DOT Research and Technology IDIQ

The Department of Transportation Research and Technology Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle supports research and technology initiatives focused on commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety, driver behavior, transportation systems, and regulatory compliance. The contract was established on April 16, 2014, with a total shared ceiling of $30 million over five years, designed to enable the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to rapidly procure specialized research services from pre-qualified contractors. The vehicle allows for firm fixed-price task orders addressing critical transportation safety challenges through scientific research, data analysis, and technological assessments.

The IDIQ vehicle primarily supports task orders awarded to research institutions and technical organizations such as Battelle Memorial Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech), and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. Task orders typically range from approximately $100,000 to $2,000,000, with performance periods spanning one to three years. Specific research topics have included analyzing electronic logging device data, examining truck driver safety practices, studying maintenance impacts on vehicle safety, assessing crash reporting accuracy, and developing guidelines for emerging transportation technologies like automated commercial vehicles. None of the task orders utilized small business set-asides, and the contracts consistently employed firm fixed-price mechanisms. The research predominantly supports the FMCSA's mission of reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses through data-driven policy and technological interventions.