693JJ325R000004 Questions and Answers Amendment 2.pdf

# Reference: Paragraph/Sentence Question Answer

1 General

In the event that certain FAR clauses are required to flow down to universities, research institutes, and nonprofits, could additional alternate FAR clauses applicable to universities, research institutes, and nonprofit subcontractors be added to the contract? Alternatively, could certain FAR clauses that are not applicable to universities, research institutes, and nonprofit subcontractors be waived upon request?

The RFP notes that some clauses/alternates would apply to university/non-profit contractors and the appropriate clauses would also flow down to subcontractors as identified in the clause prescription. (RFP language updated to clarify.) If a contractor wants to request a waiver for a particular clause or the use of an alternate clause, this request should be included in Volume III of the Offeror's proposal.

2 I.3, Page 52

University subcontractors may have difficulty complying with the requirements of the Dissemination of Contract Information clause in TAR 1252.242-72. Could language be added stating that educational institution subcontractors will be subject to the TAR clause 1252.242-70 Dissemination of Information—Educational Institutions (NOV 2022) in lieu of 1252.242-72?

Clause TAR 1252.242-70 added to RFP and noted to apply to educational institutions.

3 J.1 Labor Category Descriptions, Page 1

Attachment J.1 requires that both the Program Manager and Principal Investigator “shall have a professional engineer’s license OR road safety professional certification (level 1).” Because there are other types of certifications that could be relevant to these roles and the requirement for P.E. or RSP1 may prevent otherwise qualified individuals from serving in these roles, would FHWA consider allowing for a PMP or AICP certification in place of the P.E. or RSP1 requirements?

Yes. For the purpose of the IDIQ Program Manager only, J.1 Labor Categories, a PMP and/or demonstrated management of an IDIQ of similar size and magnitude may be substituted for the professional engineer’s license OR road safety professional certification (level 1).

RFP language updated.

4 K.1, Page 54

Can FHWA clarify whether subcontractor UEI numbers should be included in the Phase 1 submittal, the Phase 2 submittal, both, or neither?

The subcontractor UEI should be included for the Offeror and any subcontractors/partners known at the time of Phase 1 and Phase 2 proposal submission. (RFP language updated).

5 K.1, Page 54

Please confirm that information required in Section K.1 other than UEI number (such as Tax ID and congressional district) is required only of the prime and not subcontractors.

Yes, the information in K.1 is only required for the prime.

6 L.5, Page 60 In light of the holidays bookending the current Phase 2 due date, would FHWA consider a one- to two-week extension to early January?

The Phase 2 due date has been updated to January 9, 2026.

7 L.6.2 Volume II, Page 65

Can FHWA please clarify how Small Business Subcontracting Plans should be prepared now in light of the recent changes to the USDOT DBE program as a result of the USDOT IFR issued on October 3, 2025. As a result of the IFR, the criteria for obtaining certification for certain types of DBE firms has been modified, and previously-certified firms must all be recertified. Should a proposer presume that all firms that previously qualified for various categories under the Small Business Subcontracting Plan will continue to qualify for those categories?

Attachment J.3 is still the current template until FHWA establishes goals for FY 26 and should be completed with the Offeror's Phase 2 submission. Once the FY 26 goals are established, the template will be updated. If the template is updated close to or after the solicitation close date, Offerors will be allowed to submit updated plans at a later date. Unless and until that happens, please submit your plan on the current Attachment J.3.

Information of DOT’s DBE program and a copy of the 10/25 Interim Rule can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/civil-rights/disadvantaged-business-enterprise. The authority for small business socioeconomic programs in federal contracting is primarily found in the Small Business Act, specifically in sections like 15 U.S.C. § 631 (declaration of policy) and 15 U.S.C. § 637(a) (which authorizes the Small Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development Program)

L.6.1 Volume I, Page 61-62

Regarding the requirement on pages 61-62 to submit evidence of a contractual relationship with subcontractors including “a binding conditional agreement to work together on this requirement that will automatically go into effect if the Offeror submitting a proposal wins an award under this IDIQ”, can FHWA confirm that a copy of a signed teaming agreement would suffice for this requirement?

Yes, a signed teaming agreement would meet this requirement.

