693JJ318BAA0002_Truck_Platooning.pdf

Office of Operations – Research & Development

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA)

No. 693JJ3-18-BAA-0002

“TRUCK PLATOONING

EARLY DEPLOYMENT ASSESSMENT, PHASE 1”

BAA No.

693JJ3-18-BAA-0002

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA)

No. 693JJ3-18-BAA-0002

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Section Title Page

1 BAA Process Overview 3

2 Focus Areas 6

3 General Proposal Information 14

4 Instructions for Submission of Proposals 17

5 Proposal Format 18

6 Evaluation Criteria for Proposals 26

Technical Discussions and Cost/Price Negotiations

8 Attachments 29

SECTION 1 – BAA PROCESS OVERVIEW

1.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

Contracting Officer: Robert P. Brown

Robert.p.brown@dot.gov

Contract Specialist: Jeremiah Roger Jeremiah.rogers@dot.gov

This requirement is comprised of two phases. Phase 1, Concept Development, will be conducted under Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contracts. Phase 2 will be conducted under a follow-on contract or assistance agreement. Issuance of a follow-on contract or assistance agreement is at the discretion of the Government. Only entities receiving a contract for the Phase 1 requirement will be eligible for a contract or assistance agreement under Phase 2.

This solicitation is for Phase 1 only. The FHWA anticipates awarding up to an estimated three FFP contracts valued up to $500,000 each.

1.2 SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT DATES

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) anticipates that the proposal, evaluation, and award process for this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) will proceed generally in accordance with the following schedule:

Broad Agency Announcement Issued August 30, 2018 Questions Due 11:00AM ET September 24, 2018 Proposals Due 11:00AM ET October 23, 2018 Anticipated Contracts Award Date December 2018 - February 2019

All correspondence shall be sent by electronic transmission to Jeremiah.Rogers@dot.gov. No telephone requests will be taken.

Each prospective offeror e-mailing questions to the Contract Specialist should attempt to state each question in such a way that the offeror would have no objection to the FHWA’s publishing that precise question (and its answer) in a formal amendment to the BAA, on the Government-wide Point of Entry (GPE), Federal Business Opportunities (FBO). As such, each prospective offeror should attempt to word each question in such a way that the publication of that question (and its answer) on the GPE would not divulge any information that the prospective offeror considers to be proprietary or confidential.

1.3 BACKGROUND

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) recognizes that cooperative automated driving systems will have a transformative impact on how our nation’s highways will operate in the future. One of the proposed near- term services is truck platooning. Truck platooning promises fuel savings to platooning trucks by enabling them to follow each other more closely, while still in a safe manner. This project builds upon the previous FHWA and Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) exploratory research to assess and study two and three truck platooning technologies and operations. In the future, the commercial trucking industry is planning to deploy cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) based truck platooning systems. System-wide impacts and the impact on truck drivers and light duty vehicle drivers still needs to be assessed for operational and safety impacts.

1.4 OBJECTIVE AND DESCRIPTIOIN

The objective of this BAA is to develop an innovative and synergistic truck platooning pilot deployment concept, to build partnerships among stakeholders, and to prepare a comprehensive deployment plan and proposal that enables the assessment of such a concept. It will accelerate deployment of cooperative automated vehicle technologies to support the freight industry, enabling trucks to safely follow each other at distances that enable the vehicles to save fuel, thereby enhancing the economic competitiveness of freight shippers and lowering the costs of landed goods for consumers. It is the intent to partner with entities that have already completed the development of truck platooning systems and are ready to deploy in-service freight hauling.

As part of this project, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is interested in the evaluation and documentation of best practices related to commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver training, driver fatigue prevention, pre-trip CMV inspections, roadside inspections conducted by State enforcement agency partners, and the operations and maintenance by fleet operators of vehicle components that are critical to safe truck platooning operations.

The overall objective of this Phase 1 requirement is to develop a concept and proposal that sets the stage for an assessment of a commercial vehicle platooning deployment that has an observable and measurable near-term impact, deployed on-time and within budget. The field test deployment and assessment will occur during Phase 2 of the project.

Specific research questions to be answered include:

What are the human factors impacts on truck drivers in long-haul operation of a truck platoon? Do they change as a truck driver becomes more familiar with the system? Do they change after a long period of platoon operations? What kind of information will the truck driver need to operate the system (e.g., supplemental displays)?

How are the other road users' behavior impacted in the presence of truck platoon operations (e.g., highway entry/exit points, visibility, signage, etc.)? Is there a value/need for some kind of dynamic platooning indication on platooning trucks to inform surrounding vehicles of platooning operations?

How does the gap between the trucks impact the costs / benefits of platooning (fuel saving, safety, operating costs, vehicle maintenance, mobility/travel time) as well as the risks (number of cut-ins, truck driver's behavior/acceptance/fatigue)? How do road geometries, terrain, weather conditions, visibility (including day/night), and other environmental characteristics and factors impact truck platooning operations?

