693JJ3-25-BAA-0004.pdf

Office of Acquisitions and Grants Management

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

693JJ3-25-BAA-0004

Topic: Development of an Automated Driving System (ADS) National Strategy for the National Park Service (NPS) Through the Use of Pilots in an Operational Setting

Table of Contents

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

II. PURPOSE

1. Legislative Authority

III. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

1. Summary of Important Dates

2. Project Funding Limits

3. Deliverable Requirements – Requirements for Implementing Section 508 Standard

4. Intellectual Property Rights, Patents, Proprietary Data Restrictions and Data Rights

5. Section 889 Compliance Requirement

6. Buy America Requirement

IV. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT

1. Proposal Submission

2. Proposal Format and Instructions

V. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND FACTORS

VI. OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

VII. AWARD SELECTION

VIII. LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Office of Federal Lands Highway (FLH), in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), is announcing its intent to solicit proposals under this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the topic, Development of an Automated Driving System (ADS) National Strategy for the National Park Service (NPS) through the use of Pilots in an Operational Setting. This solicitation is being conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 35.016 and 6.102(d)(2). This strategy will provide FHWA an acquisition tool with the flexibility to make awards to meet present and compelling needs to understand the application of vehicle automation technologies (e.g., driving automation systems) on remote federal lands including those within NPS units. Operational pilots conducted under this project will inform planning and future infrastructure investment decisions.

Proposals will only be solicited and accepted according to the process described in this BAA.

This BAA is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to pay any proposal preparation costs.

This is an unrestricted BAA. However, this BAA is limited to US businesses/entities only.

Foreign owned businesses are not eligible for awards. Any responsible source may submit a proposal for consideration, including, but not limited to, organizations of State or local governments, universities or institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, and businesses or commercial organizations, except that any businesses owned in whole or in part by the federal government are not eligible. No portion of this BAA will be set aside or reserved exclusively for specific socioeconomic categories. The Government reserves the right to award either contracts, assistance agreements, or other instruments determined to be of benefit to the Government in achieving the goals of this project.

II. PURPOSE

The purpose of this BAA is to conduct operational pilots of vehicle automation technologies (including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems [ADAS1] and Automated Driving Systems [ADS]) at three national park units to inform potential long-term integration into parks’ remote transportation systems, to improve their efficiency and sustainability. The three selected units are Acadia National Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Yosemite National Park.

While this BAA is looking at three national park units for the proposed pilots, Offerors may submit proposals to pilot operations in one, two, or all three locations. See Appendix B – Statement of Objectives (SOO) for more details about each location.

1 ADAS helps support the human operator by providing minor interventions when needed (e.g., momentary adjustments to steering or braking systems), while ADS serve as an operator and drive the vehicle (i.e., perform driving tasks on a sustained basis without needing human input). For more information on ADAS (SAE Level 1-2 systems) or ADS (SAE Level 3-5 systems), see SAE J3016 - https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j3016_202104/.

https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j3016_202104/

The NPS is the federal government’s premiere natural and cultural resource preservation agency, and park units span a wide range of geographies and environments. These are often remote, including signage that differs from typical roads, irregular design and markings, mapping discrepancies, under resourced emergency services, Wi-Fi and cellular network limitations, and unexpected obstructions such as wildlife, pedestrians, and other road users.

Successful integration of appropriate vehicle automation technologies into park transportation systems has potential to enhance the NPS’s resource protection and visitor experience mission.

This pilot seeks to enhance the understanding of this potential and related planning considerations through operational experience and evaluation at selected park sites.

The pilot will involve planning, testing, and operating ADAS and/or ADS technologies in coordination with the NPS while adhering to constraints/parameters of the specific park site(s).

Ultimately, findings from this pilot will inform a NPS National Strategic Plan for the integration of vehicle automation technologies into park units across different park typologies.

Offerors will provide input into the development of the National Strategic Plan, based on their experience operating the pilots. Documented lessons learned will precipitate a national strategic plan for ADS deployment in remote locations based on prototype testing at NPS park units. The sharing of documented lessons and findings within DOT/DOI (Department of Transportation/Department of the Interior) will inform the NPS and other Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMAs) on the architecture and technology needs for incorporating ADS in mobile fleets and roadway infrastructure. ADS technology can potentially improve access to rural and remote areas of federally-owned and operated properties, including enhanced transit operations through the use of autonomous shuttles. In order to support sound decision-making on future implementation, this project will need to provide data and findings that will inform planning and analyses including using economic costs and benefits associated with vehicle automation technologies in remote federal lands.