9 RFP, Page 5, C.3.3, IDIQ Monthly Progress Rep

Can a statement be included that reports are only due if a task order is active with the IDIQ holder? Otherwise, IDIQ holders must submit monthly reports with no data. These monthly reports become a burden and are unfunded costs to the contractor.

Prime contractors may drop inactive tasks from their monthly report only after they note a task order is inactive for 1 month's cycle. After that 1 month notification, an inactive task order may be removed from the monthly report.

10 RFP, Page 60, L.4 RFP Closing Schedule

To save industry time and effort using the phased approach, there must be sufficient time between notification of advancement to phase 2 and when phase 2 is due. We recommend three weeks between notification and when phase 2 would be due. That would mean that FHWA has completed evaluations and notified offerors by the end of November. Does that align with FHWA's schedule as well?

Otherwise, if sufficient time (three weeks) isn't provided, that means that industry must continue to develop their phase 2 proposals prior to being notified, which does not save time or costs in the phased approach.

FHWA anticipates notifying Offerors if they are advised to move to Phase 2 by December 12, 2025. Phase 2 proposals would then be due January 9, 2026. This allows for more than three weeks time between notification and the Phase 2 due date.

11 RFP, Page 66, LCAT Descriptions

The first sentence says offerors must define the LCATs, but J.1 does that already. Can you confirm that all offerors should use the J.1 LCAT definitions and only needs to define additional LCATs that it would include?

Confirmed. Definitions/qualifications only need to be added for any additional LCATS that an Offeror wishes to include.

12 Attachment J.1

The IDIQ Program Manager is typically someone who will be managing the contracting vehicle, subcontractors, and project managers/principal investigators who will deliver technical expertise under the task orders. The requirement for a professional engineer's license or road safety professional certification is an unnecessary requirement for that role and more appropriate for a specific task order project manager. We request that this requirement be removed from the Program Manager for the IDIQ.

For the purpose of the IDIQ Program Manager only, J.1 Labor Categories, a PMP and/or demonstrated management of an IDIQ of similar size and magnitude may be substituted for the professional engineer’s license OR road safety professional certification (level 1).

RFP language updated.

13 Attachment J.1

Given that the three scenarios provided for the orals do not require engineering expertise, can a non-engineering project manager LCAT be added to J.1?

For the purpose of the oral presentations, consistent with our response to what's acceptable for a Program Manager, a PMP and/or demonstrated management of an IDIQ of similar size and magnitude may be substituted for the professional engineer’s license OR road safety professional certification (level 1).

Additionally, Offerors may add labor categories that they think are appropriate to J.1.

14 Attachment J.3 Can a Word version of this template be provided? Yes. Included as a part of A00002.

15 General

Can subcontractors be added throughout the solicitation process as offerors deem it necessary? For example, if teaming is not known or finalized until after Phase I can subcontractors be included in Phase II or added to the IDIQ after award?

Yes. However, Offerors may only use experience of subcontractors/partners with information included in the Phase 1 submission. Factor 1 will only include an evaluation of experience submitted at this time.

16 L.6.1, Page 6

The RFP states that binding conditional agreements for all teaming partners must be provided in Phase II. Can the government clarify if this information should be provided in Volume II or Volume III?

This information should beincluded with Volume I.

17 L.6.2, Page 65 Would the government consider allowing the submission of three key personn No. The program manager is the only key personnel.

L.6.2 and Attachment J.1

Page 65 of the RFP states that FHWA desires a Program Manager with a "Master's Degree or a relevant professional certification (if applicable, preferred but not required)." Page 1 of Attachment J.1 states that the Program Manager "shall have a professional engineer's license OR road safety professional certification (level 1)." Given the RFP's emphasis on contract management, staffing management, and risk management in Factors 2 and 3 and its emphasis on commensurate complexity and size in Factor 4, would the government evaluate a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification equally to professional engineer's licence, as the relevant certification for the Program Manager?

For the purpose of the IDIQ Program Manager only, J.1 Labor Categories, a PMP and/or demonstrated management of an IDIQ of similar size and magnitude may be substituted for the professional engineer’s license OR road safety professional certification (level 1).

RFP language updated.

19 B.1, Page 2

The Industry Day materials from November 2024 for this acquisition indicated an estimated contract value of $58 million, while Section B.1 of the draft RFP specifies a ceiling of $48 million. Could the government please confirm the correct ceiling amount for this acquisition and clarify if this represents a change from the Industry Day estimate?

