Development of Rail Flaw Imaging Technology Base on Ultrasonic Tomography Phase III

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Washington, DC, intends to award a Sole Source, Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) Contract to University of California, San Diego (UCSD) to develop a system for imaging rail defects for Phase III of the project. UCSD has developed a unique expertise in the theory of modeling and application of detecting internal flaws in rails. Based on FRA's analysis, UCSD have the unique expertise to conduct Phase III of the project. An alternative contractor other than UCSD to conduct Phase III, would duplicate effort and be cost prohibitive. 

 The proposed contract action, for which the Government intends to solicit to only one source under authority of FAR 6.302, to develop a system for imaging rail internal defects in order to determine size and orientation, for use in derailment risk assessment.

This synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals; however interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement. Respondents must provide a capability statement for "Development of Rail Flaw Imaging Technology Base On Ultrasonic Tomography Phase III".  Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this synopsis. Interested parties with the capability of meeting the proposed requirements are requested to provide an E-mail to the FRA point of contact, Ms. Devona Jackson, (devona.jackson@dot.gov) no later than 1:00 p.m. EDT Thursday, July 14, 2016. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.