# NET Transportation in Cuyahoga County, Ohio: The One-Vendor Contract and the 2027 Rebid

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/states/ohio/cuyahoga-county/ · Updated 2026-09-30

Cuyahoga Job and Family Services buys county NET rides for ambulatory Medicaid members from one company, Americab Transportation, under Contract No. 5281, worth up to $8 million from March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2027. The county's purchasing forecast lists the next NET contract as a request for proposals in the third quarter of 2027, marked for now for its small business set-aside program.

- One company, Americab Transportation, holds the county NET ride contract in Cuyahoga County until February 28, 2027.
- The county expects to rebid NET in the third quarter of 2027, and its forecast marks that bid, for now, for small businesses only.
- SBE certification needs a year of operating history and a physical place of business in the county, so start now to qualify for 2027.
- Register in the county Supplier Portal so you see the bid, and plan for Inspector General registration if you win.
- Wheelchair riders are outside the county contract, so wheelchair van companies work through the health plan brokers and Ohio Medicaid.

## Cuyahoga County NEMT at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Who arranges rides | Cuyahoga Job and Family Services (CJFS), 1641 Payne Avenue, Cleveland |
| Current vendor | Americab Transportation Inc., Contract No. 5281, March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2027 |
| Contract value | Up to $8,000,000 over two years, adopted by County Council on April 22, 2025 (Resolution R2025-0147) |
| Riders covered | Ambulatory Medicaid eligible residents, to and from facilities within Cuyahoga County |
| Funding | 50% federal and 50% state Medicaid NET funds, per the 2025 resolution |
| Next bid | A request for proposals over $5 million, expected in the third quarter of 2027, for one to three years (forecast updated June 30, 2026) |
| Set-aside | The forecast's preliminary call puts the next NET bid in the SBE set-aside, where only county-certified small businesses compete |
| SBE certification | One year operating in the category, SBA size limits, and a physical place of business inside the county |
| Contractor registration | $100 with the Inspector General once county work passes $10,000 a year, plus an ethics video and quiz |

## Who arranges rides here

- [Cuyahoga Job and Family Services (CJFS)](https://hhs.cuyahogacounty.gov/departments/cjfs): Decides Medicaid eligibility and holds the county NET ride contract. (844) 640-6446
- [Cuyahoga County Department of Purchasing](https://cuyahogacounty.gov/purchasing/doing-business-with-the-county): Posts county bids and registers suppliers in its Supplier Portal. (216) 443-7200
- [Cuyahoga County Department of Equity and Inclusion](https://cuyahogacounty.gov/department-of-equity-and-inclusion/diversity-certifications): Certifies small businesses for SBE set-aside bids. (216) 443-7230
- [Cuyahoga County Agency of Inspector General](https://cuyahogacounty.gov/inspector-general/contractors-lobbyists): Registers companies that do over $10,000 a year of county work.
- [Cuyahoga County Council](https://cuyahogacounty.gov/council): Votes on county ride contracts over $750,000. (216) 698-2020

Cuyahoga County, home to Cleveland, gives its county NET rides for ambulatory Medicaid members to a single company, and has since at least 2021. Cuyahoga Job and Family Services (CJFS) holds one contract with Americab Transportation Inc. for rides for ambulatory Medicaid members, and County Council approves each award in public. For a new company, that means the county door opens only at a rebid, and the next one is on the county's forecast for 2027.

## Who runs NET rides in Cuyahoga County

Every Ohio county runs its own NET program under rule 5160-15-10, and a county may decline a ride that a health plan must cover. The [Ohio guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/ohio/) explains what the plans cover and which brokers they use, and [county NET contracts in Ohio](https://nemtguide.com/guides/ohio-county-net-contracts/) compares how counties buy rides.

In Cuyahoga County, CJFS, whose main office is at 1641 Payne Avenue in Cleveland, decides Medicaid eligibility and holds the county NET contract. That contract covers transportation for Medicaid eligible, [ambulatory](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/ambulatory/) residents to and from facilities within Cuyahoga County for non-emergency medical treatment. The 2025 resolution says the contract is funded half by federal and half by state Medicaid NET money.

Riders who use a wheelchair, and trips outside the county, fall outside that contract. Wheelchair van companies get that work from the health plans' brokers, such as [MTM Health](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/), [Provide A Ride](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/provide-a-ride/), and [SafeRide Health](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/saferide-health/), and from Ohio Medicaid fee for service. Those vans need an [ambulette](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/ambulette/) license and a permit for each van.

## The Americab contract

County Council records show the same vendor across the last two contracts:

| Contract | Term | Council action |
|---|---|---|
| No. 3673 (formerly No. 1031) | March 1, 2021 to February 29, 2024 | Original term |
| No. 3673, amended | Extended to February 28, 2025, with up to $4,000,000 more | Resolution R2024-0074, adopted February 27, 2024 |
| No. 5281 | March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2027, up to $8,000,000 | Resolution R2025-0147, adopted April 22, 2025 |

The 2025 award came from requisition RQ15499. It had its first reading on April 8, 2025. The Health, Human Services and Aging Committee sent it to the full Council on April 16, 2025, and Council adopted it unanimously on April 22, 2025, after the term had already started.

Up to $8 million over two years works out to as much as $4 million a year, the same pace as the 2024 one-year extension. Each resolution sets a not-to-exceed ceiling, not a guaranteed payment.

Two rules shape how the county buys. The Department of Purchasing says contracts above $750,000 generally go to County Council, and those from $10,000.01 to $750,000 go to the Board of Control. CJFS also files form ODM 10241, its county transportation profile, with Ohio Medicaid at least once a year, and the form lists each ride vendor, what its contract covers, when it ends, and its projected cost. Ask CJFS for its current profile before you plan around the rebid.

