Guidelines

Standard Bus Procurement Request for Proposal (RFP)

Abstract

This document outlines a request for proposals for a negotiated bus procurement contract. A request for proposals is generally used when the scope of work or specification is less well-defined. In addition, this type of procurement may be used in cases where the vehicle involves “emerging” technology or there is a requirement to discuss warranty provisions or design considerations. This document was developed using a cross-section of representatives from the public and private sectors of the public transit industry for use by transit agencies.

Document History
Document Number Version Publication Date Publication Related Information
APTA BTS-BPG-GL-001-13 Rev. 3 05/13/2025 Published Current
APTA BTS-BPG-GL-001-13 Rev. 2.2 08/4/2022 Published Superseded
APTA BTS-BPG-GL-001-13 Rev. 2.1 06/8/2021 Published Superseded
APTA BTS-BPG-GL-001-13 Rev. 2 04/30/2021 Published Superseded
APTA BTS-BPG-GL-001-13 Rev. 1 05/23/2013 Published Superseded

Keywords

bus, commuter bus, compressed natural gas bus, diesel bus, electric bus, hybrid bus, procurement, request for proposals, transit bus

Summary

Many industries have standard forms of contracts for the acquisition of goods and services. Buyers and sellers in those industries become familiar and comfortable with those forms. The goal of creating a common method of contracting enables participants to focus, when necessary, on negotiating only those issues for which a departure from the accepted norm is necessary or desirable. This approach will save considerable time and effort for the parties to a particular transaction. It also permits new provisions or evolving best practices to be incorporated into the standard contract for that industry efficiently and in a manner designed to benefit the entire industry. Finally, standardization leads to a consistency of interpretation that presumably should reduce the number of contract disputes and result in better prices for both the public and private sectors.

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