Sources Sought.pdf

SOURCES SOUGHT/MARKET RESEARCH for “Railroad Credit Assessment and Portfolio Management System and Support for the Railroad Rehabilitation and

Improvement Financing (RRIF) Program”

1. SUBMITTAL INFORMATION

ISSUE DATE: April 08, 2020 DUE DATE FOR RESPONSES: April 22, 2020 SUBMIT RESPONSES TO: megan.mavis@dot.gov SUBMIT QUESTIONS TO: megan.mavis@dot.gov

See below Section 5 entitled “REQUESTED CONTENT OF RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT (SS)” for submittal content instructions.

2. INTRODUCTION

Potential Sources Sought. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is conducting a market survey to identify potential sources for an anticipated contract for Railroad Credit Assessment and Portfolio Management (RCAPM) System and Support for the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) Program and the availability and capability of qualified sources to perform the work.

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

• Determine what sources exist that are capable of satisfying the Government’s requirements listed below,

• Determine the capabilities of potential contractors,

• Determine the size and status of potential sources, and

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

3. BACKGROUND

The FHWA Office of Acquisition and Grants Management intends to make an award (firm fixed price) to accomplish the work described herein. The purpose for this Sources Sought is to conduct market research to identify potential offerors having an interest in, and the resources to accomplish the work. Consideration will be given to identifying small business concerns, including the sub-categories of SDVOSB, HUBZone, 8(a), SDB and woman-owned. The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement.

This document contains a draft scope of work. Your firm’s response regarding your firm’s experience and capabilities will be used to determine the availability of potential businesses, both large and small, and their capabilities in meeting the Government’s requirement.

4. DRAFT SCOPE OF WORK

Background The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century established a new program of credit assistance, the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) Program. Under this Program, loans and loan guarantees are available to acquire, improve or rehabilitate intermodal or rail equipment or facilities, including track, components of track, bridges, yards, buildings and shops, to refinance existing debt incurred for the previous purposes, and to develop or establish new intermodal or railroad facilities. Eligible applicants include railroads, joint ventures that include at least one railroad, a state or local government, or government sponsored entities. There is a statutory maximum amount of outstanding unpaid principal at any point in time of $35 billion. Of this, $7 billion is reserved for projects primarily benefiting short line and regional railroads.

The Credit Reform Act of 1990 requires that funds be available to cover the subsidy cost before a direct loan or loan guarantee can be approved by any Federal agency under any program. Generally, these costs are covered by mailto:megan.mavis@dot.gov mailto:megan.mavis@dot.gov appropriations from Congress. However, unlike other federal credit programs, the RRIF program’s enabling legislation provides that such subsidy cost can be paid from appropriations, a “credit risk premium” (CRP) paid by the borrower or any combination of the two.

Objective The RRIF program uses Railroad Credit Assessment and Portfolio Management System (RCAPM), approved by the OMB, to perform all loan level subsidy calculations, modification cost analyses, budget formulation, and annual reestimate calculations. RCAPM system consists of five key modules that facilitate these functions:

• Credit Risk Assessment – used to comply with OMB’s requirement to perform loan level subsidy calculation analysis;

• Budget Formulation – used to comply with OMB’s requirement to generate budget estimates for the RRIF program;

• Reestimate Module – used to comply with OMB’s requirement to re-estimate subsidy costs for loans on annual basis, as well as to perform Financing Account Interest Calculations;

• Modification Module – used to comply with OMB’s requirement to perform modification cost and modification adjustment transfer calculation;

• Loan Management System – used to maintain loan level information and transaction history, perform reporting, and support other modules in the RCAPM system.

The objective of this contract is to procure services for The Build America Bureau (Bureau) to maintain the RCAPM system and modify it as necessary, to provide support for the RRIF Program in connection with the RCAPM system, to assist the Bureau in generating loan level subsidy calculations, modification cost analyses, and annual reestimates, as well as the annual budget formulation calculations. The services will be performed in support of The Build America Bureau (Bureau). The contractor shall work with the Bureau, Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST), Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Department of the Treasury (Treasury), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and FAA's Enterprise Service Center (ESC). Tasks include: maintenance of Railroad Credit Assessment and Portfolio Management System; updates to the Railroad Credit Assessment and Portfolio Management System; develop and Conduct Training for RCAPM system to Bureau Personnel; Modeling Support;

Budget Formulation, FAIC / Reestimate, and Loan Management Support; ongoing RRIF Program Support

The estimated period of performance for the project is 12 months from the effective date of award with four one year options, for a total potential period of performance of five years.

5. REQUESTED CONTENT OF RESPONSES TO THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

This Sources Sought Notice is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract or cooperative agreement nor does the Government intend to directly pay for any information or responses submitted as the result of this Sources Sought Notice. Interested parties, who consider their firms qualified to perform the above-listed services, are invited to submit responses to this Sources Sought.

Any interested organizations are invited to submit a Capability Statement to the identified Contracting Officer/Specialist via email by the response date.

Responses shall clearly identify:

1. Name, Address, Point of Contact;

2. DUNS

3. Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Contract Number and SIN, if applicable.

4. Size Standard under NAICS code 541511, Custom Computer Programming Services (size standard is $25

Million);

5. Identify all applicable classifications for your organization, such as:

a. Small Business?

b. Woman-owned business?

c. 8(a) business?

d. Large business

e. Small disadvantaged business

f. HUBZone business?

g. SDVOB business?

h. Non-profit?

6. Description of technical capabilities and relevant experience to perform the work described in Section 4 of this document;

7. Synopsis of experience and expertise of potential staff;

8. Relevant projects completed related to the anticipated objectives of the project with information on the client, scope, and products.

The Capability Statement shall be no more than eight pages in length single-spaced with font size twelve or larger.

6. NOTES

PARTICIPATION IN THE MARKET RESEARCH IN NO WAY INFLUENCES THE SOURCE SELECTION FOR THESE SERVICES. This Sources Sought is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract, nor does the Government intend to directly pay for any information or responses submitted as the result of this Sources Sought Notice. As a result of this Market Research, FHWA intends to issue a solicitation at the Government Point of Entry, www.beta.SAM.gov.