Section B.1 of the RFP reflects the correct $48M ceiling value based on the Government's current requirement.

20 B.2 and J.2

Section B.2 states that "Resulting contract award(s) will include Attachment J.2 with the accepted Contractor fully burdened loaded labor rates inserted in the pricing table." However, Attachment J.2 is titled "Labor Category Ceiling Rates" (Page 53). Please clarify if Offerors are to propose their fully burdened loaded labor rates, which will then be inserted into Attachment J.2, or if Attachment J.2 will contain pre-determined ceiling rates that Offerors must adhere to.

Offerors are to propose their fully burdened labor rates which will be inserted into J.2. These rates will become the ceiling rates for each labor category under the IDIQ.

21 F.2

Section F.2 states, "The period of performance under this contract is five (5) years from the effective date of the contract. In no event, must the total contract performance period exceed five-years without written authorization from the CO." It then states, "There are no option periods under the contract; however, options may be used for task order performance." Please clarify how "options may be used for task order performance" if there are no option periods under the contract and the total contract performance period cannot exceed five years.

The IDIQ has a five year ordering period. All task orders must be placed before the end of that ordering period.

Individual task orders may contain option periods.

Individual task orders (including options under these task orders) may also extend up to 36 months after the end of the IDIQ ordering period.

22 F.2

Section F.2 also states, "Task orders may be issued up to the final day of the contract period of performance provided that the task order can be completed within 36 months past the end of the period of performance." Given the five-year contract period, this implies task orders could extend up to eight years from the contract effective date. Please clarify if the 36-month task order completion period can extend beyond the five-year base contract period.

Yes, task orders could ultimately extend up to 8 years from the contract effective date. However, no task orders will be issued after the end of the five year ordering period.

G.5.(d) and B.1 IDIQ MINIMUM AND

MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNTS

Section G.5(d) states, "Each TOPR will indicate the task order type..."

while Section B.1 indicates the IDIQ contract utilizes Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) and Time & Materials (T&M) task orders. Please confirm if task orders will be limited to FFP and T&M, or if other task order types may be specified in a TOPR.

THe phrase in Section G.5(d) does bot expand the allowable types; it simply requires the Government to specify which authorized types applies to each task order.

Unless Section B.1 is modified, this IDIQ will allow only for task orders that are FFP, T&M, or a combination of both.

24 H.6

Section H.6 discusses Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) and states, "the Contractor is expressly prohibited from competing on related work (as prime and/or subcontractor) during the performance of the task order and for a period of three (3) years from the end date of the task order." Please clarify if this prohibition applies to the entire IDIQ contract or only to specific task orders where an OCI is identified.

This prohibition applies whereever an OCI is idenfied.

This could be for a specific task order or the entire IDIQ depending on the nature of the OCI.

25 L.3.5

What is the turnaround time for notification that Offerors are encouraged to proceed to Phase 2?

The Government anticipates notifying Offerors if they are advised to Proceed to Phase 2 by December 12, 2025.

26 L.4

Section L.4 Quotation Content states that “Volume II oral presentation slides are required to be submitted in one PowerPoint file”, but the Phase 2 Submission table shows several instances of “also submitted as separate Power Point file” under the Page Limit column. Will all of Phase 2 be one PowerPoint or do we have to break them out into multiple?

Oral Presentation slides can be submitted in one PowerPoint that complies with the slide number limits listed in L4.

27 L.6.1

Section L.6.1 Volume I: Cover Page states the letter should include “Offeror point of contact”. Should this be someone that can legally bind the firm, such as a Principal or Vice President, or is it a key personnel, such as the project manager?

Either is fine as long as the person can legally bind the firm.

28 L.6.1

Section L.6.1 Volume I: Subcontractor/Partner Info states that “If experience of subcontractors or partners is submitted to respond to Factor 1, the Offeror must clearly identify the owner of experience and submit evidence of a relationship with the Prime Offeror.” What specific documentation is required to demonstrate evidence of a relationship with the Prime Offeror? Please clarify if signed teaming agreements, letters of commitment, MoUs, or other documentation formats are acceptable.

Per RFP Section L.6.1, the documentation of a relationship must include a binding conditional agreement to work together on this requirement that will automatically go into effect if the Offeror submitting a proposal wins an award under this IDIQ. The agreement should be signed by both the Offeror and the company that owns the referenced experience.

