RailExodus Software

The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) plans to procure on a sole source basis from the University of Greenwich (UG), Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, UK, professional research services related to an evacuation computer model software known as railEXODUS that can be used to predict the time periods necessary for occupants to safely evacuate from passenger rail cars to a point of safety during emergency conditions. This software usage acquisition is a follow-on requirement from DTRT5713P80064. Even earlier, UG had created and developed this Prototype railEXODUS model (Prototype Software) under contract DTRT57-07-C-10063, which is the only model that incorporates occupant characteristics and behavior of individual railroad passengers, as well as individual decision-making affecting real time evacuations. This proprietary software package was tailored from the existing UG Exodus suite of software computer-modeling capabilities for emergency evacuations from buildings, aircraft and marine ships. This effort will require the UG to conduct research that includes human behavior, evacuation and crowd characteristics, as it relates to passenger rail cars. The contractor will be required to analyze Volpe Center-generated passenger rail car occupant egress data and modify the Prototype Software for passenger emergency egress behavior data, using the railEXODUS software program.

This acquistion will be conducted under Negotiation procedures in accordance with FAR Part 15. Small business firms classified under NAICS Code 541990, All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Service, Business Size Standard $6M, that are interested in proposing on this requirement must respond in writing no later than seven (7) days from the date of this publication that they legally possess the rights to the proprietary Exodus software model. This proposed action is for professional services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority cited under FAR Part 6.302-1. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement is based upon the rationale cited under FAR Part 6.302-1 when responses received to this notice would normally be considered, solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. The quote issuance will be on or about November 21, 2018.

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITVE PROPOSALS. Interested firms must submit a written capability statement to the above named point of contact providing clear and convincing evidence of the firms' capability to provide the required services. Written capability statements must be submitted within seven (7) calendar days from the date of publication of this synopsis. Responses received after seven (7) calendar days or without the required documentation will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered. Such documentation will be utilized solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. The Government will not pay for any documentation provided in response to this synopsis and documentation received will not be returned to the sender. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement on a full and open competitive basis, based upon responses received to the synopsis, is solely within the discretion of the Government.

NOTE: All contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), located at www.sam.gov, in order to receive an award from a DOT Agency.

ATTENTION: Small and Disadvantaged (SDB), Women-Owned, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs). The Department of Transportation's (DOT) Short-Term Lending Program (STLP) offers working capital financing in the form of lines of credit to finance accounts receivable for transportation-related contracts. The Maximum line of credit is $750,000. The STLP loan has a variable rate, which is connected to the prime rate. The current rate may be found on the OSDBU website http://osdbuweb.dot.gov or call 1-(800) 532-1169.

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