See Appendix B for the full Statement of Objectives (SOO) for a description of park routes, objectives, and requirements.

1. Legislative Authority

The authority to conduct this project falls under 23 U.S. Code § 516(b) which includes intelligent transportation systems research and development and operational tests of intelligent vehicles. Under the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) Automation Program, research and development and operational tests of driving automation systems in NPS units will help ensure that agencies responsible for roadways on remote federal lands have adequate knowledge of automation technologies to effectively consider their potential in transportation planning efforts.

III. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Offerors are required to follow the guidance contained herein. The following sections provide information on the proposal format and required content, evaluation criteria, and other general information.

1. Summary of Important Dates

The Federal Highway Administration anticipates that the proposal, evaluation, and award process for this Broad Agency Announcement will generally proceed per the following schedule:

Table 1: Summary of Important Dates Event Date

Volume I Proposals Due (Step 1) August 22, 2025, at 1400 ET Notification of Advisory Down Select September 3, 2025

Questions Due September 18, 2025, at 1400 ET Volume II and III Proposals Due (Step 2) October 3, 2025, at 1400 ET

Award December 2025 Period of Performance, Phase 1 January 2026 – December 2026 [15 months]

Go/No Go Decision to Exercise Phase 2 Option December 2027 Period of Performance, Phase 2 January 2027 – March 2028 [15 months]

All administrative correspondence or questions on this BAA should be directed to the Contracting Specialist (CS), Okpemitoritse (Torishay) Onuwaje, at the following email addresses: o.onuwaje@dot.gov and HCFA-23SRI@dot.gov

The CS is this acquisition's exclusive point of contact. Address any questions or concerns you may have to the CS. Written requests for clarification shall be submitted using the Questions Template (Attachment 1) and sent to the CS. Questions or requests for clarification must be submitted on or before the date/time listed in Table 1. The BAA shall take precedence in the event of a conflict between a question response and the BAA. Please be advised that the Government will publicly post the questions and responses to all the questions received.

Questions must contain the BAA number and Question Topic. Please e-mail all questions to o.onuwaje@dot.gov and HCFA-23SRI@dot.gov.

2. Project Funding Limits

Awards are subject to the availability of funds. Estimated funding for all awards under this BAA (base and options) is between $1 million and $3.1 million. Individual awarded funding amounts will be at the discretion of the Government and based on the Technical Merits to perform the Statement of Objectives.

FHWA anticipates awarding up to three contracts under this BAA. The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, one, or none of the proposals submitted and may elect to fund only part of a submitted proposal. The Government also may incrementally fund any or all awards under this BAA. In all cases, the Contracting Officer will have the ultimate authority and responsibility to make final scope determinations for selections of proposals that will not be totally funded to ensure the portion selected meets the solicited requirements. In addition, the Government reserves the right to create and maintain a reserve list of proposals for potential funding, if additional funding becomes available.

3. Deliverable Requirements – Requirements for Implementing Section 508

Standard

All deliverables developed under this BAA must be compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and shall be improved, modified, or edited to address Government reviews and requirements and remediation.

In addition to the work requirements specified in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) provided by the Offeror, the Contractor shall ensure that all Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the ICT Final Standards and Guidelines (508 Refresh) at 36 CFR Part 1194.

As defined in the 508 Refresh, at 36 CFR Part 1194, Appendix A, E103.4, ICT is “Information technology and other equipment, systems, technologies, or processes, for which the principal function is the creation, manipulation, storage, display, receipt, or transmission of electronic data and information, as well as any associated content. Examples of ICT include but are not limited to: computers and peripheral equipment; information kiosks and transaction machines;

telecommunications equipment; customer premises equipment; multifunction office machines;

software; applications; Web sites; videos; and, electronic documents.”

Section 508 requires that all electronic products prepared for the federal government be accessible to persons with disabilities, including those with vision, hearing, cognitive, and mobility impairments. Applicable Standards:

• Appendix A to Part 1194 – Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act: Application and Scoping Requirements

• Appendix B to Part 1194 – Section 255 of the Communications Act: Application and Scoping Requirements

• Appendix C to Part 1194 – Functional Performance Criteria and Technical Requirements

Section 508 Refresh standards are available at https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-andstandards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh.

