Set-Aside Pulse (MA COMMBUYS): Guardianship, Clinical Services, AED Maintenance, Training & More — Deadlines Through Mar 27, 2026

Executive takeaway

This pulse features several SBPP-eligible Commonwealth opportunities with near-term deadlines in early March and a longer runway item through late March. The most strategically significant item is an announcement-only notice that the Executive Office of Aging & Independence intends to post an RFR for a Protective Services Guardianship Program vendor (legal fiduciary/guardianship services). Several others are straightforward service/supply needs where speed, compliance with the bid package, and clear capability proof tend to win.

What the buyer is trying to do

Protective Services Guardianship Program (announcement only)

The Executive Office of Aging & Independence (AGE) is signaling an upcoming procurement via COMMBUYS for a qualified entity to provide legal fiduciary services, including guardianship, to designated qualifying older adults who are clients of the Massachusetts older adult Protective Services Program. This notice is an announcement only; the actual RFR is expected to be posted later.

Psychiatric services for residents

The Massachusetts Veterans Home at Holyoke is seeking licensed, experienced, qualified bidders to provide psychiatric services (psychiatrist) to Veterans residing at the facility. The posting directs bidders to the RFR document in the bid package for details and submission requirements.

Vehicles for extrication training

The Department of Fire Services intends to contract with one or multiple vendors to supply cars used in motor vehicle extrication training at Stow, Springfield, and Bridgewater campuses. Vehicles must be prepared, delivered, and removed per specifications.

AED maintenance and service program

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs is soliciting for an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) maintenance and service program for FY26.

Entry-level CDL driving training

The Department of Fish and Game is procuring a driving school so employees can complete entry-level training for a CDL license.

Other items in this pulse

Two additional notices may be relevant depending on your line of work: a District 4 litter control posting that explicitly instructs bidders not to use COMMBUYS to bid, and a grants opportunity for sports and entertainment events funding (with question timing noted in the notice).

What work is implied (bullets)

• Guardianship/legal fiduciary services: deliver protective services guardianship support for qualifying older adults served by the state protective services program (verify all operational expectations in the RFR when posted).
• Psychiatric services: provide psychiatrist coverage for residents at the Veterans’ Home (scope, hours, credentialing, and deliverables must be taken from the RFR in the bid package).
• Training vehicles logistics: source vehicles, prepare them to specification, deliver to multiple training campuses, and remove them afterward.
• AED program support: provide maintenance and service for AEDs under an FY26 program (locations, service levels, and reporting requirements should be confirmed in attachments).
• Driving school services: deliver entry-level training for CDL licensing for agency employees.
• Litter control: coordination with alternate bid method (since COMMBUYS is explicitly not to be used for bidding on that project).
• Grant applications: prepare a compliant grant submission and manage Q&A timing requirements if pursuing the events fund grants.

Who should bid / who should pass (bullets)

• Bid if: you can provide legal fiduciary/guardianship services and can operate as a program vendor supporting older adult protective services (watch for the future RFR posting).
• Bid if: you can staff a licensed psychiatrist service line suitable for a residential veterans home environment and can meet all bid package requirements.
• Bid if: you already run a vehicle sourcing/prep/delivery/removal workflow aligned to training use cases (and can support Stow, Springfield, and Bridgewater deliveries).
• Bid if: you are an AED service provider with a mature maintenance program and can follow the specific ticket/RFR instructions.
• Bid if: you are an established driving school that delivers entry-level CDL training for employer cohorts.
• Pass if: you cannot comply with the instruction that the litter control project should not be bid through COMMBUYS (unless you can follow the correct alternate process).
• Pass if: you rely on vague “we can do it” language—these are the types of buys where the bid package (and proof of capability) matters more than marketing.

