intercollegiate Athletics Transportation

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit proposals and establish one or more contracts through competitive negotiations with qualified vendors to provide transportation services, including associated marketing and signage opportunities, for the Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA) Department of George Mason University. George Mason University (hereinafter referred to as "George Mason," "Mason," or the "University") is a public institution of higher education and an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

It is the University's preference to award contracts to multiple vendors, likely two to three, to ensure adequate coverage and flexibility in meeting its needs. However, the University reserves the right to award more or fewer contracts as deemed necessary.

The Contractor(s) shall furnish all necessary labor, equipment, materials, tools and supplies as necessary to fulfill all bus transportation service for Mason's intercollegiate sports teams to transport them locally, regionally, and nationally. [...] In a typical school year, the Athletic Department contracts for approximately 200 charter bus trips/airport shuttles. [...] Contractor should provide buses with prominent signage to increase Mason brand awareness on local and regional highways. The Mason Athletics' signage should be visible from the front, rear, and sides for purposes of passenger recognition. Mason signage should be displayed to identify each vehicle

General Requirements

• Contractor shall comply with all federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines governing the provision of public motor transportation services.
• Contractor must use only their company-owned buses. No trips can be subcontracted to another bus company or individual without prior written consent of Mason.
• Contractor shall provide buses that are clean, serviceable, and mechanically safe, equipped with fire extinguisher, and have adequate heat and/or air conditioning.

Specific Requirements

• The Contractor must be currently registered with the FMCSA, compliant with all applicable commercial and safety regulations and requirements, including valid USDOT Number and associated insurance coverage and limits, as applicable.
• The Contractor must have and maintain a "satisfactory" rating from the FMCSA.
• Contractor must provide a list of their fleet of vehicles to include year, make, model, bus capacity/number of seats, sleeper bus availability, electric and/or hybrid availability, and service history within the last 3 years.
• Prior to the start of the contract, the Contractor shall provide the emergency contacts available 24/7, to GMU.
• Bus(es) shall arrive at the designated GMU athletic department location point no later than 45 minutes prior to the departure for a planned event, unless an alternate arrival time has been approved by GMU.

Financial Sponsorship

Mason expects proposals to offer similar sponsorships, but we are open to various levels of sponsorship support for "Official" or "Preferred" transportation providers.

Submission

George Mason will only accept electronic proposal submissions via Bonfire for this Request for Proposals. PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED VIA EMAIL, MAIL, THROUGH eVA, OR IN PERSON. Proposals are due **December 3, 2026 @ 2:00 PM ET**.

Evaluation

• Qualifications & Experience: 20
• Specific plans or methodology to be used to provide the services including quality of available fleet: 20
• Sponsorship Offer: 15
• Price Offered: 25
• Offeror is certified with Virginia SBSD at the proposal due date & time: 20

Insurance

Offerors shall carry, at a minimum, a total of **$10 million** in liability coverage, which may consist of a combination of automobile liability and general liability coverage.

Contract term

One (1) year from Effective Date of contract with four (4) successive one-year renewal options (or as negotiated). It is a **mandatory** requirement that the new contract awardee be able to commit to a contract start date of July 01, 2027.