What are the benefits of truck platooning to fleet owners?

What are the policy, operational and safety impacts of truck platooning?

1.5 PROGRAM SCOPE

The program scope is limited to the Phase 1 of the Truck Platooning Early Deployment Assessment. Phase 1 is focused on the development of plans and a proposal to conduct the Phase 2 activities. Building on previous research, this project will conduct a multi-state, long-haul field test of truck platooning operations with similar trucks (e.g., same fleet, size, and make/model) with minimum Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Level 1 automation capabilities. This project will assess the impacts and benefits of long haul truck platooning on truck drivers, other road users, fleet owners, traffic operations & safety, truck performance requirements (e. g., braking capabilities, engine capabilities, etc.) and operational policies under a variety of conditions. This will include multiple drivers and multiple platoons covering various environments and operational conditions over an extended period of time (e. g., months) over multiple states (e.g., crossing state lines).

SECTION 2 – FOCUS AREAS

The FHWA is looking for research within several focus areas that are of particular strategic interest and relevance. Proposals in these areas are highly encouraged. This guidance is provided to help offerors in the development of proposals of particular interest to FHWA.

2.1 GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK INFORMATION

The work described below is for the structured development of a pilot deployment concept and proposal to prepare for Phase 2 of activity in which truck platoons can be systematically tested, operated, maintained, and used to support evaluation.

Needs-Driven Focus. The USDOT has structured this Concept Development (Phase 1) to follow a needs-driven approach as one of its key organizing principles. Needs related to system performance from both the public sector (e.g., mobility, safety, public agency efficiency, reduced environmental impacts, etc.) and the private sector (e.g., fuel savings, driver impacts, etc.) must be identified by relevant stakeholders. These needs must be represented in a focused set of performance measures and performance targets. Finally, the ability to capture and analyze observed data to monitor performance over time must be considered as a key requirement of the pilot deployment.

The USDOT will provide an Independent Evaluator to support both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Truck Platooning Early Deployment Assessment. During Phase 1, the Independent Evaluator will develop performance measure requirements and will work with each Phase 1 awardee to ensure a level of consistency in performance measures, evaluation plans, and data collection plans across each awardee. During Phase 2, awardees shall support data needs associated with an independent evaluation effort.

Phases of the Truck Platooning Early Deployment Assessment. Each awarded truck platooning deployment is expected to be executed in two distinct phases:

Phase 1: Concept Development The preliminary proposed idea will be developed into a structured concept that is suitable for testing, and deployment. The structured concept will include identifying specific performance measures, targets, and capabilities associated with performance monitoring and performance management. Key deliverables include:

1. Project Management Plan

2. Deployment Operational Concept

3. Partnership Plan

4. Test and Performance Evaluation Plan

5. Phase 2 Readiness Assessment

6. Phase 2 Proposal

Phase 2: Test/Deploy/Evaluate The truck platooning deployment concept will be tested and deployed prior to evaluation. The concept of truck platooning deployment will be put into practice.

Key Phase 2 activities will include:

1. Review test, deployment, and evaluation plans with safety plan

2. Establish partnerships

3. Recruit and train truck drivers

4. Test the system

5. Execute deployment

6. Evaluate and publish results

2.2 DELINEATION OF PHASE 1 WORK

The Contractor shall perform the work described in the following tasks:

Task 1 - Program Management Task 2 - Deployment Operational Concept Development Task 3 - Test and Performance Evaluation Plan Development Task 4 - Partnership Plan Development Task 5 - Phase 2 Readiness Assessment Task 6 - Phase 2 Proposal Development

The objective of Phase 1 is to develop a detailed proposal for Phase 2.

Task 1 – Program Management

This task shall extend over the entire period of performance of this effort. After contract award, the Contractor shall attend a kick-off meeting to be held in the Washington, DC area with the FHWA and its representatives, including the Independent Evaluator, to ensure that all parties have a common understanding of the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) requirements and expectations. The Contractor shall bring its key personnel to this meeting. The COR will arrange the location, the agenda, and the list of other (non-Contractor) attendees. This kick-off meeting shall occur no later than fifteen (15) business days after contract award.

The Contractor shall prepare a Program Management Plan (PMP) that describes the activities required to perform the work described in all identified Phase 1 task areas, per current Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) guidance1. At a minimum, the PMP shall describe how the Contractor will manage scope, schedule, cost, and risk as well as internal team communications and governance methods, and communications with the COR.

