# Ashtabula County Transportation Services: The Yearly JFS Ride RFP, Its Five Carriers, and Their Per-Mile Rates

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/states/ohio/ashtabula-county/ · Updated 2026-10-06

Ashtabula County Job and Family Services buys Medicaid, pregnancy, and work rides through one request for proposals each June. For October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027 it awarded $3,549,964 to five carriers, each holding a health ride and a work ride contract. The rate schedules in their contracts pay by the mile from each carrier's own lot: $3.80 for Richmond and Sunset, $2.28 for Country Neighbor.

- Ashtabula County JFS buys health and work rides in one RFP each June and gives each winning carrier two contracts.
- Five carriers share $3,549,964 for the year that started October 1, 2026, led by three $850,000 health ride contracts.
- Bids are one rate per mile for every vehicle type, and the FY 2027 contracts count miles from the carrier's own lot.
- Contracts require $1 million general and $1 million auto liability, a 95% on-time rate, and no no-show charges.
- The next RFP should post in mid-June 2027 for contracts starting October 1, 2027.

## Ashtabula County NEMT at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Who buys rides | Ashtabula County Job and Family Services, 2924 Donahoe Drive, Ashtabula. The county commissioners vote on every award. |
| What the RFP buys | Health rides (NET, pregnancy related services, Title XX) and work rides (OWF, PRC, food assistance training), inside and outside the county |
| Bid calendar | RFP #4-26 released June 12, 2026, proposals due 2:30 p.m. July 10, 2026, contracts October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027 |
| Ride volume | 40,793 one-way rides from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, down from 44,367 two years earlier |
| FY 2027 awards | $3,549,964 to five carriers. Black Eagle, Richmond, and Sunset each hold an $850,000 health ride contract. |
| How bids are priced | One all-inclusive rate per mile for every vehicle type, in or out of the county, with no base fee or surcharge |
| FY 2027 rates | Richmond and Sunset $3.80 a mile from their own lots plus $0.50 a minute of wait after 5 minutes (FY 2026: $3.45 and $0.45); Country Neighbor $2.28 a mile (FY 2026: $2.18); ACTS $65.25 a vehicle hour |
| Insurance | $1,000,000 general liability and $1,000,000 auto liability, each occurrence |
| Not paid | No-show fees, any fee charged to an eligible rider, and extra miles from a late pickup caused by not finding the address |

## Who arranges rides here

- [Ashtabula County Job and Family Services (ACJFS), Transportation Department](https://www.acdjfs.org/copy-of-cash-food-and-medical-assis): Opens Medicaid ride cases, decides who qualifies, and refers rides to its contracted carriers. (440) 994-1220
- ACJFS program evaluator for transportation RFPs: Hands out the yearly health and employment ride RFP packet. (440) 994-1266
- [Ashtabula County Board of Commissioners](https://www.ashtabulacounty.us/bids.aspx): Receives sealed proposals in Jefferson and votes on every ride award.
- [Ashtabula County Transportation System (ACTS)](https://www.acdjfs.org/copy-of-cash-food-and-medical-assis): Runs the county bus route and door-to-door public rides, operated under county contract. (440) 992-4411
- ACJFS Senior Services program: Buys senior levy rides for residents 60 and older through its own RFP. (440) 994-1240

Ashtabula County Job and Family Services (ACJFS) buys its Medicaid and work rides from private and public carriers through one request for proposals a year. The same carriers drive Medicaid members to appointments and cash assistance clients to work, and each winner signs two contracts, one for each. The county commissioners in Jefferson vote on every award.

Each Ohio county's job and family services office runs its own non-emergency transportation (NET) program under rule 5160-15-10 and must screen its ride vendors under rule 5160-15-14, and the Medicaid health plans run ride benefits of their own. The [Ohio guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/ohio/) covers that split, and [county NET contracts in Ohio](https://nemtguide.com/guides/ohio-county-net-contracts/) compares how other counties buy rides.