The Contractor shall adhere to the terms and requirements in FHWA Form 4260 Section 508 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Conformance Criteria for Section 508 https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines#appendix-a https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines#appendix-a https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines#appendix-a https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines#appendix-b https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines#appendix-b https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines#appendix-b https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines#appendix-b https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines#appendix-c https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines#appendix-c https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines#appendix-c https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/508/docs/form4260.pdf https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/508/docs/form4260.pdf https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/508/docs/form4260.pdf https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/508/docs/form4260.pdf https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/508/docs/form4260.pdf https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/508/docs/form4260.pdf https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/508/docs/form4260.pdf conformance (https://highways.dot.gov/sites/fhwa.dot.gov/files/form4260.pdf). The Conformance Criteria document does not need to be completed when submitting a deliverable.

Piloted vehicles deployed for public transport as part of the research will meet all Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title II, Subtitle B requirements.

4. Intellectual Property Rights, Patents, Proprietary Data Restrictions and Data Rights

Awards will generally contain detailed provisions concerning patent rights, rights in technical data and computer software, data reporting requirements, and other terms and conditions which shall be negotiated as part of the award process. These terms will generally be based on FAR Part 27 and the associated contract clauses in FAR Part 52. Offerors must describe any limitations on any intellectual property (patents, inventions, trade secrets, copyrights, or trademarks) that will impact the Offeror’s performance of the contract or impact the Government’s subsequent use of any deliverable under the contract. The Offeror must describe the intellectual property in sufficient detail to describe the limitations (Data assertions of the Offeror or any subcontractor, potential patent licenses required by the Government, etc.), and to describe why or how the Government can accomplish the stated objectives of this BAA with the limitations described or proposed by the Offeror. This information must be included in the proposal.

5. Section 889 Compliance Requirement All contracts awarded under this BAA must be compliant with Section 899 (“Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment”) of Public Law 115-232, also known as the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act.

• FAR 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (OCT 2020)

• FAR 52.204-25 Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (AUG 2020)

• Information and Communication Technology for services and products will require Section 889 of the NDAA compliance.

6. Buy America Requirement

All contracts and agreements must comply with FHWA’s Buy America regulation, (as of January 2025, the general applicability waiver for manufactured products was terminated, effective March 17, 2025) which establishes Buy America requirements for manufactured products with respect to federal-aid highway projects. see Federal Register : Buy America Requirements for Manufactured Products.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/14/2024-31350/buy-america-requirements-for-manufactured-products https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/14/2024-31350/buy-america-requirements-for-manufactured-products

IV. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT

1. Proposal Submission

Completed proposals for all Volumes must be sent electronically in Adobe PDF format to HCFA-23SRI@dot.gov and the Contract Specialist (CS), o.onuwaje@dot.gov, no later than the dates/times established in Table 1. Late submissions will not be considered. Proposals shall be prepared in accordance with the requirements described here. Proposals clearly detail the offeror’s technical approach and capabilities to fulfill the requirement, offeror’s ability to perform day-to-day operations, and cost/price. Submissions that are incomplete, materially lacking, or not responsive to the technical requirements of this BAA may be returned unevaluated, or evaluated as is, without further opportunity for revision, at the discretion of the FHWA’s evaluation committee.

Offerors are advised that any indication of interest, in the affirmative, is not meant to imply nor in any way impart an obligation on the part of the Government that an award will be forthcoming for the offered work or project.

Proposal transmission emails must include the following in the email subject line:

Subject: 693JJ3-25-BAA-0004 - Development of an Automated Driving System (ADS) National Strategy for the National Park Service (NPS) Through the Use of Pilots in an Operational Setting

2. Proposal Format and Instructions A. The Government intends to conduct the evaluation process in two (2) steps:

a. STEP 1: Advisory Down Select, (White Paper, Volume I), requires a brief written proposal submission. Details are in solicitation described below.

b. STEP 2: requires written submissions of a Formal Technical Proposal (Volume II) and Cost/Price Proposal (Volume III). Details are in solicitation described below.

B. General Formatting Requirements:

a. Cover Pages and Tables of Contents. The Offeror must provide a Cover Page and Table of Contents in each Volume of the written proposal. The Cover Page will include the following information:

o Title of the proposed project o BAA # o Volume # o Offeror entity name o Offeror entity type o Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov confirming registration for your organization. Offerors must be registered prior to submitting a proposal.

mailto:HCFA-23SRI@dot.gov mailto:o.onuwaje@dot.gov o Name, title, telephone number, email address, and mailing address of the point of contact (POC) authorized to negotiate on behalf of the Offeror’s organization.

o Names, titles, email addresses, and telephone numbers of other POCs that the Government may contact if clarification of responses is needed.

o Names of Secondary Offeror organizations (project partners), if any.

b. Page Limitations. Pages that exceed the stated page limitations will be removed from the proposal by the Contracting Officer, prior to turning the proposal over to the Government evaluation teams and will not be considered in the evaluation. All pages are counted within page count limitations, excluding the cover letter of the Proposal, Volume title page, table of contents, list of figures and tables, glossary of abbreviations & acronyms, or other pages identified in the description of each Volume below. Any page citing “This page intentionally left blank” will not be included in the page count.

c. Page Format. Each page shall have a minimum one-inch margin all around.