The PMP shall be accompanied by a detailed Phase 1 Project Schedule. This is considered to be a logical component of the PMP, although it may be a physically separate electronic file. The Phase 1 Project Schedule shall list all necessary activities. The Project Schedule shall be updated monthly. The Project Schedule shall describe the following:

Name of the work activity

1 PMI (2012), A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 5th Ed.

Expected start and end dates Name of the individual with the primary responsibility for accomplishing the work Dependencies with other work activities in the Project Schedule All deliverables, procurements, or milestones resulting from the work activity

The PMP shall be delivered in draft to the COR. After receiving the COR’s comments and resolving them, the Contractor shall provide the “final” version of the PMP and its related documents. During the course of the project, the Contractor may propose modifications to the PMP. Any such modifications shall go through the cycle of draft submission, COR review and comment, comment resolution, and submission of a “final” version.

The Contractor shall also provide monthly progress reports that identify all deliverables and deliverable status (not initiated, in progress X% complete, draft delivered, in revision X% complete, final delivered, accepted). The monthly report shall contain a narrative of accomplishments by task and projected activities in the next monthly period. The monthly report shall contain the updated Project Schedule. Each monthly report shall contain a schedule risk narrative, a technical risk narrative, and a partnership risk narrative.

At the completion of tasks 2 – 5, the Contractor shall develop and deliver a webinar for FHWA and the broader transportation community that describes the key components of the Task 2 – 5 deliverables and the overall concept for Phase 2. Following completion of Task 6, the Contractor shall deliver a final internal briefing to FHWA that summarizes the key components of the task deliverables including the Phase 2 proposal.

Task 1 Deliverables:

Kickoff Briefing Project Management Plan (Draft and Final) Monthly Reports Webinar summarizing Tasks 2 - 5 Final Internal Briefing

Task 2 – Deployment Operational Concept

The Contractor shall define the Operational Concept for a multi-state, long-haul field test of minimum SAE Level 1 cooperative automated truck platooning. The Operational Concept shall be in written form and shall describe components of the operational field test and how they will be implemented. This shall include identification and description of the truck platooning system to be deployed and tested, the physical assets required for the field test, and test drivers and their qualifications. The Operational Concept shall describe:

System to be Deployed – The Operational Concept shall describe the system that will be deployed as part of the field test; the system will be a minimum SAE Level 1 driving automation system that uses vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications to enable cooperative speed and gap control between commercial vehicles. Trucks in a platoon will have a human driver who will remain engaged in the dynamic driving task at all times. High level functional system requirements will be documented as part of the system description, including any infrastructure-related system components.

Description of Vehicles and Drivers – The Operational Concept shall describe the classification of trucks and/or the specific make and model of trucks to be deployed as part of the field test as well as qualifications for drivers involved in the test. The Contractor should also describe how drivers will be recruited, trained, and retained.

Field Test Operational Design Domain – The Operational Concept shall describe the geographic extent of the field test, including areas where the platooning system is expected to be operational and areas where it will be disabled. The Operational Concept shall also describe other platooning system constraints and conditions under which it will be disabled, including weather, lighting, and traffic conditions. The Operational Concept shall describe how use of the platooning system will be managed; that is, how will use of the system be restricted when conditions are unsuitable (e.g., through a command from a central management center)?

Compliance with Operating Rules – The Contractor shall describe how motor carriers, drivers, and vehicles will comply with applicable local, state, and Federal operating requirements, including how vehicles and their cooperative automated truck platooning systems will be inspected by State and Federal enforcement personnel as part of requirements established in the FMCSA Regulations.

Performance Measures – The Operational Concept shall describe the performance measures that would be used during the Phase 2 field test. The Contractor shall work with the FHWA provided Independent Evaluator to establish these performance measures. The Independent Evaluator will develop a set of Performance Measure Requirements and work with each Phase 1 awardee to establish a level of consistency across all evaluation plans.

Performance measure requirements will be established in key areas, including:

Platoon operational characteristics – Including the formation, operation, reconfiguration, and termination of a platoon.

Safety – Including aspects of driver and vehicle performance that impact safety, as well as interactions with surrounding traffic.

Mobility – Impacts on congestion and traffic flow, including constraints imposed by temporary or permanent roadway environment characteristics (e.g., work zones, merge areas, incidents, weather conditions, etc.).

Energy and emissions – Potential for fuel savings and accompanying reductions in emissions and release of pollutants.

Fleet operator and driver impacts – Including impacts on driver training, driver performance, fatigue, workload, and attention, operational costs.

Infrastructure impacts/requirements – Identification of infrastructure characteristics and requirements that would support safe and extended performance of truck platoons.

State and local government impacts – Impacts to maintenance and operations costs, inspection programs, enforcement procedures, driver licensing, policies associated with platooning operations, etc.

Vehicle equipment design implications – Vehicle and vehicle equipment needs introduced by the use of truck platooning systems (e.g., supplementary lighting systems, driver controls, driver information systems, self-diagnostics, etc.).