29 L.6.1

The RFP requires "at least one relevant experience" for each of the four task areas. Can a single project example be used to demonstrate experience in multiple task areas, or must each task area be supported by a separate, distinct project?

Yes, so long as the experience provided explicitely demonstrates experience in each of the four task areas.

30 L.6.2 Are PPQs acceptable in place of CPARS? PPQs will not be used for this solicitation.

31 L.6.2 Can CPARS be from a JV that the Offeror was part of? Yes.

32 M.1

Section M.1 uses the phrase 'two or more lower-rated small business proposals' in describing the government’s intent to award contracts to small businesses. Does this mean the Government could award more than two contracts under the small business reserve (resulting in more than six total awards), or is the reserve capped at two small business awards within the four to six total anticipated awards? Will the Government first select the highest technically rated proposals without regard to business size, and then apply the small business reserve only if fewer than two small businesses are included in that initial selection?

The Government will first select the highest technically rated proposals without regard to business size, and then apply the small business reserve only if fewer than two small businesses are included in that initial selection. The Government anticipates four to six awards but could award more or less at the Government's discretion.

33 M.2

Are the DOT’s DBE goals still in effect, or have they been suspended pending the Unified Certification Program's (UCP) reevaluation process as outlined USDOT’s recent Interim Final Rule (IFR) regarding the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program which went into effect on October 3, 2025? Should solicitation responses identify DBE participation explicitly as part of the subcontracting plan and commitment(s) to meet the DOT’s goals? If the goal is suspended, will our proposal be evaluated without consideration of DBE participation? If the goal is still considered active, what documentation of Good Faith Efforts will be required at the time of proposal submission?

The DBE program and the SBA Small Business programs are separate. At this time Offerors should complete the current Attachment J.3 as is. If FHWA updates its goals for FY 26, Attachment J.3 will be updated and Offerors will be given the opportunity to update their plans.

34 L.6.1

RFP page 60, L.6.1 Volume I, notes that “Offeror's submissions may also include a graphical cover page that will not be included in the page limits. This cover page must not contain any proposal content beyond the Offeror's name and/or contact information and will not be evaluated.” It is acceptable to include additional information such as the RFP number, the RFP project name, the Volume number, and the due date?

It is acceptable to include the RFP number, the RFP project name, the Volume number, and the due date.

35 L.6.1

RFP pages 61-62, L.6.1 Volume I, Volume I: Subcontractor/Partner Info, requires a “binding conditional agreement … signed by both the Offeror and the company that owns the referenced experience.” Must copies of these agreements be included for all proposed subcontractors, or only those subcontractors for which “experience examples” are being provided for evaluation under Volume I, Factor 1?

These agreements must be included only for subcontractors being used for the experience examples being evaluated under Factor 1.

36 L.6.2

RFP page 62, L.6.2 Volume II, notes that “Offeror's submissions may also include a graphical cover page that will not be included in the page limits. This cover page must not contain any proposal content beyond the Offeror's name and/or contact information and will not be evaluated.” It is acceptable to include additional information such as the RFP number, the RFP project name, the Volume number, and the due date?

It is acceptable to include the RFP number, the RFP project name, the Volume number, and the due date.

37 L.6.2

RFP page 62, L.5.2 Volume II: Cover Page, notes that "the Offeror must also list a conference call number …". Please confirm that the Oral Presentations are intended to be held virtually via conference call.

Oral presentations are anticipated to be held virtually on Microsoft Teams. The conference call number is included as a backup method of presentation in the event of irresolvable technical difficulties with Teams.

38 L.6.2

RFP pages 64-65, L.6.2 Volume II, Volume II: Factor 3: Management and Staffing Approach – Key Personnel Resume, requests one (1) two-page resume to be included for the IDIQ Program Manager. Please confirm that no narrative discussion of the Management and Staffing Approach is required in this section.

Confirmed. No written narrative is required for Management and Staffing Approach. Other than resume, this factor will be evaluated based on the Offeror's oral presentation.

39 L.6.2

RFP pages 64-65, L.6.2 Volume II, Factor 3: Management and Staffing Approach – Key Personnel Resume, requests one (1) resume to be submitted, for the proposed IDIQ Program Manager. Please confirm that resumes for additional key personnel, such as the other four proposed Oral Presentation presenters, are not desired in this submission.

