Description
The U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovation Technology Administration, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), intends to negotiate on a sole source basis under statutory authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c) (1) Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, with Transportation Systems Center (TRC) Inc., located in East Liberty, OH. The Volpe Center, in support of the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) intends to procure services to collect data describing vehicle responses during dynamic rollover tests. Approximately forty (40) rollover tests will be conducted each year. The period of performance for this contract will be four (4) years from date of award. Phase I of the Rollover Test Program (eighteen (18) rollover tests of model year 2004 vehicles) was carried out by the Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC), a Federal Research Center operated by NHTSA and located adjacent to and managed by TRC. These tests and several years of development work were performed by VRTC/NHTSA to develop the test procedures and statistical model to predict the rollover risk of vehicles as a function of their geometric properties and whether they tip up when tested on this particular test surface. This specialized facility, Vehicle Dynamics Area (VDA), was constructed to provide uniform pavement friction and a flat surface profile to a far greater degree than provided by ordinary highway techniques. The quality of the test surface enables NHTSA’s dynamic rollover test to achieve the high lev el of test-to-test repeatability necessary for valid comparisons of vehicle performance. Due to NHTSA staff located at VRTC being limited, it was necessary to utilize the private sector to conduct the test for the next phase of the rollover test program. TRC was determined to be uniquely qualified, because they manage and lease this specialized property, and their personnel are based at the location of the test surface required to conduct the rollover tests. TRC conducted Phase II (twenty-one (21)) rollover test of Model year 2004 vehicles) and Phase III (thirty-four (34)) rollover tests of model year 2005 vehicles) of the rollover test program. It is necessary to test the vehicles from model year 2006 though 2009 on the same surface to assure that the rollover risk predictions are val id, that the comparisons between 2004 and 2005 model year vehicles that have already been rated and the ratings of future vehicles are valid, and that the 2004 and 2005 ratings can be carried over for subsequent production years of substantially identical vehicles. Surface friction, microtexture, macrotexture and profile have a strong effect on whether vehicles tip up or not during the rollover test. The results of these rollover tests will be used to supply consumers with comparative ratings of the dynamic rollover resistance of vehicles from model years 2006 through 2009. Government market research indicated that TRC is the only facility that has conducted tests such as those conducted on the VDA surface located at TRC. The need for the Government to provide fair and consistent test r esult requires that an alternate facility be able to verify that it 1) could conduct the same tests and collect the same data; and 2) could reproduce the test results achieved at TRC VDA for a reasonable and representative range of vehicles, particularly those that barely tipped-up at the highest test speeds. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code for this acquisition is 541990 and the small business standard is $6.0 million. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. Interested firms have 15 calendar days from the date of publication of this synopsis to submit in writing to the above named point of contact, clear and convincing documentation of their companies` capability to provide required services. Such documentation will be utilized solely for the pur pose determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. Responses received after 15 calendar days or without the required documentation will be considered non-responsive and shall be not be considered . The Government shall not pay for any documentation provided in response to this synopsis and documentation received will not be returned to the sender. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement on a full and open competitive basis, based upon responses received to this synopsis, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Telephone calls in place of required documentation is not acceptable. The WWW address, or URL, of the Volpe Center Acquisition Management Division home page is: http://www.volpe.dot.gov/procure/index.html.