Stakeholder Communications – The Operational Concept shall identify relevant stakeholders, identify relevant information needs, and describe how they will be informed about the field test. The Contractor shall develop a Stakeholder Registry and update it as needed throughout Phase 1. Note: For the purposes of this project, a “partner” refers to an organization or individual on the Contractor’s team (see Task 4). A “stakeholder” refers to an organization or individual potentially impacted by the truck platooning deployment itself, regardless of whether they are team members (partners) or not. Each stakeholder shall be identified by organization and role within the Stakeholder Registry.

Task 2 Deliverables:

High Level Functional System Requirements (draft and final) Operational Concept document (draft and final) Operational Concept briefing slides

Task 3 – Test and Performance Evaluation Plan

The Contractor shall specify how it plans to monitor, report on, and evaluate the key performance measures that were identified in Task 2. As part of Task 3, the Contractor shall develop a plan to ensure quantitative performance measurement is embedded as a core field test capability.

The Contractor shall be expected to work with the FHWA-provided Independent Evaluator in the development of this Plan and in the identification of performance measures. This will include weekly meetings (calls) with the Independent Evaluator and participation in a two-day workshop, hosted by the Independent Evaluator, in the Washington, DC area.

This Test and Evaluation Plan will specify the following:

Summarize key performance measures (as identified through Task 2) – Identify the key performance measures and describe how they will allow FHWA and FMCSA to answer their research questions.

Describe data required to inform key performance measures – The Test and Performance Evaluation Plan shall specify the data that must be collected, including data on baseline conditions. The Plan shall describe the extent of data needed to support proposed analysis approaches, as well as required data fidelity and resolution. As part of describing necessary data, the Contractor shall identify potential confidential business information (CBI) or personally identifiable information (PII) concerns, methods for processing and storing data to mitigate CBI/PII concerns, and restrictions on sharing data. The Contractor, in particular, shall identify data that can be shared with (1) a government-selected independent evaluator and (2) the general public.

Describe human use approval methodology – The Contractor is responsible for the evaluation plan to be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure that the safety of test subjects (e.g., participating drivers) are thoroughly considered and managed.

Describe data acquisition system for collecting necessary data – The Test and Performance Evaluation Plan shall describe the data acquisition system that the Contractor plans to use to collect and store necessary data.

Describe system for storing collected data – Describe how data will be stored, how access will be managed, and how data will be transferred to the Independent Evaluator.

Describe how data collected during Phase 2 will comply with Federal, USDOT, and ITS JPO data access policies, including those described at https://www.transportation.gov/data and https://www.its.dot.gov/data/public-access .

Outline process for reporting on key data and performance measures – The Contractor shall describe how it plans to report on key data and performance measures on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.

Describe analysis methodology – The Contractor will describe the methodology through which it plans to analyze collected data to answer key research questions, as specified through Task 2.

Task 3 Deliverables:

Participate in weekly meetings with the FHWA Independent Evaluator Participate in workshop hosted by FHWA Independent Evaluator Test and Performance Evaluation Plan (draft and final)

Task 4 – Partnership Plan

The Contractor shall develop a Partnership Plan that identifies partners that will participate in the field test and outlines relevant roles, responsibilities, commitments, and constraints. Specifically, the Partnership Plan should include the following:

Identify Partners – The Partnership Plan will identify the partners with which the

Contractor plans to work under Phase 2. Partners may include entities such as vehicle original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), technology developers, infrastructure owner-operators, law enforcement and commercial vehicle inspection agencies, motor carriers, universities, and research institutions.

Roles, Responsibilities, and Expected Commitments by Organization Category – The Partnership Plan will outline the roles and responsibilities that each organization will be expected to fulfill to successfully complete the early deployment evaluation. This portion of the Partnership Plan shall include descriptions of the commitments that will be expected of partners in terms of resources, time, facilities, and other cost share items.

NOTE: Significant contributions by participating partners is expected for Phase 2. The USDOT funding for Phase 2 will be primarily focused on the evaluation and assessment of the in-service truck platoons. The expected amount and/or type of Phase 2 cost share shall be identified in the partnership plan. Some examples of cost share include project funds, provision of trucks, provision of truck platooning systems, provision of truck drivers, staff time, other in-kind contributions.

Recruiting Strategy – The Partnership Plan shall describe how the Contractor plans to recruit partner organizations. To the extent they are available, the Contractor may include letters of commitment or intent in its Partnership Plan.

Schedule for Forming Partnerships – The Partnership Plan shall provide a schedule for securing formal partnerships under Phase 2, including time needed to execute necessary agreements and contracts with partner organizations.

Task 4 Deliverables:

Partnership Plan (draft and final)

Task 5 – Phase 2 Readiness Assessment

After the Contractor completes Tasks 1 through 4, it shall conduct a Phase 2 readiness assessment to determine the feasibility of the proposed Phase 2 early deployment evaluation and to identify prominent risks. Through the Readiness Assessment, the Contractor shall evaluate the extent to which it is prepared to proceed with Phase 2, paying specific attention to identifying risks and proposing mitigation strategies. Risks may include, but are not limited to, the following types:

Safety Risks – Does the proposed early deployment pose elevated risk to the public or participating test drivers?