Pages shall be numbered consecutively at the bottom of each page. A page printed on both sides shall be counted as two pages. Formatting for double-sided printing/copying is encouraged. All pages prepared by the Offeror shall be letter size (8½” × 11”) in portrait orientation or in landscape (11” x 17”) for charts and data presentation.

d. Text Format. Arial or Times New Roman fonts at twelve points or larger is required; except that 9-point font may be used in presenting tables or graphic images where the data would otherwise not easily fit onto the page.

e. Written proposals must set forth full, accurate, and complete information as required by this solicitation.

C. INSTRUCTIONS FOR STEP 1 – White Paper, Volume I – Advisory Down Select

The Volume I proposal is a White Paper that provides a brief overview of the Offeror’s technical capabilities and approach to support the project requirements and provides rough order magnitude cost and schedule.

Volume I will be used to gauge applicability of and the Government’s interest in the technology and approach. An advisory notification via e-mail from the CS will advise the Offerors of the Government’s advisory recommendation to proceed or not to proceed with Volume II and III proposal submissions for Step 2. Offerors who are advised not to proceed may elect to continue to proceed with Volume II and III.

There is a 5-page limit on Volume I. Proposals must concisely describe the merits and objectives of the Offeror’s methods and means to meet the Statement of Objectives (SOO) and include the following:

A. Cover Page with information listed above (in Section IV.2.B);

B. Table of Contents;

C. Lead Organization and Composition of Team and Lead Principal Investigator: briefly provide an overview of the team composition or structure (such as a list, diagram, organization chart, etc.);

D. Project Summary: concisely describe the Offeror’s understanding of the project in a brief narrative by summarizing the proposed technical approach and capabilities to support the project requirements, and the proposed approach for executing day-to-day operations of the Performing Team;

E. Schedule: Provide estimates separated by broad areas and milestones for the proposed work. Include description of how schedule delays will be mitigated;

F. Cost Estimate: Summarize the estimated total costs by year and discuss significant cost drivers. A detailed breakout of costs is not required or desired. Provide rough estimates separated by broad areas of proposed work;

G. Literature Citations: Provide literature citations for any material cited; and H. Experience/References: Include references to prior experiences and results that support the practicality of the approach and methods.

The cover page, the table of contents, literature citations, and experience/references are excluded from the 5-page limitation of Volume I.

Due dates for Volume I White Paper are shown in Table 1 along with the anticipated date for the Government’s advisory notifications to proceed to Step 2.

D. Information on the Advisory Determination and Notification Following Step 1

After the Government completes the evaluation of Volume I, Offerors will receive an advisory notification via e-mail from the CS. This notification will advise the Offerors of the Government’s advisory recommendation to proceed or not to proceed with Step 2 submission.

Offerors who were not among the most highly rated will be advised that they are unlikely to be viable competitors, along with the general basis for the Government’s advisory recommendation. The intent of this advice is to minimize proposal development costs for those Offerors with little to no chance of receiving an award. However, the Government’s advice will be a recommendation only, and those Offerors who are advised not to proceed may elect to continue their participation in the procurement. Debriefings on the Government’s decision from Step 1 are not provided or allowed after the advisory notification. Failure to participate in Step 1 of the procurement precludes further consideration of Offerors. Step 2 submissions will not be accepted from Offerors who have not submitted Step 1 proposals by the due date and time stated in Table 1 of this solicitation. The Government recommends Offerors to begin preparation of Step 2 proposals only after receipt of the Step 1 advisory down-select notice.

The Government’s notification to Offerors after evaluation of Step 1 submissions will include the due date for Step 2 written submissions, which are estimated in Table 1. The due date for Step 2 submissions will not be less than 30 days after the advisory notification.

E. INSTRUCTIONS FOR STEP 2 – Volumes II Technical Proposal

The Volume II proposal provides a comprehensive description of Offeror’s technical capabilities and approach to support the project requirements from the Statement of Objectives (SOO). There is a 25-page limit on Volume II.