Confirmed. Additional resumes are not desired in this submission.

40 L.6.3

RFP page 65-66, L.6.3 Volume III, notes that “Offeror's submissions may also include a graphical cover page that will not be included in the page limits. This cover page must not contain any proposal content beyond the Offeror's name and/or contact information and will not be evaluated.” It is acceptable to include additional information such as the RFP number, the RFP project name, the Volume number, and the due date?

It is acceptable to include the RFP number, the RFP project name, the Volume number, and the due date.

41 L.6.3

RFP page 66, L.6.3 Volume III, LCAT Descriptions, asks for Offerors to “… provide a description of all labor categories to be used under the IDIQ in Attachment J.1.” Labor category descriptions have already been included in Attachment J.1. If the Offeror does not propose changing the LCAT descriptions, is the expectation that Offerors restate the LCAT description(s) provided?

No. If the Offeror is not proposing any additional labor categories, Offerors do not need to restate the existing descriptions.

Volume I: Subcontractor/ Partner Info (pg.

61 of 73)

Will a fully executed Teaming Agreement and Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement between the Owner and Offeror be considered acceptable as the binding conditional agreement?

Yes.

Volume I: Subcontractor/ Partner Info (pg.

62 of 73)

Page 62 of the RFP requires "a binding conditional agreement to work together on this requirement that will automatically go into effect if the Offeror submitting a proposal wins an award under this IDIQ."

Please clarify what constitutes acceptable documentation to satisfy this requirement. Will a signed Letter of Intent or Teaming Agreement Letter demonstrating the parties' commitment to work together upon award satisfy this requirement? Given the time required for legal review of binding d h k d l l d il l l k hi

Yes, this will meet the requirement as long as it is signed by both parties.

Volume I: Subcontractor/ Partner Info (pg.

59 of 73)

Page 59 lists "Subcontractor/Partner Info". Please clarify what specific information the Government expects to be included in the Subcontractor/Partner Info section beyond the binding conditional agreement.

There is no specific requirement beyond what is listed in the RFP Section L.6.1: the documentation of a relationship must include a binding conditional agreement to work together on this requirement that will automatically go into effect if the Offeror submitting a proposal wins an award under this IDIQ. The agreement should be signed by both the Offeror and the company that owns the referenced experience.

45 Section L.5 RFP Closing Dates, Page 60

Regarding RFP 693JJ325R000004, released on November 13 with a proposal due date of December 2, this is a respectful request to significantly extend the proposal due date. Given that this is a major IDIQ solicitation with a ceiling of up to $48 million, the current window of approximately two and a half weeks does not provide adequate time for respondents to prepare a high-quality, compliant, and competitive proposal package. This challenge is further magnified by the Thanksgiving holiday, during which many firms, universities, and required institutional offices experience reduced operating capacity. Extending the deadline would support broader participation, ensure fairness, and allow offerors to deliver thoughtful and technically robust proposals that align with the goals and priorities of the Office of Safety.

This solicitation was already extended from the original deadline to December 2. No additional extensions will be granted.

46 Section L.4 RFP Will the Oral Presentation be on-site at a specified location or virtual? Oral presentations will occur virtually. They are currently planned to occur on Microsoft Teams.

47 Section L.7 RFP

Notification of Down-Select: How much time do you anticipate will occur between the advisory notification and the due date of Phase 2

The Government anticipates the advisory notification will occur by December 12, 2025. The Phase 2 proposal due date is January 9, 2026.

48 Q1 Proposal Due Date

Will the Government consider extending the proposal due date from 12/2/2025 until 12/5/2025 due to the Thanksgiving Holiday?

This solicitation was already extended from the original deadline to December 2. No additional extensions will be granted.

Q2. Phased Proposal Evaluation Schedule, L.3.5

The RFP states that the Government will provide Advisory Down-Select notification “after Phase 1.” Will the Government please clarify when Offerors can anticipate receiving these notifications? Having an anticipated notification date or general timeframe would enable Offerors to plan resources and schedules for responding Phase 2, if they are down-selected.

The anticipated notification date is December 12, 2025.

Will the Government please clarify when Offerors can anticipate receiving these notifications? Having an anticipated notification date or general timeframe would enable Offerors to plan resources and schedules for responding Phase 2, if they are down-selected.

