# Transportation Services Proposal Template: A Fill-In Outline for NEMT Bids

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/templates/transportation-services-proposal/ · Updated 2026-10-02

A transportation services business proposal template is a fill-in outline for answering a request for proposals from a county, school district, transit agency, or facility. It gives you a cover letter, a compliance matrix that answers each requirement in the buyer's order, your service plan, vehicles and drivers, safety and training, references, and a separate price form. Build every part around the buyer's published scoring factors.

- Answer in the buyer's order, under the buyer's section numbers. A compliance matrix makes sure no requirement goes unanswered.
- Write to the published weights. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' February 2026 sample scorecard gave safety and compliance 30 percent and cost 20 percent.
- Explain how you will do each task. Washington County, Maryland, ranked "will comply" answers lower in April 2026.
- Keep prices out of the technical proposal when the buyer asks for two parts, and fill in its price form exactly.
- Register on the buyer's portal, and in SAM.gov for federal work, as soon as you decide to bid. Accounts take days to activate.

A public request for proposals tells you how it will be scored, the order it wants answers in, and which forms it rejects a proposal for missing. This template turns that into an outline you can reuse for county, school district, transit, aging agency, and facility bids. Decide whether to bid first with the [bid or no-bid checklist](https://nemtguide.com/templates/bid-no-bid-checklist/), and find open solicitations through [government NEMT contracts](https://nemtguide.com/guides/government-nemt-contracts/).

## How to use this template

1. **Register on the buyer's portal the day you decide to bid.** Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools took proposals only through North Carolina's electronic Vendor Portal in 2026 and warned that a new account could take 3 to 5 days to become active. A federal offer needs SAM.gov registration, which can take up to 10 business days.
2. **Build the compliance matrix (Part 2) before you write a word.** List every requirement with its section and page. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg request says words such as "shall," "must," and "requirements" create enforceable contract conditions, so each line is a promise you would sign.
3. **Send questions in the buyer's format before the deadline.** Charlotte-Mecklenburg wanted each question to cite the RFP section and page number. Both solicitations below say only a written addendum binds the buyer, so do not rely on an answer given by phone.
4. **Write Parts 3 to 9 in the order the solicitation lists**, under its section numbers. Washington County, Maryland, required responses that cross-reference each RFP section ("Section 2.2.1 Response") and page numbers that run in order through the whole proposal.
5. **Explain how, with names, numbers, and dates.** Washington County ranked "concur" or "will comply" answers lower than answers that showed how the work would be done.
6. **Price last, on the buyer's form (Part 10).** Start from your [cost per trip](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-cost-per-trip/) and your [rate sheet](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-rate-sheet/), then add the costs this contract brings, such as extra insurance or tracking equipment.
7. **Mark confidential pages one by one, and make a redacted copy.** See the section on public records below.
8. **Run Part 11 the day before the deadline.** Charlotte-Mecklenburg rejected late proposals regardless of cause, and Washington County granted no extensions.

## The template

### Part 1: Cover letter

[Your letterhead]

Date: ______________

To: ______________________________ (buyer, purchasing office, and address or portal)

Re: Proposal for ______________________________ (solicitation title), No. ______________

[Company legal name] submits this proposal to provide ______________ (ambulatory, wheelchair, stretcher, attendant) transportation for ______________________________ (buyer) under the solicitation above.

We have read the entire solicitation, including every link and attachment, and Addenda No. ______ dated ______________. Signed acknowledgments are attached where the solicitation asks for them.

We agree to perform the scope of work and to meet the requirements and specifications in the solicitation, and to follow all of its instructions, terms, conditions, and attachments. [We take no exceptions.] [Our exceptions are listed in the executive summary, section ______.]

This offer stays open for ______ days after the proposal due date.

Our Unique Entity ID (if registered in SAM.gov) is ______________, and our state vendor number is ______________.

The person signing below is authorized to commit [company legal name] to this proposal. Questions may go to ______________ at ______________ (phone) or ______________ (email).

Signature: ______________________________ Printed name and title: ______________________________ Date: ______________

### Part 2: Compliance matrix

One row for every requirement. Use the buyer's section numbers.

| Solicitation section and page | Requirement | Where you answer it (your section and page) | Meet, exceed, or exception | Proof attached |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Minimum years of experience | | | |
| | Company, driver, and vehicle licenses and permits | | | |
| | Driver screening: background, registry, and drug tests | | | |
| | Driver training | | | |
| | Vehicle type, age, and equipment | | | |
| | Tracking, two-way communication, and cameras | | | |
| | Insurance limits and certificate wording | | | |
| | Service hours and response times | | | |
| | Reports and invoices | | | |
| | Records, privacy, and data security | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |

### Part 3: Executive summary

Keep it to one page. Lead with what the buyer scores highest.