In addition to providing sufficient information to allow for the evaluation criteria listed in section V, the Offerors must provide the following:

A. Cover Page with information listed above (in Section IV.2.B) B. Table of Contents C. Team composition and titles and duties of all key personnel D. Relevant Qualifications, Capabilities and Experience E. Detailed description of technical approach/capabilities and approach for executing day-to-day operations.

F. A separate section containing the proposed Performance Work Statement

(PWS). The PWS must include separate tasks for each required objective and each optional objective selected by the Offerors (if any). See SOO in Appendix B for clarification. This section shall include schedule, milestones, and deliverables. Note that awards will include standard ITS JPO project control terms as described in Appendix A.

G. Level of Effort Table (table displaying labor categories and the number of hours per task).

H. Schedule with milestones for the proposed work. Include description of how schedule delays will be mitigated.

I. Any other information that the Offeror wishes to bring to the Government's attention.

J. Letters of support from external parties/organizations (including Steering Committee / Advisory Board members) that will be part of the project team, including letters of commitment from the partner(s).

K. Literature Citations: Provide literature citations for any material cited.

L. Experience/References: Include references to prior experiences and results that support the practicality of the approach and methods.

M. Resumes of team members (not to exceed 2 pages for each resume)

The cover page, the table of contents, letters of support, literature citations, experience/references, and resumes are excluded from the 25-page limitation of Volume II.

Again, resumes must not exceed two pages each.

Note: The SOO in Section 3.0 describes a requirement for submitting detailed plans for Risk Management and Safety, Operations, Communications, Certificate of Insurance, and Data Collection & Evaluation. These plans are not part of the Volume II, Technical Proposal. These plans shall be provided to the COR and NPS after contract selection and award and will be reviewed and approved by NPS before a Special-Use Permit is issued to allow operations within the park(s).

Due dates for Volume II are shown in Table 1. Volume II is due at the same time as Volume III, which is described next.

F. INSTRUCTIONS FOR STEP 2 – Volume III Cost/Price Proposal

The Offeror shall propose a Firm Fixed Price type price proposal. It is anticipated that this solicitation will result in contracts with firm fixed price pricing arrangements with milestone payments. If warranted, portions of resulting awards may be segregated into pre-priced options.

The Offeror shall provide Volume III of its formal Proposal organized by the following sections:

A. Cover Page;

B. Detailed breakdown of cost/price information;

C. Assumptions (as applicable) ;

D. Other Financial/Organizational Information;

E. Small Business Subcontracting Plan (required for proposals of $750,000 or more from other than small business Offerors; and F. Patent, Intellectual Property, Proprietary Data, and Data Rights

Identify each funding source and their contribution to the whole, expressed as a percentage.

Include all anticipated sources, including Offeror’s internal sources, government funds, and other Offeror organizations.

The written proposal should contain a cost/price estimate for the proposed effort to allow for meaningful evaluation and determination of price or cost reasonableness. The cost/price estimate shall be broken down for each year of the proposed work, and by all years combined.

Cost/Price Information Offerors shall provide detailed cost/price information. Offerors shall present cost/price information using Firm Fixed Price proposal. Offerors’ cost/price information shall include the total costs for the proposed period of performance. The detailed cost and price information in the Contract cost/price proposal must also include a separate breakdown of costs by major proposed task areas. If necessary, the Government will request additional back-up information, as appropriate.

NOTE: See Section III.2 (page 5) for the Project Funding Limits.

Detailed breakdown of cost/price information

The detailed budget plan shall consist of the following Fixed-Price guidelines:

1) Offerors shall submit, under a separate tab, all (if any) assumptions or conditions upon which the Price Proposal is based. Note that assumptions or conditions that are non-conforming to the Government terms and conditions may result in a higher cost risk assessment.

2) Provide adequate detail in supporting documentation of the total price for each milestone payment and the total reached (i.e., proposed labor category: proposed hourly price multiplied by the proposed number of hours, which equals the subtotal price. Then clearly show how the subtotals are calculated to arrive at the Grand Total Price (sum of subtotals). Other details for the breakdown include:

a. Cost/price proposals shall include a Base price for Phase 1 and an Option for Phase 2.

b. Table B-1 in the Appendix B shows the operating season durations for each park unit. Cost/price proposals must include operation price/costs for a minimum time period of 3-months. Offeror’s may propose longer time periods up to the full operational season listed for each park unit. The cost/price proposal should clearly show the price for the proposed durations.

3) Any information submitted must support the price proposed. Include sufficient detail or cross-references to establish the relationship of the information provided to the offered price.