The Government anticipates notifications will be sent by December 12, 2025.

Volume 1: Factor 1: Experience (pg. 61 of 73)

Please clarify if, in completing the experience table depicted under Volume I:

Factor I: Experience, offerors are required to follow the exact formatting provided.

Offerors may modify the table as appropriate. However, all questions included in the table must be addressed in the modified table.

Volume 1: Factor 1: Experience (pg. 61 of 73)

So long as written responses follow the seven (7) page limit, and fulfills the requirement to provide at least one relevant experience example for each of the required experience areas, will the government permit the inclusion of relevant supplemental information beyond the experience example?

Offerors may include supplemental information within the seven page limit. However, pleasure ensure that the table is completed for all experience examples.

Volume II: Cover Page (pg. 62 of 73) The RFP suggests the Phase II Oral Presentation will be held virtually in stating the following: "The Offeror must also list a conference call number (allowing for a minimum of 20 attendees) that can be used in the event that the oral presentation platform does not function properly." If you are accepting and answering questions in advance of Phase II, please clarify the platform through which presentations will be held.

Oral presentations are currently planned to be held on Microsoft Teams.

C.4.4/C.5 - Technical Operations Support and Skills and Expertise Required, (pg 10/11)

Section C.4.4, Technical Operations Support, and Section C.5, Skills and Expertise, mention the use of Google applications, PowerBI, LLMs, and AI.

Please clarify the anticipated contracting mechanism (e.g., existing Agency, DOT, or FHWA Enterprise Agreements, specific Cloud-related IDIQs, etc.) that will be leveraged for procuring necessary Cloud Services (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and advanced technologies (AI/ML/GenAI) as part of future task orders under this IDIQ.

The purpose of "Section C.4.4/C.5 - Technical Operations Support and Skills and Expertise Required" is to list the various types of expertise and skillsets contractors might need to be qualified for potential task orders under this IDIQ. This should not be conflated with anticipated task order requirements, which will be defined at the time of task order solicitation.

C.4.4 Technical Operations Support (pg 10) Given the statement in C.4.4 regarding the use of "Large Language Models (LLMs)" and "other programming" to support office operations, please describe the process and standards (e.g., security, compliance) that will govern the prototyping and deployment of Generative AI (GenAI) and other advanced computing technologies in task orders under this contract.

There are currently no published standards that govern the prototyping and deployment of Generative AI other than meeting federal IT standards for security and transparency.

L.6.1 Proposal Instructions by Volume;

Volume 1 (pg 61) Volume I: Factor 1:

Experience (7 Pages); Required experience areas (referencing Section C.4) and Experience Table

For clarification, could you please confirm the following regarding the Experience requirements? 1. May a single experience example be used to satisfy more than one of the four Required Experience Areas identified in Section C.4?

2. If an experience aligns with multiple Required Experience Areas, may we list all applicable areas within the same table entry, rather than repeating the full table multiple times for the same project?

A single experience may be used to satisfy more than one of the Required Experience Areas. You may note this in the same table entry as long as the table clearly notes the applicable Experience Areas.

57 Q1 L.5 RFP Closing Dates:

Taking into consideration the holiday weeknd, would the DOT consider extending the due date for Factor 1?

This solicitation was already extended from the original deadline to December 2. No additional extensions will be granted. This will help ensure sufficient time for Phase 2 proposal preparation over December holidays.

58 Q2 Is this a new requiremnt or continutation / consolidation of a previous effort? This requirement is not a consolidiation. It is a recompete of an existing requirement.

59 Q3

If this is a continutation / consolidation of a previous effort, can you please provide the relative contract numbers?

The incumbent contracts are 693JJ320D000021, 693JJ320D000022, 693JJ320D000023, and

693JJ320D000024.

60 Q4 L.1 Introduction

"This requirement is being solicited through full and open competition. The Government anticipates but not does guarantee awarding four to six IDIQ contracts." Would the government consider setting aside 1 or 2 awards for small business vendors?

There is a small business reserve of two for this requirement.

61 Section C.4 – Task Areas (pg 6-14)

Should Offerors provide separate experience examples for each of the four required areas, or may a single project cover multiple areas if applicable?

A single project may be submitted so long as the experience provided explicitely demonstrates experience in each of the four task areas.