## Who arranges county rides in Ashtabula

ACJFS opens a NEMT case for any Medicaid member who needs a ride, its transit staff decide eligibility, and the trip goes to a contracted carrier. Members call the Transportation Department at 440-994-1220 or 800-935-0242, option 6, at least 48 hours ahead, and the program covers Medicaid appointments only. A member of a Medicaid health plan qualifies only after using up the plan's own ride benefit.

The yearly RFP buys far more than Medicaid rides. Its legal notice covers residents eligible for six programs, inside and outside the county:

- **Health related transportation (HRT).** Non-emergency transportation (NET) for Medicaid members, pregnancy related services (PRS), and Title XX social services rides.
- **Employment related transportation (ERT).** Rides to work, school, and day care for Ohio Works First (OWF), Prevention, Retention and Contingency (PRC), and Food Assistance Employment and Training (FAET) clients.

Carriers drove 40,793 one-way rides for these programs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, the figure in the June 2026 RFP. The June 2024 RFP counted 44,367 for the same months of 2022-23. A ride is one passenger carried one way.

The rider pays nothing. The contract bars carriers from charging an eligible rider any fee, and anyone riding along who is not an ACJFS client pays your normal fare.

## Who holds the contracts and for how much

The commissioners awarded the FY 2027 contracts on September 10, 2026 in Resolution 2026-375, then replaced it on September 24, 2026 with Resolution 2026-398 to spell out the awards and non-awards. Six offerors bid: the five carriers below and GoGeneva of Geneva, which was not awarded because another provider scored higher for its service area. GoGeneva also bid in 2025.

Health ride contracts are the large ones. The maximum each carrier may bill rose for FY 2027 at all but the county system:

| Carrier | FY 2026 health rides | FY 2027 health rides |
|---|---|---|
| Ashtabula County Transportation System | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| Black Eagle Transit Co. | $800,000 | $850,000 |
| Country Neighbor Program, Inc. | $381,500 | $414,504 |
| Richmond Transportation | $800,000 | $850,000 |
| Sunset Transportation and Rentals, LLC | $800,000 | $850,000 |

Work ride contracts are $20,000 each for FY 2027, except Country Neighbor's at $5,460, bringing the year's total to $3,549,964. The caps are ceilings, not promises, and they move with demand: on August 5, 2025 the board raised both Black Eagle's and Richmond's FY 2025 health ride contracts from $750,000 to $900,000. Each contract may be renewed for up to two more periods at ACJFS's option.

Country Neighbor is based in Orwell, Richmond and Black Eagle in Ashtabula, and Sunset in Geneva.

## How Ashtabula County pays carriers

The RFP sets the unit of service as one mile. Each bidder proposes one all-inclusive rate per mile that covers every vehicle type, from a sedan to a wheelchair lift van, inside or outside the county, with no base fee or surcharge. ACJFS can negotiate how trip mileage is counted, and a carrier that also serves the public must include its published public rates.

The rate schedules attached to the FY 2027 contracts show how that plays out:

- **Richmond Transportation and Sunset Transportation:** $3.80 a mile, counted from the carrier's base lot (5456 Main Avenue in Ashtabula for Richmond, 4690 Lake Road East in Geneva for Sunset) to the rider and back to the lot. Wait time is free for 5 minutes, then $0.50 a minute, up to 480 minutes a trip. A shared ride's miles are split evenly among the riders.
- **Country Neighbor Program:** $2.28 a mile from its home lot at 2693 State Route 322 in Orwell, or from the last drop-off when the van is already out, with no charge for wait time or lift use. Its budget prices 181,800 miles for $414,504.
- **Ashtabula County Transportation System:** $65.25 a vehicle hour inside the county.

Every rate in a proposal is open to negotiation, and the schedules show it. Richmond's FY 2027 proposal asked $4.00 a mile and Sunset's $3.67, yet both signed contracts list $3.80. For FY 2026 the same two schedules paid $3.45 a mile and $0.45 a minute of wait, and Country Neighbor's paid $2.18.

Because these schedules pay from the lot, the miles to the first pickup count, unlike counties that pay only [loaded miles](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/loaded-miles/). See [deadhead miles](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/deadhead-miles/) and [NEMT wait time billing](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-wait-time-billing/) before you price a bid. Next door, [Trumbull County](https://nemtguide.com/states/ohio/trumbull-county/) compares every bid on a 9-loaded-mile trip.