Technical Risks – Are there system functionality, capability, or reliability risks that could limit performance and data collection?

Cost Risks – Are there risks that could elevate the early deployment evaluation costs beyond what is proposed through Task 6 (Phase 2 Proposal)?

Partnership Risks – Are there risks associated with one or more of the partners dropping out of the project during Phase 2?

Schedule Risks – What factors could cause the Phase 2 schedule to be exceeded? This could include delays in recruiting partners and executing partnership agreements, delays in recruiting and training drivers (as well as potential for mid-test driver turnover), and delays in collecting data due to technical or condition limitations, among other forms of delay.

Task 5 Deliverables:

Readiness Assessment Summary Risk Register

Task 6 – Phase 2 Proposal

The Contractor shall develop a proposal for Phase 2, based on information developed under tasks 1-5. This includes the Deployment Operational Concept, Test and Performance Evaluation Plan, Partnership Plan, and Phase 2 Readiness Assessment. Key deliverables, approach, cost sharing contract or cost sharing cooperative agreement budget, and schedule for all tasks under Phase 2 should be described in detail. Some of the key milestones and activities for Phase 2 include the following:

1. Program management

2. Establish partnerships with organizations identified in Partnership Plan

3. Develop a Comprehensive Truck Platooning Deployment Plan

4. Recruit and train truck drivers

5. Obtain Human Use Approval, if needed

6. Refine and test trucks on public roads

7. Compile interim test results

8. Conduct and complete testing

9. Evaluate the results based on Test and Performance Evaluation Plan

10. Conduct outreach on field test results

11. Prepare final report

Task 6 Deliverables:

Phase 2 Proposal

SECTION 3 – GENERAL PROPOSAL INFORMATION

3.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

All business and administrative correspondence or questions on this BAA should be directed to the Contracting Officer identified in Section 1.

The FHWA may elect to award all, none, or a subset of the acceptable proposals meeting its needs. The FHWA anticipates making up to three phase 1 contract awards valued at $500,000 each with a period of performance of 9 months.

Price reasonableness and realism will also be considered in the overall selection process.

Individual proposal evaluations will be based on the acceptability or non-acceptability of the proposal without regard to other proposals submitted under the announcement. Selection will be based on scientific or technical merit, partnership, relevance and importance to agency, and the availability of funds.

The number of awards and their dollar value will vary depending on the merit of proposals received as well as their potential to lead to a successful truck platooning early deployment assessment.

NOTE: For Phase 1 the FHWA intends to award FFP contracts. For Phase 2, the FHWA may award cost sharing contracts or assistance agreements as a result of this BAA. In consultation with the technical evaluators, the Contracting Officer (CO) will make the determination whether a contract or assistance agreement will be awarded. Three factors affect the decision to award a procurement contract or assistance award, and if an assistance award, a grant or cooperative agreement. The three factors are:

Legislative authority Principal purpose Degree of federal involvement

The authority to enter into assistance agreements for this effort and the cost sharing requirements is found under 23 U.S.C. § 502 - Surface Transportation Research, Development, and Technology, paragraph (b)(3)(C), which states: “The Secretary may carry out research, development, and technology transfer activities related to transportation…by making grants to, or entering into contracts and cooperative agreements.”

Assistance agreements differ from contracts in several key ways:

The primary goal of a procurement contract is to procure goods or services for the use of or to directly benefit the federal awarding agency; the primary goal of an assistance agreement is to further a public purpose.

Procurement contracts allow for the vendor/supplier to make a profit, while assistance agreements are cost-reimbursable agreements in that the only permissible charges are actual costs that are directly related to the project and an amount of indirect costs based on an agreed-upon rate.

Procurement contracts require “deliverables” that the CO/Contracting Officer’s

Representative must test and accept; assistance agreements do not require deliverables, but may require deliverables and/or other submissions described in the award document.

Although the Government encourages cost sharing for both cooperative agreements and contracts, all applications submitted for assistance agreement consideration shall include a minimum 20 percent of the total award value or greater non-federal cost share.

3.2 OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

It is the policy of the FHWA to treat all proposals as competitive information and to disclose the contents only for the purposes of evaluation. Only Government evaluators will make selections under this BAA.

This BAA constitutes the public announcement as contemplated by FAR 5.203(e) and is in accordance with the competitive procedures outlined in FAR 6.102(d)(2)(i); no formal Request for Proposals or other solicitation regarding this announcement will be issued. Requests for the same will be disregarded.

3.4 DELIVERABLES

The specific deliverables will depend upon the scope and objectives of the negotiated award. See individual tasks for description of deliverables.