Support any information supplied by explanations or supporting rationale as needed to permit the Government to evaluate the documentation. Such information is not considered cost or pricing data and will not require certification per FAR 15.403.

4) Offerors are encouraged to consider building milestone payments into their price proposal. However, for proposed milestone payments to be acceptable, they must follow the guidelines below:

a. Associated with only final deliverables.

b. May not be made for draft deliverables, progress reports/meetings, or kickoff meetings.

c. Payments must be commensurate with the value of the deliverable being submitted.

By participating in this BAA, the Offeror(s) agree(s) that if selected for award, the Government’s liability for any effort performed shall not exceed the payment amount of the preceding milestone for firm fixed price awards. The Offeror shall propose and implement a delivery method consistent with this requirement. If it is determined that the Offeror’s performance under the contract is not progressing to the satisfaction of the Government, the Government retains the right to commence a process to modify or end performance. This process will require a 60-day notice and may be used in conjunction with FAR clause 52.242- 15, Stop-Work Order.

Small Business Subcontracting Plan as noted above.

Template provided as Appendix C

Assumptions

For all cost/price proposals, the Offeror shall submit, under a separate tab, all (if any) assumptions or conditions upon which the cost/price proposal is based.

Other Financial / Organizational Information Offerors shall provide the following financial and organizational information in its Volume 2 – Contract Cost/Price Proposal:

1. Terminated Contracts - List any contract that was terminated for convenience of the Government within the past 3 years, and any contract that was terminated for default within the past 5 years. Briefly explain the circumstances in each instance.

2. A completed copy of the Offeror’s Representations and Certifications. The Offeror is required to be registered and in the System for Award Management with complete and up to date representations and certifications.

3. Conflicts of Interest - The Offerors shall provide a brief statement in its proposal that describes in a concise manner all past, present or planned organizational, contractual, or other interest(s), which may affect the Offerors' ability to perform the proposed contract in an impartial and objective manner. The Contracting Officer will review the statement and may require additional relevant information from the Offerors. In accordance with FAR Subpart 9.5, all such information, and any other relevant information known to DOT, will be used to determine whether an award to the Offerors may create an actual or potential conflict of interest. If any such conflict of interest is found to exist, the Contracting Officer may (a) disqualify the Offerors, or (b) determine that it is otherwise in the best interest of the United States to contract with the Offerors and include appropriate provisions to mitigate or avoid such conflict in the contract awarded.

4. If subcontractors and/or individual consultants will be used in carrying out the requirements of this project, the following minimum information concerning the subcontractor shall be furnished: Name, address and contact information of the subcontractor or consultant, subcontractor’s UEI.

5. Identify any preexisting intellectual property the Offeror anticipates using during award performance, and the Offeror’s position on its data rights during and after the award period of performance. In identifying any proposed assertions of data rights, the Offeror should complete the table below for each assertion:

Deliverable Description

PWS Reference Technical Data or Computer Software to be furnished with Restrictions (include as of dates or version numbers)

Basis for Assertion (i.e. developed exclusively at private expense)

Asserted Rights Category (i.e.

Restricted or Limited for FAR based contracts)

Name of Person/Company Asserting Restrictions

The Offeror must describe the intellectual property in sufficient detail to describe the limitations (Data assertions of the Offeror or any subcontractor, potential patent licenses required by the Government, etc.), and to describe why or how the Government can accomplish the stated objectives of this BAA with the limitations described or proposed by the Offeror.

V. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND FACTORS

A two-step process will be used for evaluating proposals describe above in Section IV:

• Step 1 White Paper (Volume I)

• Step 2 Formal Technical Proposal (Volume II) and Cost Proposal (Volume III)

Below are the Evaluation Criteria for each Step.

Step 1: White Paper (Volume I)

The white paper provides a brief overview of rough order magnitude cost and schedule. White papers will be used to gauge applicability of, and the Government’s interest in, the technology and approach. The evaluation will discern if a given proposal is ‘Recommended’ or ‘Not Recommended’ to advance to Step 2. The recommendation is advisory only. Evaluations for Step 1 will assess the following areas:

1. Technical Approach:

a. The proposed technical approach and capabilities for the automated driving system technology is described to be conducive to successful real-world deployment (in NPS Park Units that are often in rural settings with connectivity challenges) and aligns with project requirements as noted in the Statement of Objectives (Appendix B).

b. The proposed technologies are realistic and feasible within the given time and budget constraints. There is supporting evidence and expertise.

c. The proposal offers insight into effective metrics through which success of each objective can be evaluated.

