I-Team: R.I. goes out-of-state for travel services

EAST GREENWICH, R.I.—Each year, the state of Rhode Island spends millions of dollars on travel for professional conferences, economic development and college sports.

For the past 13 years, Donovan Travel in East Greenwich has won the bid to handle the state’s travel needs. But last fall, Donovan lost the bid to a Kansas firm—Short’s Travel.

Donovan is an all-female firm. Its president, Judy Clappin, said she is not pleased.

“After all these years, I haven’t changed my pricing. I don’t know how anybody can be any cheaper. We operate very lean,“ Clappin said.

An I-Team review of both bids showed that a selection committee concluded Short’s Travel was the better agency.

“Short’s Travel are experts in the field of athletic team travel … and currently have access to Web-driven software that … is important to URI’s team travels,“ the committee said.

On Donovan Travel, the committee determined: “Their transaction fees are slightly higher, but there is a commission-sharing program (for cost savings). However, the lack of experience Donovan has had with athletic programs became obvious to URI during the current contract.“

Donovan’s president said nobody in the state ever complained about the agency’s service.

Clappin said Gov. Don Carcieri’s often stated vow to help small businesses in the state rings hollow to her.

“I’m sad about it. I’m sad that what’s being preached is not being done within the state,“ she said.

The state’s purchasing agent, Lou DeQuattro, identified seven areas of substantial savings from the Kansas firm.

DeQuattro said the state has no choice but to award the contract according to the bid scores from the evaluation committee, as long as the company is qualified.