3.5 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The phase 1 period of performance is for nine (9) months.

3.7 PROPOSAL INFORMATION

This BAA is an expression of interest only and the Government will not pay any direct white paper or proposal preparation costs. All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit proposals, which will be evaluated based on the evaluation criteria outlined in Sections 6 and 9 below.

The number of awards, and their dollar value, will vary depending on the technical merit of proposals received and their potential to resolve the stated goal.

Phase 1 FFP contract awards and phase 2 will both contain appropriate Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Agency clauses for the type of procurement vehicle awarded. Any resulting phase 2 assistance agreements will contain appropriate 2 CFR 200 and agency clauses.

3.8 SECTION 508 COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS

Awards under this program may be subject to the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, depending on the type of final products or reports to be delivered under each award. The Act 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. Offerors can view Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards) and the Federal IT Accessibility Initiative (Home Page) (http://section508.gov/) for detailed information.

3.9 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR MATERIALS TO BE POSTED ON FHWA

WEBSITES

All web-based deliverables shall conform to the Minimum Requirements for FHWA Web Pages and be compatible with the current FHWA web platform of Adobe ColdFusion (version 8 compatible) and Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) (server 2008 compatible). Deliverables will be evaluated for Section 508 compliance, including graceful degradation when JavaScript is disabled and color contrast tests. Deliverables shall meet World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) coding standards (http://www.w3.org/), FHWA coding standards, and conform to DOT Secure Web Application standards to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL Injection.

SECTION 4 – INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

4.1 PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

Offerors shall submit technical proposals, which provide a refined research problem statement and work scope, a management plan, technology transition plan, staffing qualifications, and information regarding other ongoing research and work. In addition, offerors shall submit a detailed cost/price proposal that provides complete and detailed budget information (no page limit), and other general business information. If necessary, the FHWA will request additional cost back-up information, resumes or supplemental information as appropriate.

Any failure to conform to the instructions and rules in this section or in the instructions accompanying the invitation to submit a proposal may result in the proposal being deemed unresponsive and eliminated from further consideration.

If an offeror does not understand the instructions as described herein, then they must submit their questions(s) to the Contract Specialist listed in section 1 for clarification; the deadline for all questions will be specified in the invitations to submit proposals.

SECTION 5 –PROPOSAL FORMAT

5.1 PROPOSAL FORMAT

All proposals should be submitted in Microsoft® Word 2010 (compatible) or text searchable Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF). Pricing data shall be submitted in Microsoft Excel 2010 (compatible).

The format of the proposal volumes discussed below shall be as follows:

(a) Proposals shall be prepared on 8½ x 11 inch paper.

(b) A page is defined as one side of an 8 ½ by 11 inch sheet of paper. Therefore, a sheet with printing on both sides is considered two pages.

(c) Text shall be printed using a Times New Roman or Arial font, size no less than 12 point font.

(d) Page margins (exclusive of headers and footers) shall be a minimum of 1inch top, bottom and each side. Columns shall not be used as they are difficult to read electronically.

(e) Footnotes, legends, or labels associated with tables or diagrams, and other information that is ancillary to the main text, may be presented in a font size smaller than 12 point font---provided that any such smaller font is fully legible.

Proposals shall consist of two separate volumes:

Volume I – Technical Proposal, consisting of:

o Part I- Technical Approach o Part II- Staffing Proposal o Part III- Past Performance/Team Experience

Volume II – Cost/Price Proposal and Business Information

Proposals shall be submitted by an authorized representative and include a technical volume of 30 pages or less in length and a separate, detailed cost/price proposal.

The technical volume shall include the following three sections (Technical Approach, Staffing, Past Performance/Team Experience) and subsections.

NOTE: the cover page, table of contents and resumes are not included in the 30page limit for the technical volume.

Volume I- Technical Proposal

Part I – Technical Approach

The technical approach shall contain a:

(1) Cover Page with (A) the solicitation number, (B) proposal title, (C) type of business (large business, small disadvantaged business, other small business, HBCU or MI, other educational, or other nonprofit), (D) complete list of subcontractors, (E) technical and administrative/contractual points of contact including addresses, telephone numbers, electronic mail addresses, and facsimile machine numbers.

(2) Description of the proposed research and how the proposed effort will meet the objectives of the BAA including:

Description of initial operational concept for in-service assessment of truck platooning.

Demonstrated understanding of truck platooning technologies and deployment requirements.

Demonstrated understanding of how to conduct field test and evaluation.

Approaches to acquire trucks, truck platooning systems, truck drivers, and approaches to identify fleet operators and other project partners.

(3) Description of research approach for each task, including steps, schedule with milestones, expected deliverables and associated evaluation metrics for the proposed effort.