## The 2027 rebid and the small business set-aside

Cuyahoga County posts a forecast of the purchases it expects over the next 24 months and updates it each year by January 1 and July 1. The version updated June 30, 2026 lists this line for CJFS:

| Forecast column | NET Transportation |
|---|---|
| Estimated amount | Over $5,000,000 |
| Anticipated solicitation period | Third quarter of 2027 |
| Length of performance | More than one year, up to three years |
| Procurement method | Request for proposals (RFP) |
| SBE set-aside | Yes |
| Category | Professional services |

The county defines the SBE set-aside column as a preliminary call on whether the purchase goes through its Small Business Enterprise Set Aside Program, where county-certified SBEs compete only against each other. The forecast is for planning and does not commit the county to buy.

The listed quarter comes after the February 28, 2027 end date. The last time a term ran out, Council extended the old contract for a year before the next award, so an extension on a Council or committee agenda in early 2027 would not be a surprise. Watch the Health, Human Services and Aging Committee agendas as well as full Council.

### How to get SBE certified in Cuyahoga County

The Department of Equity and Inclusion certifies small, minority, and women business enterprises. For SBE certification, as of September 2026:

- Your company has operated continuously for at least one year in the category you apply for, and its majority owners have a year of relevant experience.
- Its yearly gross revenue or total workforce is at or below the Small Business Administration size standard for your industry.
- It has a physical place of business inside Cuyahoga County, shown in official records. A mailbox does not count.
- Its owners show operational and managerial control.

Paper applications are accepted until December 31, 2026. A company that opens in Cuyahoga County in late 2026 reaches one year of operation only around the third quarter of 2027, when the forecast expects the bid, so apply the day you qualify.

## How to get Cuyahoga County NET work

1. **Register in the Supplier Portal.** Purchasing requires registration in the Cuyahoga County Supplier Portal to do business with the county, and bid notices and awards are searchable there.
2. **Apply for SBE certification** as soon as you have a year of operation and a county address.
3. **Line up the state vendor checks.** Before a county signs with a private ride company, rule 5160-15-14 requires ownership disclosure, a valid license and a certified BMV driving record for each driver, a criminal background check under section 109.572, and SAM and [OIG exclusion list](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/oig-exclusion-list/) searches. See [NEMT driver background checks](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-driver-background-check/).
4. **Plan for Inspector General registration.** Any company doing more than $10,000 a year of county business registers with the Agency of Inspector General: an online form with an ethics certification, a $100 fee, an ethics training video, and a short quiz. Registration expires December 31 four years after the year you register.
5. **Ask about partner work now.** Ask Americab whether it uses partner companies, and ask CJFS whether Contract No. 5281 allows subcontractors, before you count on it. See [how to subcontract NEMT trips](https://nemtguide.com/guides/subcontract-nemt-trips/).
6. **Build the rest of your book meanwhile.** Health plan brokers and Ohio Medicaid's wheelchair van enrollment do not wait for the county rebid. See [government NEMT contracts](https://nemtguide.com/guides/government-nemt-contracts/) for how public bids like this one are scored.

Other large Ohio counties split the work. [Hamilton County](https://nemtguide.com/states/ohio/hamilton-county/) holds two contracts with flat per-trip rates, and [Franklin County](https://nemtguide.com/states/ohio/franklin-county/) pays 29 companies by the mile.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who provides NET transportation in Cuyahoga County?

Americab Transportation Inc. drives the county's NET rides under Contract No. 5281 with Cuyahoga Job and Family Services. County Council approved the award, up to $8,000,000, on April 22, 2025, for March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2027. It covers ambulatory Medicaid eligible residents going to and from facilities within the county.

### When will Cuyahoga County bid its NET contract again?

The current contract ends February 28, 2027. The county's purchasing forecast, updated June 30, 2026, expects to solicit NET Transportation by request for proposals in the third quarter of 2027. That date falls after the end date, and in February 2024 Council extended the previous contract a year, with $4 million more, so watch Council agendas in early 2027.

### Can a small NEMT company win the Cuyahoga County NET contract?

The county's June 2026 forecast marks the next NET bid for its SBE set-aside, where only county-certified small business enterprises compete against each other. To be certified, you need a year of continuous operation in your category, an owner with a year of relevant experience, revenue or staff within SBA size standards, and a physical place of business in Cuyahoga County.

### Can I subcontract under Americab for Cuyahoga County rides?

Only if Americab takes partner companies and the contract allows it, so ask both. CJFS can tell you whether Contract No. 5281 permits subcontractors. Any company that contracts with a county for NET rides must pass the state's vendor screening under rule 5160-15-14, including driving records, criminal background checks, and exclusion list searches.

### Does Cuyahoga County NET cover wheelchair riders?

No. The county contract is for ambulatory riders, people who can walk to and from the vehicle. Wheelchair van rides for health plan members go through the plan's broker, and members outside a plan can call an Ohio Medicaid enrolled wheelchair van company directly. Those companies need an ambulette license and a permit for each van.

## Official resources

- [Cuyahoga County: Purchasing and contracting forecast](https://cuyahogacounty.gov/department-of-equity-and-inclusion/forecast)
- [Cuyahoga County Department of Purchasing: Register in the Supplier Portal](https://cuyahogacounty.gov/purchasing/doing-business-with-the-county)
- [Cuyahoga County: SBE, MBE, and WBE certification applications](https://cuyahogacounty.gov/department-of-equity-and-inclusion/diversity-certifications)
- [Cuyahoga County Agency of Inspector General: Contractor registration](https://cuyahogacounty.gov/inspector-general/contractors-lobbyists)
- [Cuyahoga County Council: Meetings and agendas](https://cuyahogacounty.gov/council)