Response package checklist (bullets; if unknown say “verify in attachments”)

• COMMBUYS online submission readiness (accounts, roles, and upload limits) — verify in attachments.
• Signed forms/certifications required by the specific RFR — verify in attachments.
• Technical approach describing how services/supply will be delivered (psychiatric coverage model; vehicle prep/delivery/removal plan; AED maintenance approach; CDL training plan) — verify in attachments.
• Evidence of qualification/licensure where applicable (e.g., psychiatrist licensing; training school eligibility) — verify in attachments.
• Past performance references aligned to the same kind of work (facility-based psychiatric services; training logistics; preventive maintenance programs; CDL training cohorts) — verify in attachments.
• Pricing submission in the exact format requested — verify in attachments.
• Acknowledgment of any special submission instructions (notably: the litter control notice states not to use COMMBUYS to bid) — verify in attachments.

Pricing & strategy notes (how to research pricing; do not invent pricing numbers)

Given the variety of buy types, pricing strategy should start with the bid package instructions and then anchor to comparable recent awards/benchmarks you can validate.

• For psychiatric services: confirm the requested service structure in the RFR (e.g., coverage expectations) and build pricing that reflects compliance first. Research comparable Massachusetts public facility psychiatric service engagements where available, then sanity-check internal labor assumptions.
• For vehicle extrication training cars: the cost drivers will likely be vehicle sourcing, preparation to spec, multi-campus delivery, and removal. Identify your unit economics for each step and price transparently in the format requested.
• For AED maintenance: don’t guess device counts, locations, or service levels—pull these from the bid package. Price should reflect preventative maintenance cadence, any required documentation, and responsiveness expectations.
• For CDL entry-level training: confirm cohort sizing, scheduling constraints, and any required curriculum elements in the RFR, then price per trainee/cohort as allowed by the submission format.
• For the guardianship program: since this is announcement-only, focus on capture: gather internal cost models, map delivery capacity, and be ready to respond quickly once the RFR is posted via COMMBUYS.

Subcontracting / teaming ideas (bullets)

• Vehicle extrication training supply: team a vehicle sourcing partner with a towing/removal operator to ensure delivery/removal coverage across Stow, Springfield, and Bridgewater.
• AED maintenance: pair a regional service provider with a back-up technician network to ensure continuity across EEA sites (as required by the bid package).
• CDL training: partner with a training facility/provider that can absorb scheduling spikes for government employee cohorts.
• Psychiatric services: consider coverage teaming (primary psychiatrist plus qualified coverage) if the RFR expects continuity and backup (verify in attachments).

Risks & watch-outs (bullets)

• Announcement-only risk: the guardianship program notice is not the full RFR; requirements and evaluation details will come later.
• Submission channel trap: the litter control notice explicitly states not to use COMMBUYS to bid—missing the correct process can sink an otherwise viable offer.
• Attachment-driven requirements: several notices point to bid package/RFR documents for “details” and “submission requirements.” Treat attachments as the source of truth.
• Multi-site logistics: the extrication training vehicles require delivery and removal at multiple campuses; underestimating transport/removal complexity is a common margin and performance risk.
• Credentialing/compliance: psychiatric services and training offerings typically hinge on licensure/qualification proof—prepare documentation early and match it to what the RFR asks for.

Related opportunities

• WTO Notice: AGE Protective Service Guardianship Program
• RFR Psychiatric Services 2026
• DFSJW DFS-VehicleEx-2026, Cars for Vehicle Extrication Training
• Ticket 373672 - FY26 - EEA Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Maintenance and Service Program
• 614150 DISTRICT 4 Litter Control at Various Locations
• MOTT Sports and Entertainment Events Fund Grants
• Entry Level Driving Training School

How to act on this

1. Pick 1–2 pursuits that match your existing delivery model and can be supported with strong documentation.
2. Open each opportunity’s bid package and build your compliance matrix (submission instructions, required forms, and evaluation factors) — verify in attachments.
3. For the guardianship program notice, set a monitor/alert for the posted RFR and pre-build your capability narrative for legal fiduciary/guardianship delivery.
4. Finalize pricing only after confirming scope and submission format in the RFR documents.

If you want a hands-on compliance review, a capture plan, or red-team support for your COMMBUYS submission, consider working with Federal Bid Partners LLC.