(4) Management plan describing the overall approach to management of this effort, including a brief discussion of the proposed organization and the use of personnel and other resources. This section should also describe the partnership structure between the entity proposing work and other public and private sector entities funding or otherwise substantially participating in the work.

(5) Any other pertinent information to enhance the Government’s understanding of your capabilities to perform a truck platooning in-service assessment.

Part II – Staffing Proposal:

(1) Research team qualifications with title and identification of association to a specific project or functional group within the proposing organization or to a specific proposed subcontractor.

Indicate the proposed amount of effort (person-hours) to be expended by each person during the proposed program.

(2) As part of its proposal, the offeror shall designate a Project Manager and other personnel deemed by the offeror to be essential to the successful completion of the contract. These individuals will be listed in the contract as Key Personnel.

(3) Resumes that demonstrate the proposed key personnel’s knowledge, skills and abilities related to the proposed project shall be provided. Resumes should be no longer than two pages in length and do not count towards the 30 page limit for the technical volume.

Part III – Past Performance/Team Experience

(1) The offeror shall provide a matrix of recent (within the past three years) relevant past contracts/agreements (Government or Private), which should include the following: a short description of the work, the dates of work performance, the name of the client and a contact phone number and email address, so a reference check can be conducted. Proposals shall include a minimum of three recent and relevant references. Reference to past relevant research at the national, state or regional level (up to two pages) describing capabilities, work, and significant accomplishments in areas associated with proposed research area or in closely related areas.

Associate the described relevant experience to the specific project group or functional group in the proposing organization or to the specific proposed subcontractor(s).

(2) List any Federal contract, agreement or order that was terminated for convenience of the Government within the past three years, and any contract, agreement or order that was terminated for default within the past five years. Briefly explain the circumstances in each instance. This requirement does not count towards the page limit for the technical volume as noted above.

Volume II – Cost/Price Proposal (No page limit)

In addition to the above 30-page maximum technical volume, offerors shall submit a detailed cost/price proposal that provides complete budget information. The Phase 1 budget shall include costs by each major cost category such as direct labor, fringe benefits, subcontracts, travel and other direct costs. Direct labor information shall provide detail regarding each proposed individual and/or labor category, the number of hours or percent of time proposed, and the hourly rate or salary for each person or category. For other direct costs (travel, materials and supplies, etc.), provide detail and explanation for how each element of cost was derived and estimated. For any subcontracts, provide a separate detailed budget for the subcontract work, and provide a price analysis of the work. Please note that the FHWA can pay per diem for travelers, but cannot pay for meals or receptions under contracts. Only small printing/duplicating costs should be proposed, if needed; any large printing jobs must be carried out by the FHWA in accordance with Government Printing Office regulations.

A separate detailed cost/price breakdown shall also be provided by task, using the same task as described in the scope of work in the technical proposal. If necessary, the Government will request additional cost back-up information, resumes or supplemental information as appropriate.

A FHWA Form 1593 – FHWA Contract Pricing Summary (see Attachment No. 3) – shall be completed and submitted.

The cost/price proposal shall also include the following mandatory business information regarding your firm: Business Size; Federal Tax Identification Number (TIN); Dun & Bradstreet Number; Name and contact information (mail address, telephone, and email address) of your authorized business representative/point of contact.

Phase 1:

The FHWA anticipates that proposals funded would have an approximate award date beginning in December 2018 through February 2019.

The cost detail shall include:

Direct Labor:

o Personnel by name or labor category o Number of hours proposed (commercial organizations) or percent of effort

(organizations subject to OMB Circulars) o Hourly unburdened labor rate (commercial organizations) or salary rate and basis (9- or 12-month basis) (organizations subject to OMB Circulars) o Fringe Benefits Rates applied o Profit/Fee percentage and amount

Other Direct Costs. Other Direct Costs shall be supported by explanation of estimating factors and other relevant supporting details. For example, travel costs shall be supported by detail on the estimated trips, number of travelers, and associated costs for airfare, per diem, other transportation, etc. A similar level of detail shall be provided for any meeting costs, equipment, duplication/printing charges, and other direct costs.

Indirect Costs. Discuss your proposed rates. Identify the various specific indirect rates and what they are based on (e.g., labor overhead based on direct labor dollars) and how they are applied/calculated. State any differing rate applications (for example if there is a different proposed rate when applied to travel or material purchases than when applied to subcontractor costs). Offerors must provide dollar values as well as percentages.

Subcontractor costs should be fully detailed, and the information used by the proposer to analyze the price of the subcontract shall be provided. An SF1411 is not required for this submission of your proposal.

Volume II must also include a separate breakdown of costs by major task area. Use the same task or subtask numbers as described in the Scope of Work (SOW) submitted as part of your Technical proposal in Volume I.

If necessary, the government will request additional cost back-up information, as appropriate.