Invoices are due by the 15th of the month after service, with a signed summary and a spreadsheet of every trip: rider, pickup and drop-off, mileage, wait time, lift use, and any shared riders. The contract pays nothing for no-shows, and if a pickup runs late because the driver could not find the address, the extra miles are unpaid.

## What the RFP and contract require

The June 2026 RFP and the FY 2027 contract set these terms:

- **Insurance.** $1,000,000 general liability and $1,000,000 auto liability, each occurrence. A lapse can suspend or end the contract. Keep the insurance certificate and registration in every vehicle. See [NEMT insurance requirements](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-insurance-requirements/).
- **Background checks.** A section 109.572 check on every employee who serves riders, with copies to ACJFS within 30 days of signing and within 30 days of each new hire.
- **Drivers.** A valid Ohio license with at least two years of licensed driving, an annual BMV record check, and training on helping riders and on the wheelchair lift and tie-downs.
- **Vehicles.** Seat belts for every rider, an annual safety inspection by the Ohio State Highway Patrol or a certified mechanic, emergency equipment in any vehicle for five or more people, and a daily lift inspection log.
- **Wheelchair service.** The RFP cites section 4766.04(A) of the Ohio Revised Code: a company carrying riders who use wheelchairs needs an [ambulette](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/ambulette/) license from the Ohio Division of Emergency Medical Services.
- **Service.** Arrive within 15 minutes either side of the scheduled time on at least 95% of trips and keep two-way radios or phones in every vehicle. The contract allows 48 hours for a written incident report but the RFP asks for 24, so report within a day. ACJFS asks for service around the clock, an average wait of no more than 15 minutes, and shared rides no more than 60 minutes longer than a direct trip 90% of the time.

### What goes in the proposal

A proposal has four sections: the application page signed in blue ink, the required documents, a program plan, and a budget that sets your unit rate. The required documents include a financial audit from one of your last two fiscal years or an independent accountant's compilation or review report for your latest one, your articles of incorporation, proof of insurance, an equal opportunity plan, your licenses (including taxicab or Ohio EMS licenses where they apply), a personal property tax affidavit, a non-collusion affidavit, a lobbying certification, and background checks on all direct-service staff.

Review runs in two stages. Stage 1 rejects any proposal that arrives late or lacks a section or one of the three copies. Stage 2 scores your plan, your vehicle capacity, your experience, and your cost, and ACJFS may call bidders in for oral presentations. A bidder with unresolved findings for recovery from the Auditor of State can be rejected, so clear any before you file.

## The Ashtabula County bid calendar

The RFP posts on the county's bid page in mid-June with packets from the ACJFS program evaluator at 440-994-1266, and contracts start October 1:

| Contract year | RFP released | Pre-proposal conference | Proposals due |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2025 | June 14, 2024 | June 24, 2024 | July 11, 2024, 2:30 p.m. |
| FY 2026 | June 13, 2025 | June 24, 2025 | July 11, 2025, 2:30 p.m. |
| FY 2027 | June 12, 2026 | June 24, 2026 | July 10, 2026, 2:30 p.m. |

Questions for FY 2027 had to be emailed by 4 p.m. on the day of the conference, and from release until the evaluation ended, bidders could not discuss the RFP with any ACJFS employee outside that meeting. Proposals go in a sealed envelope to the Board of Commissioners in Jefferson, attention of the clerk, marked with your name and the RFP number. A mailed proposal that arrives late is disqualified. A losing bidder that passed Stage 1 may ask in writing for a post-selection meeting within five days of its notice.

If the pattern holds, the FY 2028 RFP posts in mid-June 2027. See [how to answer a NEMT RFP](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-broker-rfp/).

## Other county ride work in Ashtabula

**The county transit system.** ACTS runs a point deviation bus route in Ashtabula, Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and door-to-door rides elsewhere weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a day's notice. Sunset Transportation Partners, Inc. of Geneva operates it under a 2026 county contract worth $1,428,975, or 21,900 hours at $65.25 a vehicle hour (Resolution 2025-536, December 9, 2025).