| Item | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Who you are: legal name, years in business, levels of service | |
| Service area, and where your vehicles are based | |
| Vehicles and drivers ready on the first day | |
| How you meet the top scoring factor | |
| How you meet the second scoring factor | |
| Exceptions you take to any requirement or term (or "none") | |
| Parent company or affiliates, if any | |
| Small, minority-owned, women-owned, or veteran-owned status and certifications | |

### Part 4: Service plan

| Scope item (solicitation section) | How you will do it | Who is responsible | Start date or schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taking trip requests, and the hours you answer | | | |
| Scheduling and dispatch | | | |
| On-time pickups, and how you measure them | | | |
| Return trips and will-calls | | | |
| No-shows and late cancellations | | | |
| Wheelchair and stretcher service, including securement | | | |
| Help at the door: curb to curb, door to door, or door through door | | | |
| Accidents, incidents, and emergencies | | | |
| Complaints, and how fast you answer them | | | |
| Reports and invoices, in the buyer's format | | | |
| Who the buyer calls when a problem needs to go higher | | | |
| Start-up: steps and dates from award to the first ride | | | |

### Part 5: Vehicles

| Vehicle type | Number on the first day | Spares | Wheelchair or stretcher positions in each | Model years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan or minivan | | | | |
| Wheelchair van with ramp or lift | | | | |
| Stretcher van | | | | |
| Other | | | | |

| Equipment | Vehicles that have it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GPS tracking | | |
| Two-way radio or phone | | |
| Cameras | | |
| Child seats and boosters | | |
| Fire extinguisher and first aid kit | | |

### Part 6: Drivers and key staff

| Role | Name | Years in similar work | Duties on this contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract manager | | | |
| Dispatch or operations lead | | | |
| Safety and training lead | | | |
| Billing and reports | | | |

| Driver check | When it is done | How often it is repeated | Where the record is kept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driving record | | | |
| Criminal background check | | | |
| State and national sex offender registries | | | |
| Drug and alcohol tests | | | |
| Local driver permit or fingerprints, if required | | | |

### Part 7: Safety and training

| Program | Who takes it | How often | Proof you can attach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defensive driving | | | |
| Passenger assistance | | | |
| Wheelchair securement | | | |
| First aid and CPR | | | |
| Training the buyer requires | | | |
| Pre-trip vehicle inspection | | | |
| Preventive maintenance | | | |
| Check for riders left on board after each run | | | |
| Review of every accident and incident | | | |
| Crashes per year, last 3 years | | | |

### Part 8: Experience, references, and resources

| Field | Reference 1 | Reference 2 | Reference 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organization | | | |
| Contact name and title | | | |
| Phone and email | | | |
| What you provided | | | |
| Contract value | | | |
| Start and end dates | | | |

| What a buyer weighs | What you attach |
|---|---|
| Integrity: legal actions and claims, last 5 years | |
| Following the law: licenses, permits, certifications | |
| How workers are classified: employees or contractors, and workers' comp | |
| Past performance: current and past contracts, and any that ended early | |
| Financial resources: two years of profit and loss and balance sheets, lines of credit | |
| Technical resources: fleet, facility, dispatch, and reporting | |

### Part 9: Subcontractors and small business participation

| Firm | Small, minority-owned, women-owned, or veteran-owned status | Work it will do | Share of the contract (percent or dollars) |
|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |

### Part 10: Price form

Copy the buyer's units exactly. If the buyer sends its own form, fill in that form instead.

| Unit on the buyer's form | Your price per unit | Buyer's estimated quantity | Extended price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base rate (per trip, mile, hour, or day) | | | |
| Wheelchair | | | |
| Stretcher | | | |
| Extra rider | | | |
| Attendant or monitor | | | |
| Wait time | | | |
| No-show | | | |
| Minimum trip | | | |
| Total | | | |

### Part 11: Forms and final check

| Item | Done (initials and date) |
|---|---|
| Execution or offer page signed by an authorized person | |
| Every addendum acknowledged | |
| Debarment and suspension certification | |
| Lobbying certification, for bids over $100,000 paid with federal money | |
| Non-collusion statement, if required | |
| Small business and utilization forms, even with no participation | |
| Reference forms | |
| Certificate of insurance | |
| Confidentiality claim and redacted copy | |
| Table of contents and page numbers | |
| File format, size limit, and passwords as the buyer specifies | |
| Submitted before the deadline, with the confirmation saved | |

## What a grant-funded buyer must publish and check

When a county, school district, or transit agency pays for rides with federal grant money, the federal procurement standards in 2 CFR Part 200 set the floor. Above the buyer's simplified acquisition threshold (no higher than the federal $350,000 as of October 2026), the buyer must use a formal method, apart from the narrow cases the rule allows for a noncompetitive purchase ([2 CFR 200.320](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.320)):

- **Sealed bids.** A firm fixed-price contract goes to the responsible bidder whose bid meets every material term and is lowest in price. Your price form decides it.
- **Proposals.** The request needs public notice and must identify all evaluation factors and their relative importance. The buyer must have written procedures for technical evaluations and selections, and the award goes to the responsible offeror whose proposal is most advantageous, considering price and other factors. Your answers to the scoring factors decide it.

So read the factors and their weights before you plan the writing, and give the most pages to the heaviest factor. The comparison below shows how differently two 2026 buyers weighed them. See [student transportation contracts](https://nemtguide.com/guides/student-transportation/) for what Charlotte-Mecklenburg asked of its contractors.

The rules also shape the rest of the proposal:

- **Responsibility.** A buyer may award only to a contractor able to perform, and must consider integrity, compliance with public policy, proper classification of employees, past performance, and financial and technical resources ([2 CFR 200.318(h)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.318)). Part 8 answers each one.
- **Fair requirements.** Every factor used to evaluate proposals must be in the solicitation, and unnecessary experience and excessive bonding are listed among the situations that may restrict competition ([2 CFR 200.319](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.319)). If a requirement looks like that, ask about it in writing.
- **Price checks.** Above the simplified acquisition threshold, the buyer must analyze cost or price and make its own independent estimate before proposals arrive ([2 CFR 200.324](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.324)). So price from your real costs, not a guess at the buyer's number.

## How two 2026 requests for proposals told vendors to organize

Two 2026 solicitations for ride services show how much the format varies from buyer to buyer. One is a school district buying rides for students with special needs, and the other is a Maryland county health department buying Medicaid rides with federal funding.

| Item | Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, North Carolina | Washington County Health Department, Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| Solicitation | RFP 163-02012026TS-AS, issued February 16, 2026 | RFP WCHD-2026-02, issued April 13, 2026 |
| Questions due | February 23, by email, citing section and page | May 8, 10:00 a.m., by email |
| Proposals due | March 9, 2:00 p.m., through the state's electronic Vendor Portal only | May 14, 4:00 p.m., by email in password-protected files, or on paper by arrangement |
| Order of contents | Cover letter, title page, signed execution pages, addenda receipts, the proposal, then the district's forms | Title page and contents, confidentiality claim, information sheet and transmittal letter, executive summary, then tabbed sections |
| Price | A separate spreadsheet file labeled Cost Proposal | A separate Financial Proposal, with no prices in the Technical Proposal |
| Scoring | Sample scorecard: safety 30%, capacity 25%, cost 20%, technical 20%, references 5% | Technical response and work plan first, then qualifications, with technical and price weighted equally |
| References | At least three, on the district's form | At least three, from clients served in the last five years |
| Offer stays open | At least 120 days after opening | At least 120 days after the due date |

Washington County added rules worth copying into your checklist. The technical and financial files had to carry different passwords, each email could be no larger than 25 MB, and the subject line had to name the solicitation and say "Technical" or "Financial." Its executive summary had to list every exception taken, and its experience section asked for years of similar service, current clients and locations, the managers who would supervise the work, the process for fixing billing errors, and an organizational chart. Vendors also had to register on eMaryland Marketplace Advantage, which is free, to receive the award. For more on that county's program, see Washington County, Maryland.

## Small business outreach and the forms that come with it

When federal grant money pays, the buyer should make sure small businesses, minority businesses, women's business enterprises, veteran-owned businesses, and labor surplus area firms are considered when possible ([2 CFR 200.321](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.321)). That means putting them on solicitation lists, soliciting them whenever they are eligible, dividing large purchases so they can compete, and using the SBA and the Minority Business Development Agency. It also means requiring the buyer's contractors to apply the same steps to their subcontracts.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg's small business forms sit under the heading Federal Uniform Guidance. Its utilization form had to be completed even when a vendor planned no small business participation, and it said failing to meet the commitment may be a breach of contract. Two steps follow for a small company:

1. **Ask to be on the list.** Call each purchasing office near you and ask to be added to its solicitation list for transportation services.
2. **Attach your certification.** If a state, a city, or another certifying body has certified your company as minority-owned, women-owned, or small, attach the certificate to the buyer's form.

If you plan to win as the prime and hand trips to a partner, name the partner in Part 9 and check the subcontracting limits in [subcontracting NEMT trips](https://nemtguide.com/guides/subcontract-nemt-trips/).

## SAM.gov registration and federal certifications

Where the money comes from decides what you need:

- **A federal agency buying directly**, such as a VA medical center. You must be registered in SAM.gov when you submit the offer ([48 CFR 4.1102](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-48/section-4.1102)). SAM.gov says registration can take up to 10 business days to become active, must be renewed every 365 days, and that a Unique Entity ID alone does not let you apply directly for federal awards.
- **A county, school district, or transit agency spending federal grant money.** A contract expected to be worth $25,000 or more is a covered transaction ([2 CFR 180.220](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-180.220)). Before signing, the buyer must verify you are not excluded by checking SAM.gov Exclusions, collecting a certification from you, or adding a clause to the contract ([2 CFR 180.300](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-180.300)). Charlotte-Mecklenburg's execution page includes that certification. See [SAM exclusion check](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/sam-exclusions/).
- **Any federally funded bid over $100,000.** You must file the Byrd anti-lobbying certification, and each tier certifies to the tier above ([2 CFR Part 200, Appendix II](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/appendix-Appendix%20II%20to%20Part%20200)). Charlotte-Mecklenburg's request included its lobbying certification and the federal disclosure form, Standard Form LLL.

Before you answer a federal sources sought notice, prepare a capability statement.

## Public records and confidential pages

Both 2026 requests treat proposals as records the public can ask for, and both let you protect real trade secrets on their terms:

- **Charlotte-Mecklenburg.** Submit one signed, redacted copy if your proposal holds confidential information, such as trade secrets under N.C. Gen. Stat. 66-152 or other records exempt under N.C. Gen. Stat. 132-1.2. Price information can never be marked confidential. Without a redacted copy, the district may release the unredacted proposal when someone requests it.
- **Washington County.** List each confidential item by page and section, with a reason, after the title page and before the table of contents, and send a redacted copy of each volume. A blanket confidentiality label for the whole proposal is not allowed. When someone asks for the information under Maryland's Public Information Act, the procurement officer still decides independently whether it must be released.

Mark only what a competitor could truly use, and assume the rest will be read. Charlotte-Mecklenburg's request said proposals would be opened publicly, and that when negotiation was expected, prices would become open to public inspection at award. To find out who won a past contract and at what price, see [who holds a ride contract](https://nemtguide.com/guides/who-holds-a-ride-contract/). If a hospital, dialysis group, or other facility asks you for a proposal instead, the same parts work in a shorter form. See [facility contracts](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-to-get-nemt-facility-contracts/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What goes in a transportation services proposal?

Whatever the solicitation lists, in its order. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' February 2026 request asked for a cover letter, a title page, signed execution pages, signed addenda receipts, the proposal answering every specification, and its small business, reference, sex offender law, and lobbying forms. Washington County, Maryland, also asked for an executive summary, a work plan, financial statements, a legal action summary, and a certificate of insurance.

### How do public buyers score transportation proposals?

By the factors and weights in the solicitation. When federal grant money pays, 2 CFR 200.320 requires a request for proposals to name every evaluation factor and its relative importance, and the award goes to the responsible offeror whose proposal is most advantageous, price and other factors considered. Charlotte-Mecklenburg's sample scorecard weighted safety and compliance at 30 percent, capacity 25, cost 20, technical capability 20, and references 5.

### What federal certifications go with a grant-funded proposal?

Two, each set by the contract's size. Before it signs a contract of $25,000 or more, a buyer spending federal grant money must confirm you are not excluded, by checking SAM.gov Exclusions, collecting your certification, or adding a contract clause. A bid over $100,000 also needs the Byrd anti-lobbying certification. Charlotte-Mecklenburg built the first into its signed execution page and attached the second as its own form.

### Should my price go in the same file as my proposal?

Only if the buyer says so. Washington County, Maryland, required a separate Financial Proposal and barred any pricing in the Technical Proposal in its April 2026 Medicaid ride request. It also told offerors not to alter its price form, leave items blank, or add conditions. Charlotte-Mecklenburg wanted pricing in a separate spreadsheet file labeled Cost Proposal.

### Can I mark parts of my proposal confidential?

Only specific pages, and never your prices. Charlotte-Mecklenburg asked for a signed, redacted copy of any proposal with trade secrets, said price information can never be marked confidential, and warned it may release the full proposal on a records request if no redacted copy is sent. Washington County wanted each claim listed by page and section with a reason, and allowed no blanket label for the whole proposal.

### What if a requirement shuts my company out?

Ask about it in writing before the questions deadline. Charlotte-Mecklenburg invited a question from any vendor that believed a changed requirement would get the district a better proposal, and only a written addendum binds the buyer. For grant-funded buys, 2 CFR 200.319 lists unnecessary experience and excessive bonding among the situations that may restrict competition.

## Official resources

- [SAM.gov: Entity registration](https://sam.gov/entity-registration)
- [SAM.gov: Contract opportunities search](https://sam.gov/search/?index=opp)
- [eCFR: 2 CFR 200.320, Procurement methods for federal grant buyers](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.320)
- [North Carolina electronic Vendor Portal](https://evp.nc.gov/)
- [eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA)](https://emma.maryland.gov/)