Description
The U.S. EPA has a requirement for the EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ). OTAQ has responsibilities under the Clean Air Act (CAA) which include setting emission standards for on- and off-highway motor vehicles /engines and assuring compliance with such standards; characterizing emissions and fuel consumption characteristics of current and prototype on- and off-highway motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines; and assessing the effectiveness and cost of current or potential future motor vehicle emission control systems. Additional OTAQ responsibilities include regulating motor vehicle fuels and fuel additives (F/FA) and assessing the emissions characteristics of current or potential future motor vehicle F/FA. The objective of this solicitation is to provide OTAQ with flexible testing and related analytical support for emissions characterization, technology assessment and test procedure and/or equipment development. This requirement encompasses measurement of regulated/unregulated emissions and fuel consumption for a wide variety of highway and non-highway vehicles/engines operating on all types of conventional, reformulated and alternative fuels. Testing requirements apply to vehicles/engines operating in both laboratory and real-world environments. Related analytical support requirements include statistical or other analysis and/or modeling of emissions and other data to determine air quality, health, welfare and safety effects associated with compliance with new emission standards or other applicable CAA provisions. Other related requirements include chemical or other analyses of F/FA and development/evaluation of test protocols for F/FA and their combustion and evaporative products. Also included is analysis/modeling of the effects of changes in F/FA formulations on emissions, emission control systems and on fuel production and distribution systems. Technical support to EPA design and evaluation of prototype vehicle emission-control and propulsion systems and related control, data acquisition and sampling systems will also be required. Significant potential exists for conflicts of interest (COI) under this procurement. Therefore, it is considered in the best interest of the Government to preclude from award consideration as a prime contractor or subcontractor, all motor vehicle or engine/non-road engine manufacturers and fuels and/or fuel additives producers. Furthermore, all offerors will be required to submit a COI plan requiring them to identify the projects they are working on and explain how potential or actual Organizational Conflicts of Interests can be either mitigated, avoided, or neutralized. The solicitation will contain the following provision, "Prohibition of Motor Vehicle or Engine/Non-Road Engine Manufacturers and Fuels and Fuels and/or Fuel Additives Producers from Being Considered Eligible for Award." The text of this clause will be as follows: "Whereas the purpose of this contract is to provide support for the development of regulations directly affecting the motor vehicle or engine/non-road engine manufacturing, and fuel and fuel additive producers, the Contracting Officer has determined that a significant potential for an actual or potential COI will result. Therefore, any manufacturers of motor vehicles or engine/non-road engines and fuel and fuel additive producers will be considered ineligible for award of any contract resulting from this solicitation. The specific determination whether any other offeror is to be considered ineligible for award will be made by the Agency on a case by case basis." The solicitation and resulting contract shall also contain the clause, "Limitation on Future Contracting." The text of this clause will track with Limitation of Future Contracting, Alternative V (Headquarters Support), EPAAR 1552.209-74 (MAY 1994), except for paragraph (c). Paragraph (c) of the clause shall read as follows: "Paragraph c: Unless prior written approval is obtained from the cognizant EPA Contracting Officer, the Contractor agrees not to enter into a contract with or to represent any party, other than EPA, with respect to the specific activities performed under this contract. Specifically, enter into contracts or represent motor vehicle or engine/non-road engine manufacturers and fuels and /or fuel additives producers that are affected by the policy and regulations generated from this contract if the purpose is to shield or protect the company from adhering to EPA's regulations or policies. These restrictions apply during the life of the contract." The Government anticipates award of a cost plus fixed fee term (LOE) contract with a twelve-month base term and four (4) twelve month options to extend the term. The base level of effort for each term will consist of 4,250 direct labor hours. The Government anticipates including quantity option amounts of 200% for the Base and the option periods, which brings the maximum total potential on the contract to 63,750 direct labor hours over five (5) years. The solicitation is subject to full and open competition, all responsible offerors may submit a proposal. Copies of the solicitation will be available to all offerors on the Internet. Offerors should visit EPA's Home Page (http://www.epa.gov/oam/cinn_cmd) for continuous update of RFP's status. No RFP release date and closure have yet been established. Anticipated release is October 2004. The NAICS code is 541330.