**Senior levy rides.** ACJFS buys rides for residents 60 and older with Senior Services Levy money through a separate RFP. The FY 2027 round, RFP #7-27, posted July 10, 2026, held its conference July 21, and closed August 5, 2026. Call 440-994-1240 for the next packet.

**Health plan rides.** Medicaid plan members get rides through their plan first, such as [CareSource](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/caresource-ohio/) or [Buckeye Health Plan](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/buckeye-health-plan-ohio/).

## Steps to win Ashtabula County ride work

1. **Watch the county bid page from early June.** Sign up for its Notify Me bid alerts under both Commissioners and Job & Family Services, since the ride RFP has posted under each.
2. **Get your Ohio ambulette license** if you will carry wheelchair riders, and clear any Auditor of State findings for recovery.
3. **Build the document file ahead of time:** an audit or an accountant's compilation or review, incorporation papers, insurance at $1 million general and $1 million auto, and background checks on every driver.
4. **Price one rate per mile** that covers sedans and lift vans, count from your lot as the current carriers do, and expect ACJFS to negotiate it.
5. **Go to the June pre-proposal conference** and email your questions before 4 p.m. that day.
6. **Deliver three sealed copies to Jefferson** before 2:30 p.m. on the due date, then follow the September resolutions on the commissioners' portal.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who provides Medicaid transportation in Ashtabula County, Ohio?

ACJFS opens a ride case for Medicaid members and sends trips to its contracted carriers. For October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027 those are the Ashtabula County Transportation System, Black Eagle Transit Co., Country Neighbor Program, Richmond Transportation, and Sunset Transportation and Rentals. Members book at 440-994-1220 at least 48 hours ahead, and health plan members qualify only after using their plan's ride benefit.

### When does Ashtabula County put its transportation contracts out to bid?

Every June, for the year that starts October 1. RFP #4-26 was released June 12, 2026, with a pre-proposal conference on June 24 and proposals due at 2:30 p.m. on July 10, 2026. The two rounds before it closed July 11, 2024 and July 11, 2025. Awards go to the commissioners in September.

### How much do Ashtabula County ride carriers get paid?

Each carrier bids its own rate. The rate schedules attached to the FY 2027 contracts show $3.80 a mile for Richmond Transportation and Sunset Transportation, counted from their base lots and back, plus $0.50 a minute of wait time after the first 5 minutes, up from $3.45 and $0.45 in FY 2026. Country Neighbor charges $2.28 a mile with no wait or lift fees, and ACTS bills $65.25 a vehicle hour.

### What insurance does an Ashtabula County ride contract require?

The contract sets a minimum of $1,000,000 general liability and $1,000,000 automobile liability, each occurrence, and a lapse can suspend or end the contract. The RFP also asks you to keep the insurance certificate and registration in every vehicle and to show financial responsibility for riders' losses from theft, damage, or injury.

### Can a new company win an Ashtabula County transportation contract?

The RFP lets an applicant without experience show it can provide the service anyway, so a newer company is not shut out. It still needs a financial audit or an independent accountant's compilation or review report, its incorporation papers, proof of insurance, background checks on every driver, and an Ohio ambulette license for wheelchair service. In 2026, GoGeneva bid and lost because another provider scored higher for its area.

### Can my company charge for no-shows in Ashtabula County?

No. The contract bars no-show fees because state Medicaid payment rules do not allow billing for services not given, and carriers may not charge eligible riders any extra fee. If a pickup runs late because the driver could not find the address, ACJFS will not pay the added miles.

## Official resources

- [Ashtabula County: Bid postings, where each June ride RFP appears](https://www.ashtabulacounty.us/bids.aspx)
- [Ashtabula County: Notify Me bid alerts](https://www.ashtabulacounty.us/list.aspx)
- [Ashtabula County Commissioners: Public portal of agendas and resolutions](https://crms-public-prod.ashtabulacounty.gov/EmbeddedAgenda)
- [ACJFS: Transportation and NEMT program page](https://www.acdjfs.org/copy-of-cash-food-and-medical-assis)
- [Ohio Administrative Code: Rule 5160-15-14, county ride vendor screening](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-5160-15-14)