School bus transportation and employee shuttle services for government facilities. Find active federal and state school and employee bus transportation contracts — AI-scored against your profile across SAM.gov and 200+ portals.
Federal annual spend under NAICS 485410 is estimated at $200–300 million, dominated by DoD (DODEA school bus routes and military base shuttle services) and BIA (tribal school transportation). Contracts are typically awarded as fixed-price IDIQs with 1-year base plus 4 option years, or as BPAs under GSA Schedule 541. Demand is driven by base realignments, school start dates, and employee transit needs at secure facilities. Competition is moderate, with 10–20 offers per solicitation; small businesses win ~60% of awards due to set-asides.
These agencies are the largest buyers of school and employee bus transportation services and products in the federal government. Each awards contracts under NAICS 485410 regularly — build relationships with their small business offices first.
To win, target DODEA's annual bus route solicitations (typically released in March) and BIA's school transportation RFPs. Most contracts are set aside for 8(a) or HUBZone firms; if you qualify, use those preferences. The highest-leverage move is to obtain a GSA Schedule 541 (Transportation and Logistics) contract, which allows you to compete for BPAs and task orders across multiple agencies without individual RFPs.
Most buys are LPTA (lowest price technically acceptable) because service is standardized. Common vehicles: GSA Schedule 541, DoD's DODEA Bus Route IDIQs, BIA School Transportation BPAs, and GSA's OASIS (for large shuttle contracts). Evaluation typically focuses on price, safety record, and past performance.
You need a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with passenger and school bus endorsements for each driver, plus DOT physicals. For base access, drivers must pass a TSA background check and obtain a DBIDS credential.
Yes, for contracts over $150,000, the Miller Act requires a performance bond and a payment bond, each equal to 100% of the contract value. Some agencies may also require a bid bond.
8(a) and HUBZone certifications are most common for this NAICS. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) status also receives preference at the VA and DoD. Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) set-asides are rare in this code.
Typically 8–15 bidders per solicitation. The top 3–5 awardees share multiple routes. Competition is higher in regions with many small bus operators, like the Southeast.
Individual route contracts range from $50,000 to $500,000 per year. A full base-wide shuttle IDIQ can be $2–10 million annually. The average award is around $300,000 per year.