Inactive

SUBMITTAL INFORMATION ISSUE DATE: June 04, 2021 DUE DATE FOR RESPONSES: June 14, 2021 SUBMIT RESPONSES TO: Megan.Mavis@dot.gov SUBMIT QUESTIONS TO: Megan.Mavis@dot.gov See below Section 5 entitled “RE... SUBMITTAL INFORMATION ISSUE DATE: June 04, 2021 DUE DATE FOR RESPONSES: June 14, 2021 SUBMIT RESPONSES TO: Megan.Mavis@dot.gov SUBMIT QUESTIONS TO: Megan.Mavis@dot.gov See below Section 5 entitled “REQUESTED CONTENT OF RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (SSN)” for submittal content instructions. INTRODUCTION Potential Sources Sought. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is conducting a market survey to identify potential sources for an anticipated contract for “Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Research Project”. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information, for planning purposes, regarding: the availability and capability of qualified sources to perform the work. Pursuant to 48 C.F.R. Part 10, the Government is conducting market research to: Determine what sources exist that are capable of satisfying the Government’s requirements listed below, Determine the capabilities of potential Contractors, Determine the size and status of potential sources, and Determine the level of competition (i.e. 8(a), set-aside or full and open). BACKGROUND The FHWA Office of Acquisition and Grants Management intends to make an award (firm fixed price) to accomplish the work described herein. The purpose for this SSN is to conduct market research to identify potential offerors having an interest in, and the resources to accomplish the work. Consideration will be given to identifying small business concerns, including the sub-categories of SDVOSB, HUBZone, 8(a), SDB and woman-owned. The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement. This document contains a draft scope of work. Your firm’s response regarding your firm’s experience and capabilities will be used to determine the availability of potential businesses, both large and small, and their capabilities in meeting the Government’s requirement. DRAFT SCOPE OF WORK The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requires services to provide all necessary supervision, personnel, equipment, materials, and other items necessary to satisfactorily perform the services for the project entitled, “Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Research Project”. Congress established the DBE Program in 1982 to ensure nondiscrimination in the award and administration of USDOT-assisted contracts, help remove barriers to allow DBEs the ability to compete fairly for USDOT-assisted contracts, and assist in the development of firms that can compete successfully in the marketplace outside of the DBE program. Implementation of the DBE program is a requirement for recipients and subrecipients of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration, and Federal Aviation Administration funds. DBEs are for-profit, small businesses that are owned and controlled by minorities, women or other socially and disadvantaged persons. FHWA recipients, State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs), in partnership with other state agencies, review applications from firms to determine if they qualify for the DBE program. Each State DOT, sets an overall DBE participation goal, reflected as a percentage of its total FHWA apportionment dollars. To reach the goal, State DOTs, in part, include DBE subcontracting goals in their Federally-assisted contracts for prime Contractor bidders to use good faith efforts to meet. Overall goals can also be met when DBEs are the successful bidders on a prime contract. In 2019, FHWA State DOT recipients awarded contracts to 29,543 DBEs totaling $5,063,710,100. This amount represents over 10% of the FHWA apportionment dollars, and the numbers are similar from year to year. This is a service contract or task order to provide a research paper and literature review on the secondary effects participation by small businesses in the highway transportation market have on national and local economies, job growth, community safety, and family stability. The DBE program positively affects DBE firms by providing them with contracting opportunities that they would not have in the absence of the program. What we don’t know is how participation by these, by definition, small firms, contributes to local and national economic growth, including the creation of employment opportunities. We can make assumptions that DBEs, as small businesses, positively contribute to local and national economies, and as they grow they contribute to job creation, but we have no data to support these assumptions. Such data would assist FHWA’s Office of Civil Rights with marketing the positive effects of the DBE program to our recipients and other stakeholders. The Contractor must: 1. Complete a literature search of existing research on the secondary effects small businesses have on local and national economies, job growth, community safety, and family stability, synthesizing and summarizing results. 2. Conduct new research on any secondary effects participation by small businesses in the highway transportation market have on national and local economies, job growth, community safety, and family stability 3. Beyond the question of small businesses generally, the literature search and new research would also address how participation by small firms owned by minorities and women create secondary effects on those specific communities with respect to job growth, community safety, and family stability. 4. Complete a literature search and conduct new research regarding how participation by small businesses in the highway transportation market owned by minorities and women create secondary effects on those specific communities with respect to job growth, community safety, and family stability. The Contractor must provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform research and literature review. The Contractor must prepare for FHWA a summary White Paper on “the secondary effects of participation of small businesses owned by minorities and women in the highway transportation market have on national and local economies.” During the period of performance, the Contractor will schedule monthly progress update meetings with the COR and task monitors. The Contractor must take minutes during the meetings and deliver them to the COR no later than one week following all meetings. Task 1-Work Plan and Kickoff Meeting The Contractor must participate in an onsite (at FHWA) or virtually with the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and other FHWA representatives where the work plan will be presented. The kickoff meeting must be held within two weeks of award. During the kickoff meeting, FHWA staff will reiterate its high-level requirements and priorities. Deliverables: The Contractor must provide a Draft Work Plan two weeks following the kick off meeting. The COR will submit comments to the Contractor within two weeks following submittal of the draft work plan. Upon resolution of COR comments, the Contractor must complete a Final Work Plan. A final Work Plan must be provided and approved within 6 weeks after the kick-off meeting. Task 2 - Literature search on literature search Deliverables: The secondary effects small businesses have on local and national economies, job growth, community safety, and family stability. Address how participation by small firms owned by minorities and women create secondary effects on those specific communities with respect to job growth, community safety, and family stability. How participation by small businesses in the highway transportation market owned by minorities and women create secondary effects on those specific communities with respect to job growth, community safety, and family stability. Task 3 - Conduct new research Deliverables: on any secondary effects participation by small businesses in the highway transportation market have on national and local economies, job growth, community safety, and family stability how participation by small firms owned by minorities and women create secondary effects on those specific communities with respect to job growth, community safety, and family stability how participation by small businesses in the highway transportation market owned by minorities and women create secondary effects on those specific communities with respect to job growth, community safety, and family stability. The estimated period of performance for this contract is twelve months from the effective date of award. REQUESTED CONTENT OF RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (SSN) This SSN is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract or cooperative agreement nor does the Government intend to directly pay for any information or responses submitted as the result of this SSN. Interested parties, who consider their firms qualified to perform the above-listed services, are invited to submit responses to this SSN. Any interested organizations are invited to submit a Capability Statement to the identified Contracting Officer/Specialist via email by the response date. Responses must clearly identify: Name, Address, Point of Contact; Size Standard under NAICS code TBD – TBD (size standard is TBD); Identify all applicable classifications for your organization, such as: Small Business? Woman-owned business? 8(a) business? Large business Small disadvantaged business HUBZone business? SDVOB business? Non-profit? Description of technical capabilities and relevant experience to perform the work described in Section 4 of this document; Synopsis of experience and expertise of potential staff; Relevant projects completed related to the anticipated objectives of the project with information on the client, scope, and products; and Description of available facilities to perform the work outlined above. The Capability Statement must be no more than ten pages in length single-spaced with font size twelve or larger. NOTES PARTICIPATION IN THE MARKET RESEARCH IN NO WAY INFLUENCES THE SOURCE SELECTION FOR THESE SERVICES. This SSN is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract, nor does the Government intend to directly pay for any information or responses submitted as the result of this SSN. As a result of this Market Research, FHWA intends to issue a solicitation at eBuy.gsa.gov and/or SAM.gov.