Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition (JOFOC) – NIH TRANShare Program

This document is a Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition (JOFOC) for a non-competitive, sole-source Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract award to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for continued participation in the SmartBenefits® Program Transit Benefit Services.

Contract Details and Requirements: The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the Division of Amenities and Transportation Services (DATS), Office of Research Services (ORS), intends to award WMATA an IDIQ contract on a sole-source basis from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031, with a total estimated value of $23,764,141.95 and a minimum of $380,000. The contractor will enroll NIH employees in the SmartBenefits® program—a proprietary web-based system allowing NIH to load participant-specific monthly commuting benefit amounts directly onto employees' SmarTrip® fare cards for use on Metrorail, Metrobus, regional commuter systems, vanpools, and CommuteDirect.com passes (MARC, VRE, MTA Commuter Bus). Benefit categories include Transit Non-Rollover, Transit Rollover, Transit Pass Non-Rollover, and Transit Pass Rollover. NIH will enter approved benefit amounts by the 21st of each month, and the contractor will make funds available on participants' SmarTrip® cards by the first calendar day of the following month. The contractor will also provide on-demand SmartBenefits® Anytime training for up to ten NIH employees per session at NIH's Bethesda, Maryland campus upon request.

Sole-Source Justification: This acquisition is justified as a sole-source procurement under FAR 6.103 (41 U.S.C. § 3304(a)(1)), citing statutory authority established through Executive Orders 12191 and 13150. WMATA is the only responsible source capable of providing the required supplies and services because SmartTrip® and SmartBenefits® are WMATA-proprietary systems, and WMATA is the sole owner and operator of the SmarTrip® fare payment system and SmartBenefits® employer benefit platform used throughout the National Capital Region's mass transit network. No other entity has the legal authority, infrastructure, proprietary rights, or operational capability to administer SmartBenefits® or load employer-sponsored transit benefits directly onto SmartTrip® cards. Market research through a Sources Sought Notice posted to SAM.gov from August 27, 2026 to September 4, 2026 confirmed no alternative sources are available. The contracting officer certifies price reasonableness based on comparison with prices found reasonable on previous purchases, with historical pricing analysis supporting the fair and reasonable determination. The contract will utilize firm-fixed pricing for all orders.