2. Ability of the Performing Team (Day-to-Day Operations): The proposing team has the qualifications, experience, and capacity to successfully implement all technical work and there is evidence of effective and creative approaches to addressing communication and feedback challenges with operators and the general public in the National Park setting.

3. Schedule and Risk Management: broad areas or milestone are specified, and the timeframe is determined to be appropriate. The proposal demonstrates that the proposing team understands the technical, financial, and organizational risks likely to be encountered and describes techniques to manage and mitigate them.

4. Cost: The proposed budget is reasonable and cost-effective in achieving the project objectives.

Step 2: Formal Technical Proposal (Volume II) and Cost Proposal (Volume III)

The merits and basis for selecting proposals will be on technical approach, abilities of the performing to succeed with day-today operations, importance to the FHWA program, and the availability of funds.

Volume II and III proposal evaluations will be based on the factors described below using the rating scale in Table 2. Each Offeror’s proposal is rated individually without regard to other proposals submitted under the announcement. Additionally, not all technically meritorious proposals may be funded due to budgetary constraints.

Based on scoring of the overall proposal, the Government may select awardee(s). The evaluation will be based on the following criteria, listed in descending order of relative importance.

Technical Approach - Technical Capability and Technologies to be Used:

a. The proposed technical approach meets the BAA requirements and objectives, as described in the Statement of Objectives.

b. The proposed technical solutions are realistic and feasible within time and budget constraints, supported by evidence and expertise.

c. The proposed technical solutions are suitable for park operations and demonstrate innovative and creative approaches to addressing project challenges and achieving objectives. This includes proven innovations in the approach to meeting park-specific attributes (e.g., operating season and hours, routes and traffic flow, topology, existing infrastructure) and challenges (e.g., limited cellular data and GNSS connectivity, frequent wildlife detections, avoiding rock fall hazards, withstanding different types of weather, and operating in rough terrain). It also includes clear thought and planning for any specialized infrastructure installed for the purpose of the pilot. Flexibility in route and operating parameters are also provided, acknowledging that on-the-ground experience is likely to be dynamic.

d. The proposed technical solutions have considered how to minimize any potential negative impacts of deployment on the park, its visitors, and its operations. This includes plans to minimize any disruptions to park operations, including existing transit service and pedestrian and bicyclist safety, as well as impacts to natural and cultural park resources. In addition, the level of NPS and other staffing needed to support successful operations has been addressed, including any training necessary to address workforce skill gaps.

Day-to-Day Operations

1. Ability of the Performing Team to Implement Service:

a. The proposing team demonstrates the qualifications, experience, and capacity to complete all technical work within the proposed timeframe and budget.

b. The proposal provides evidence of previous experience successfully demonstrating advanced transportation technologies (ideally related to driving automation systems) in an operational deployment under similar operating conditions. Information on previous operations should include a description of the technology, the operating environment, the use case addressed, and other aspects of the service (booking, dispatch, integration with other services, etc.). It should also discuss improvements in performance over the duration of the project (e.g., increased time in automated mode, fewer disengagements, fewer false positives/negatives, positive passenger feedback, improved efficiency, etc.).

2. Schedule and Risk Management:

a. The proposal demonstrates that the proposing team understands the technical, financial, scheduling, and organizational risks likely to be encountered and knows how to manage and mitigate them.

b. The proposal discusses the process for safely and effectively executing the technical approach with good risk mitigations to ensure the public safety of riders and adjacent pedestrians.

3. Pilot Performance Evaluation Strategies:

a. The proposal discusses the process for managing data and evaluating pilot success, outlining effective methods and metrics to evaluate each technical objective's success, and also providing for access to data for performance and safety evaluation in line with these metrics.

b. The proposal demonstrates an effective strategy to implement NPS-designed surveys and comment collections for rider and non-rider satisfaction, complaints, and input, and collect/compile data in a representative manner.

c. The proposal lays out plans to assess future needs for supporting driving automation systems at NPS sites and other federal lands, including digital infrastructure, physical infrastructure and other requirements. In addition, the proposal also lays out plans to assess what would need to be considered to apply similar technologies to other fleet types and use cases, such as delivery and maintenance.

Cost:

a. Fund availability will be considered in the ultimate award decision. Cost reasonableness, realism, and value to the Government will only be considered on the highest technically rated proposals recommended by the technical evaluation team for award. Cost will be considered in the ultimate award decision, as the Government may elect not to award to a proposal if the Contracting Officer is unable to determine that the costs are realistic and reasonable or if it is determined that there is not enough value to the Government.

b. As applicable, FAR 19.1307 Price evaluation preference for HUBZone small business concerns.

