NIH TRANShare Program – WMATA SmartBenefits® Program Transit Benefit Services

The National Institutes of Health intends to award the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) a sole-source IDIQ contract for continued enrollment of NIH employees in the SmartBenefits Program Transit Benefit Services, with a total estimated value of $23,764,141.95 (minimum $380,000), effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031.

WMATA is the only responsible source capable of providing the required 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 possesses 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.

Under the contract, WMATA will enroll NIH employees in SmartBenefits, 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. WMATA will also provide on-demand SmartBenefits Anytime training for up to ten NIH employees per session at NIH's Bethesda, Maryland campus upon request. The contracting officer certifies price reasonableness based on historical pricing analysis and comparison with prior purchases. The acquisition is justified under FAR 6.103 (41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1)), citing statutory authority established through Executive Orders 12191 and 13150.