Frequently Asked Questions

Register your business with the MBTA to be notified of contract opportunities in your industry, and sign up with COMMBUYS, the Commonwealth’s online procurement system. All bid submissions are done through COMMBUYS.

You can also browse all open bids with Materials Management online.

There is no formal pre-qualification process to become an MBTA vendor. Each solicitation is treated separately.

All late bids are disqualified. All advertised bids have clearly referenced date and time deadlines for submittal.

An Invitation for Bid (IFB) is a procurement where the lowest price is the deciding factor if all submitted proposals equally satisfy the bid specifications.

A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a procurement where price is one of several factors considered in awarding the contract.

If you are awarded a contract, the MBTA will contact you with next steps. You can also view all awarded contracts with Materials Management online.

It depends on the procurement process.

For IFBs, the lowest bid price is chosen if all proposals satisfy the bid requirements and the vendor meets necessary qualifications. This is called a responsive bid.

For RFPs, the other factors that are considered vary depending on the solicitation. This is called a best value procurement.