62 Section C.4.2 – Capacity Building (pg 7-8)

Does FHWA require prior NHI-aligned curriculum development experience specifically, or is equivalent federal instructional design experience acceptable?

Equivalent federal instructional design experience is acceptable.

63 Section C.4.3 – Audience Outreach (pg 8-10)

For web/communications work, does FHWA prefer experience specifically with Drupal in .gov environments, or are other enterprise CMS platforms acceptable?

FHWA and USDOT currently use Drupal CMS, and therefore Drupal in *.gov environments is highly preferred.

Section C.4.4 – Technical/Admin Support (pg 10-11)

What level of SharePoint/PowerApps customization is expected for qualifying experience (basic sites, automated workflows, or custom applications)?

The level of SharePoint PowerApps customization experience should be sufficient to meet any anticipated requirements for task orders stemming from this IDIQ.

Historically these have been basic sites with automated workflows.

Section L.6.1 – Experience Instructions (pg 60-61)

Should experience examples be presented strictly within the template table, or may Offerors include brief narrative expansions?

Offerors may include brief narratives. However, pleasure ensure that the table is completed for all experience examples.

66 Section L.6.1 – Page Limits (pg 61)

Is there a maximum number of experience examples preferred within the 7-page limit for Factor 1?

There is not a maximum number of experiences.

However please note per the RFP that "the Government is more interested in the quality and similarity to the requirement of the experience examples than the quantity of examples."

Section L.6.1 – Experience Requirements (pg 61)

Can one project be used to address multiple required experience areas if it clearly demonstrates relevance?

Yes.

68 Section L.6.1 – Federal Preference (pg 61)

Does FHWA give higher evaluation weight to federal experience over state/local/tribal examples when relevance is similar?

Per the RFP, "the Government also highly desires federal government related experiences for this factor." The Government may give a higher evaluation weight to this type of experience.

69 Section B.1 – IDIQ Ordering (pg 2)

Should Offerors expect to be invited to compete on all future task orders issued under the IDIQ?

The Government anticipates that the majority of task orders will be competitively awareded with fair opportunity given to all IDIQ holders.

70 Section G.3 – COR/TOCOR Roles (pg 18-19)

For Phase 1, should Offerors discuss experience working under federal COR/TOCOR structures, or is this only relevant for Phase 2?

Yes, Contractors should discuss experience working under federal COR/TOCOR structures for both Phase 1 and 2.

Section H.6 – Organizational Conflict of Interest (pg 29-30)

Does the OCI limitation apply only to evaluation-related tasks, or could other areas of support also create future contracting restrictions?

OCI could apply to any task under the IDIQ.

72 Section F.2 – Period of Performance (pg 16)

Can an older project be submitted if substantial work or enhancements occurred within the last five years?

Yes, an older project may be submitted. However, the Government highly desires projects within five years and may rate older projects less highly.

73 Section J – Attachments J.1 & J.2 (pg 53-54) Should Offerors reference proposed labor categories in Phase 1 submissions, or is all labor mapping deferred to Phase 2?

Proposed labor category information is Part of Phase 2.

For the Program Manager, will a Ph.D. in Engineering be accepted in place of the Professional Engineer’s license, OR road safety professional certification (level 1)? We will have a licensed Professional Engineer as the Principal Investigator

The Government will allow a Ph.D in an applicable field.

The labor category description was updated in Attachment J.1.

How many vendors are you looking to qualify for this round of IDIQ? The Government anticipates awards to 4-6 vendors, but may award to more or less based on Government discretion.

Is a Vendor required to bid for all task orders, or can submit a bid to include some but not all?

Vendors will not be required to bid on all task orders.

77 Attachment J.1 Labor Category Descriptions

Given that the role of the Program Manager is to provide overall management and quality control for the contract rather than serving as a technical specialist, would FHWA waive the 'professional engineer’s license OR road safety professional certification (level 1)' requirement for this labor category, or allow alternative credentials such as a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and/or demonstrated management experience for a contract of similar magnitude and complexity?

Yes. For the purpose of the IDIQ Program Manager only, J.1 Labor Categories, a PMP and/or demonstrated management of an IDIQ of similar size and magnitude may be substituted for the professional engineer’s license OR road safety professional certification (level 1).

RFP language updated.