Other Financial / Organizational Information:

Provide the following information:

(1) Standard Form LLL - Submit a completed Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, included as Attachment No. 1.

(2) A copy of a completed representations and certifications in the System for Award Management.

(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.

5.2 SUBCONTRACTORS

All subcontracted work must be properly identified as such. The offeror must ensure that the subcontractor adheres to the guidance set forth herein. FAR 15.404-3 requires that the offeror provide an analysis of subcontractors’ cost/price proposals.

To that end, each offeror’s proposal must:

(1) Identify principal items/services to be subcontracted;

(2) Identify prospective subcontractors and the basis on which they were selected. If non-competitive, provide the sole source justification;

(3) Identify the type of contractual arrangement contemplated for the subcontract and provide a rationale for selecting the contractual arrangement;

(4) Identify the basis for the subcontract costs;

(1) Provide an analysis of the proposed subcontract cost/price in accordance with FAR 15.404-

3(b). Provide an analysis concerning the reasonableness, realism and completeness of each subcontractor’s proposal. If the analysis is based on comparison with prior prices, identify the basis on which the prior prices were determined to be reasonable. The analysis should include, but not be limited to, an analysis of: materials, labor, travel, other direct costs and proposed profit or fee rates.

SECTION 6 – EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR PROPOSALS

6.1 Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated on the merits of the technical and price proposals. A review of each offeror’s past performance on prior Government contracts will also be conducted during the responsibility determination phase of the Government review process and prior to any contract award. The proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria in descending order of importance:

1. Technical Approach Proposal

a. Provision of a sound, feasible, and achievable technical approach, which includes application of appropriate truck platooning technology, systems engineering processes, field test and evaluation methods, and other appropriate methods as required by the proposed research.

b. Demonstrates a solid grasp of the subject area; familiarity with truck platooning technology, freight operators, truck safety inspections; familiarity with regulatory or programmatic issues that affect the relevant constituency (state departments of transportation, state truck inspection organizations, highway transportation industry members).

c. Ability to clearly describe the task order objectives, needs, benefits to the transportation sector, and the manner they will be addressed. Does not parrot the task order language but rather demonstrates a clear understanding of what is expected.

2. Staffing Proposal

a. The academic credentials, professional experience, subject matter expertise and technical competence to complete the work as proposed such as field test and evaluation, data collection and analysis, systems engineering, and truck platooning technology

b. Demonstrated ability to effectively manage complex technical projects; sufficient contingency plans in place to replace key personnel over the life of the project without any adverse impact on performance

3. Past Performance/ Team Experience

a. Recent successful relevant experience in the vehicle and highway transportation industry and related research initiatives.

b. Demonstrated recent successful experience analyzing, assessing and evaluating vehicle and transportation systems.

c. The Government will evaluate the relevant merits of the contractor’s past performance on the basis of its reputation with its former customers. The Government may review all or some of the following areas regarding past performance. The lack of a performance record may result in an unknown performance risk assessment, which will neither be used to the advantage or disadvantage of the offeror.

Timeliness;

Delivery or Performance;

Problem Responsiveness;

Quality of Purchased Product or Services;

Cost Control;

Technical Support; and Delivered Quantities.

In evaluating Past Performance, the Government may consider information provided by contractor’s in their proposal submissions, as well as any other information available to the Government.

4. Fund Availability

Funds availability will be considered in the ultimate award decision. The Government will evaluate proposals to determine fair and reasonableness of proposed prices.

SECTION 7 – TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS AND COST/PRICE NEGOTIATIONS

7.1 Contract Vehicle

Phase 1 of the Assessment of Truck Platooning Early Deployments is anticipated to be Firm Fixed Price. Phase 2 of the Assessment of Truck Platooning Early Deployments will be awarded either as a cost sharing contract or an assistance agreement.

7.2 Discussions/Negotiations

If any technical clarifications, technical discussions or if there are questions/exceptions taken to costs/price proposed, the Government will contact the offeror to initiate discussions/negotiations.

7.3 Revised or Updated Cost/Price Proposal

If necessary, at the same time an offeror is notified of their selection, they may be requested to submit either an updated or revised cost/price proposal and any additional cost information or backup cost data.

SECTION 8 – ATTACHMENTS

1. Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities -https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/grants/sflllin.pdf

2. SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B) -

https://www.grants.gov/forms/sf-424-family.html

3. FHWA Form 1593 – FHWA Contract Pricing Summary (see below)

PAGE 1 OF 3 PAGES

FHWA 1593 CONTRACT PRICING

SUMMARY

(For New Contracts Including Letter Contracts) (See Instructions on Reverse)

THIS FORM IS FOR USE IN FHWA CONTRACTS AND TASK ORDERS ONLY, AND IS USED BY PROSPECTIVE OFFERORS TO DETAIL PROPOSED CONTRACT COSTS.

NAME OF OFFEROR SUPPLIES…