Table 2: Rating Scale - Each criteria will be assessed on the following scale for Step 2:

Outstanding Proposal meets requirements and indicates an exceptional approach and understanding of the requirements. Strengths far outweigh any weaknesses. Risk of unsuccessful performance is very low.

Good Proposal meets requirements and indicates a thorough approach and understanding of the requirements. Proposal contains strengths which outweigh any weaknesses. Risk of unsuccessful performance is low.

Satisfactory Proposal meets requirements and indicates an adequate approach and understanding of the requirements. Strengths and weaknesses are offsetting or will have little or no impact on contract performance. Risk of unsuccessful performance is no worse than moderate.

Marginal Proposal does not clearly meet requirements and has not demonstrated an adequate approach and understanding of the requirements. The proposal has one or more weaknesses which are not offset by strengths. Risk of unsuccessful performance is high.

Unacceptable Proposal does not meet requirements and contains one or more deficiencies. Proposal cannot be awarded.

Subcontractor Plan:

The evaluation of Small Business Subcontracting Plan will be evaluated for those that are selected for award. Proposals submitted from other than small businesses that exceed $750,000 in total value must include a Small Business Subcontracting Plan in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 19.7. Each prime Offeror who is other than a small business must include within its proposal a complete copy of the prime Offeror’s Subcontracting Plan, satisfactorily addressing all the administrative requirements set forth in FAR section 52.219-9. The Offeror must also submit a subcontracting plan in accordance with the instructions/format in Appendix C - Small Business Subcontracting Plan to this BAA. In the event that the Offeror has no such plan, the form must be submitted with “no plan identified” indicated on the form as applicable and the Offeror must submit a statement of circumstances supporting that determination. The Small Business Subcontracting Plan will be rated on a pass/fail basis.

As applicable, awarded contracts shall include FAR Clauses 52.219-8 and 52.219-9.

Notifications and Negotiations All Offerors will receive electronic notification via e-mail of the final disposition of their proposal. If selected for award, the Contracting Officer will contact the Offeror with further instructions, including negotiation procedures, if needed.

VI. OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

It is the policy of the FHWA to treat all proposals as competitive information and to disclose the contents only for evaluation. The Government may use selected support contractor personnel as unique resources to assist in administering the evaluation of the proposals. These persons are restricted by their contracts from disclosing the proposal information or using it for other than performing administrative tasks. Contractor personnel are required to sign non-disclosure statements. By submission of your proposal, you agree that your proposal information may be disclosed to those selected contractors for the limited purpose stated above.

The Government reserves the right to select for award any, all, part, or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement.

This BAA is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to pay any proposal preparation costs.

All awards will be subject to the availability of funds. The Government may select proposals for award pending availability of funds. Only the Contracting Officer can legally commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds under the BAA.

VII. AWARD SELECTION

Once proposal evaluations have been completed, the Contracting Officer will notify all Offerors whether they have been selected for an award. After an awardee is selected for an award, the USDOT may choose to enter into negotiations with the awardee regarding any aspect of the contract award. Offerors whose proposals were accepted for funding will be contacted before the award to obtain additional information required for the award. The Government reserves the right to remove an awardee from award consideration should the parties fail to agree on contract terms, conditions, and cost/price within a reasonable time or if the Offeror fails to provide any additional information requested promptly.

Awards received through this announcement are not controlled by general procedures of FAR Part 15, “Contracting by Negotiation.” Instead, they are awarded under the authority and procedures described in FAR Part 35, “Research and Development Contracting.” Accordingly, given the inherent nature of a broad agency announcement, specific terms, conditions, and contract clauses, including FAR, USDOT, and FHWA terms and conditions, can only be determined by specifics of a proposed project and will be determined based on the appropriate contract and entity type. Accordingly, contract clauses will be identified and defined during negotiations before the award.

The Government reserves the right to request additional information necessary to determine the offeror’s qualifications for the contract award or clarify any proposal aspects. Such information must be furnished promptly upon the Government’s request. Copies of the successful submission will be retained only as needed for contract administration and monitoring.

VIII. LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

TITLE OF ATTACHMENT ATTACHMENT NUMBER

Questions Template 1

Appendix A - Control Clauses for ITS JPO Contracts and Orders

Appendix B - Statement of Objectives (SOO) 3

Appendix C - Small Business Subcontracting Plan template

Pricing workbooks (provided by Offerors)

(END OF THE BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT)