Transit procurement - Invitation for Bid (IFB), Requests for Proposal (RFP), and Shared-Ride Taxi

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), as the designated recipient of federal grant funds, is responsible for ensuring that sub-recipients are aware of and comply with federal procurement requirements as listed in FTA C 4220.1F – Third Party Contracting Guidance.

For procurements where the total purchase is estimated to cost over $50,000, the Invitation for Bid (IFB) process is to be used for purchases of commodities like vehicles and equipment, whereas Requests for Proposal (RFP) are more appropriate for procuring more general services (e.g. engineering) based on vendor qualifications.

To purchase products or services through IFBs or R​FPs, including the shared-ride taxi procurement process (even when the taxi(s) might cost less than $50,000), WisDOT sub-recipients must follow a more detailed process than is necessary for smaller-value purchases.​

Before procurements are initiated, sub-recipients should consult the WisDOT Procurement Manual and work with the WisDOT Transit Procurement Manager to ensure appropriate procurement steps are followed.

The following forms are required to be submitted, or suggested to be used during, the IFB or RFP process. The documents for each procurement process are available in the zipped "Appendices" folders below.

Toolkits and required forms

Resources:​