MASH_SBT_RFI SSN cover page _ 8_20_2026.pdf

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Eastern Federal Lands (EFL)

Request for Information (RFI/ Sources Sought (SS) Notice/ Market Research

1. SUBMITTAL INFORMATION

ISSUE DATE: Thursday, August 20, 2026

DUE DATE FOR CAPABILITY STATEMENTS/ RESPONSES:

No later than (NLT) 2:00PM Eastern Time (ET) Monday, August 31, 2026 SUBMIT RESPONSES TO: Myla Wyatt myla.wyatt@dot.gov

SUBMIT QUESTIONS TO: Myla Wyatt myla.wyatt@dot.gov NLT 2:00PM ET Monday, August 24, 2026. PLEASE NOTE: Respondents are limited to four (4) questions each. If a company/firm/entity/ individual/institution submits more than 4 questions, only the first four (4) questions will be considered. Some questions or inquires may not receive a response. In addition, questions received after the due date and time may not receive a response.

PLEASE do not post, upload, or submit questions or capability statements to SAM.gov. Questions and responses posted or submitted via SAM.gov may not be answered or considered.

SUBMITTALS SHOULD BE MADE IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT:

See below Section 5 entitled, “REQUESTED CONTENT OF RESPONSES TO THIS RFI/SOURCES SOUGHT” for submittal content instructions.

2. INTRODUCTION

Potential Sources Sought. This is NOT a solicitation for quotes/submissions/proposals. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is conducting market research to identify potential sources for an anticipated requirement. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information, for planning purposes, regarding (1) the availability and capability of qualified sources to perform all or some of the work described below; and (2) the size classification of the available and capable sources relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition.

This notice does not solicit quotations/proposals. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Additionally, the FHWA will not provide reimbursement for any information that may be submitted in response to this RFI/SS notice.

Companies/Firms/Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI/SS notice. Responding to this RFI/SS notice will neither increase nor decrease the likelihood of being awarded any contract in the future by FHWA for the requisite services.

Pursuant to 48 C.F.R., Part 10, the Government is conducting market research to:

• Determine what sources exist that can satisfy the Government’s requirements listed below,

• Determine the capabilities of potential sources,

• Determine the size and status of potential sources, and

• Determine the level of competition (i.e. 8(a), set-aside, or full and open).

mailto:myla.wyatt@dot.gov mailto:myla.wyatt@dot.gov

The results of this RFI/SS notice will assist in identifying potential quoters having an interest in, and the resources to accomplish the work and contribute to determining the method of procurement.

3. BACKGROUND

The FHWA is seeking a qualified Contractor that demonstrates the capabilities, experience, and resources required to perform crash testing on safety hardware devices. FHWA is transitioning to the latest crash test criteria for road safety hardware. This means transitioning from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features to the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) methods. The goal of this effort is to make off- National Highway System (NHS) roads and highways as safe as possible, in part by accelerating the move to newer crash test criteria for Steel-Backed Timber roadway safety hardware devices.

In 2018, 36,560 people died on our nation’s highways. Of those, an estimated 55-60% died on off-NHS roadways. More than 70% of the vehicles involved in these off-NHS fatal crashes were driving on rural, two-lane highways with posted speeds of 55 mph or less. A high percentage of these crashes are attributable to run off the road departures. Local governments, tribes and Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMA), the primary off-NHS owners, use combinations of road safety devices to prevent vehicles from colliding with dangerous obstacles such as trees, mountain sides, or traversing steep (non- recoverable) slopes or entering deep water.

The impact conditions of roadside safety hardware vary as a function of site and traffic characteristics.

Local agencies, tribes and FLMAs are often faced with constrained right of way, the need for aesthetic design and limited view shed obstructions, difficult geometry, frequent access points, compatibility with non-motorized users and low maintenance budgets. The same vehicles that increased in size and bumper height on the NHS also use this system. Therefore, hardware crashworthiness is of upmost concern considering the high number of run off the road fatalities off the NHS and necessitates the need for MASH testing for hardware not typically used on the NHS.