78 Attachment J.1 Labor Category Descriptions

Could FHWA allow flexibility for the Principal Investigator labor category to have a 'professional engineer’s license OR road safety professional certification (level 1)' OR a Master's degree or Ph.D. in a field applicable to highway safety/engineering, along with demonstrated experience?

The Government will allow a Ph.D in an applicable field.

The labor category description was updated in Attachment J.1.

Attachment J.4 Current Safety Program Areas and Priorities

Could the government clarify whether the priorities listed in this appendix are expected to change prior to the release of the Final RFP? If so, will an updated list of current priorities be made available in advance of the Final RFP to allow offerors to align their proposals accordingly?

These are the current priorities and they are not expected to change. However, they will be updated in the event of changes.

C.3 Specific Contract Requirements, pages 4-

Given the requirement that the contractor shall participate in the kick-off meeting and tri-annual meetings, as well as prepare the IDIQ Monthly Progress Reports, would these be considered billable to the IDIQ contract?

No - no costs are billable directly to the IDIQ. However, in the event a contractor does not receive any task orders over the life of the IDIQ, the contractor will be able to invoice for the IDIQ minimum amount.

81 C.3.3 IDIQ Monthly Progress Reports, Page 5 Per C.3.3, "The Contractor must submit an electronic copy (Microsoft Office, PDF) of a contract level consolidated monthly progress report to the Contract Specialist, and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), by the 10th of the month following the calendar month being reported."

Would FHWA consider allowing these monthly progress reports to be at the task order level versus consolidated at the contract level?

No, A monthly consolidated contrtactor progress report of the activities on each Task Order is required -submitted electronically as a Microsoft PDF. Reports will be submitted to the Contract Specialist, and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), by the 10th of the month following the calendar month being reported

Section L - Instruction to Offerors, Volume II:

Key Personnel Resume, Pages 62-64

It appears that no other staff resumes, beyond the IDIQ Program Manager, are being requested. Other aspects of evaluation Factor 3, Staffing Approach and Management Plan will be evaluated solely through the oral presentation.

Please confirm that FHWA is only requesting one resume for the proposed IDIQ Program Manager.

Correct. The only resume required is for the proposed IDIQ Program Manager.

83 LCAT Rate Ceilings, Page 66

We appreciate the ability to add additional labor categories. However, the solicitation says, "The ceiling rates will be used to calculate the Government's total evaluated price for the IDIQ." How will a total price be calculated if contractors may incorporate additional labor categories?

Any additional labor rates added beyond the Government’s rates will not be included in the total evaluated price. Please note that the evaluation approach for this RFP is Highest Technical Rated with Fair and Reasonable Price.

84 LCAT Rate Ceilings, Page 66

The solicitation says, "The Government anticipates that the vast majority of performance under this IDIQ will occur at the Government site or via telework….The proposed ceiling rates for each labor category must allow for minimal Contractor site performance over the life of the IDIQ." Please confirm - is this correct that minimal work is anticipated at the Contractor's site and the vast majority of work will occur at the Government site? Based on previous experience on similar contracts, most task work has been conducted off-site (i.e., not at a Goverment site).

The Government would like one labor rate that includes all sites. At this time, the Government anticipates that most work will be completed via telework, but that could change by task order and over the life of the contract.

Small Business Subcontracting Plan, Attachment J.3

The solicitation requires a Small Business Subcontracting Plan that asks the contractor to describe their rationale if establishing a goal lower than 5% for Veteran Owned SB, 5% for SDVOSB, 3% for HUBZone, 5% for SDB, and 5% for WOSB. However, DOT issued an announcement on 10/3/2025 eliminating DBE requirements that have presumptions about disadvantaged based on race and sex. Please clarify if and why these subcontracting goals still apply.

Attachment J.3 is still the current template until FHWA establishes goals for FY 26 and should be completed with the Offeror's Phase 2 submission. Once the FY 26 goals are established, the template will be updated. If the template is updated close to or after the solicitation close date, Offerors will be allowed to submit updated plans at a later date. Unless and until that happens, please submit your plan on the current Attachment J.3.

Information of DOT’s DBE program and a copy of the 10/25 Interim Rule can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/civil-rights/disadvantaged-business-enterprise. The authority for small business socioeconomic programs in federal contracting is primarily found in the Small Business Act, More Q&A 11.18.25