MASH is an update to and supersedes NCHRP Report 350 for the purposes of evaluating new safety hardware devices. An implementation plan for MASH that was adopted jointly by AASHTO and FHWA states that highway safety hardware accepted prior to the adoption of MASH – using criteria contained in NCHRP Report 350 – may remain in place. However, on the NHS, only safety hardware evaluated using MASH will be allowed for new installations.

This project proposes to follow AASHTO 2016 MASH to crash test and document a Steel-Backed Timber roadway barrier, transition, and terminal common to the off- NHS system. This MASH testing will provide additional crashworthy alternative systems for local, federal, and tribal agencies and decrease occupant risk if they impact a device that meets current crash test standards. Upon completion of successful crash testing of the three safety hardware devices the FHWA will share the MASH test results and the standard details with the transportation community.

4. OBJECTIVE

The objective of this project is to crash test and evaluate the impact performance of safety hardware devices used, or that will be used, off the NHS by Federal Land Management Agencies, counties and cities, and Tribal Nations when cost, maintenance and compatibility with the local setting is important. These tests are to determine that these safety hardware devices meet safety performance criteria set forth under MASH Test Level criteria.

5. REQUESTED CONTENT OF RESPONSES TO THIS RFI/SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform all the listed services herein are invited to submit a capabilities statement/response to this RFI/SS notice.

Responses shall clearly identify:

1. Name, Address, Point of Contact(s) (POC(s));

2. SAM.gov Unique Entity ID (UEI)

3. CAGE Code

4. GSA Schedule Number (if applicable);

5. Size standard under NAICS code 541380 Testing Laboratories and Services

6. Identify all applicable classifications for your organization such as:

a. Large Business

b. Small Business

c. Small Disadvantaged Business

d. Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB)

e. Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB)

f. 8 (a)

g. HUBZone

h. Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)

i. Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB)

j. Non-Profit

k. Academic Institution

l. State or local government

Potential sources are requested to submit a capability statement which addresses their company’s/firm’s ability to deliver the required services as detailed in the RFI/SS notice and attached draft Statement of Work (SOW). The capability statement MUST clearly detail the following:

1. Detailed description of technical capabilities and relevant experience to perform the work described in Section 4 above and attached draft SOW.

2. Verifiable proof that facilities/laboratories are accredited under ISO/IEC 17025:2005 General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories.

3. Verifiable relevant experience in MASH09 or MASH16 crash testing- Detailed description of relevant testing completed within the past five (5) years related to the anticipated objectives of this project with information about client/customer, scope, dollar value, specific services/data provided, and examples of noteworthy outcomes/success.

4. Laboratories must also include verifiable relevant past experience with detailed finite element analysis for guardrails, end terminals, and transitions.

5. Laboratories must detail verifiable past experience that meet the aesthetics of the Federal Lands Managed Agencies (i.e. National Park Service (NPS)) with Steel Backed Timber.

PLEASE NOTE: Emails sent with embedded hyperlinks to request capability statement will not receive a response/reply and will not be given any further consideration.

PAGE LIMIT: The capability statement shall be no more than seven (7) pages in length, single-spaced, with font sized 11 or larger using Times New Roman or Arial. The minimum font size for charts shall be 10 point. Margins (Top, Bottom, Right and Left) no smaller than 1” (headers and footers are allowed in the margins) page size shall be no greater than 8.5” x 11.” Submission shall be provided in electronic format readable and searchable by Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word, or Google Docs. Do NOT submit marketing material, slide presentations or technical papers. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT RESUMES.

6. NOTES

PARTICIPATION IN MARKET RESEARCH IN NO WAY WILL EFFECT

COMPANY’S/FIRM’S ELIGIBILITY TO COMPETE FOR THESE SERVICES IF AN

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ)/REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) IS

SUBSEQUENTLY ISSUED.

PARTICIPATION IN MARKET RESEARCH IN NO WAY WILL INFLUENCE A SOURCE

SELECTION DECISION FOR THESE POTENTIAL SERVICES.

This RFI/SS notice is not to be construed to be a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract, nor does the Government intend to pay for any information or responses submitted as the result of this RFI/sources sought notice.