Support Services for Vehicle and Engine Testing

Added: Jul 25, 2017 8:58 am Modified: Jul 25, 2017 9:43 amTrack Changes Support Services for Vehicle and Engine Testing

SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS (SOL-CI-17-00082)

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS FOR WRITTEN INFORMATION ONLY. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is performing a "market search" for large and small businesses in preparation for a future procurement.



The United States Environmental Protection Agency has a need for a contractor to provide support to the Office of Air Radiation (OAR), Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ). The purpose of this contract is to support testing of vehicles, engines and equipment at EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL) in Ann Arbor, Michigan; to support EPA's imports program; track defect and voluntary emissions recall reports; and support in-use compliance and evaluation testing.

Vehicles are defined to include light duty vehicles (cars, vans, pickups, highway motorcycles, etc.) and heavy duty trucks. Engines are defined as heavy duty on-road engines, heavy-duty construction engines, small hand held, and non-road engines (including lawn mowers, marine, tractors, etc.), and may be developmental, advanced testing, or manufacturer-loaned engines. Equipment may include evaporative components (such as fuel lines, tanks and gas caps) and portable fuel containers. The vehicles, engines and equipment will be used for EPA's in-use testing program and several other programs.

The efforts supported by this contract include both regulatory and compliance programs. EPA programs must be evaluated and implement based on sound scientific principles and must provide the best environmental improvements, therefore analysis and testing are important to the programs. For the voluntary programs in particular, it is vitally important to inform partners and the public of these programs, to encourage broader participation and to expand and enhance current and future programs. The contractor shall provide analysis and support services for OTAQ in the areas of data management; program and emissions analyses; vehicle and engine testing; imports program; tracking defect reports and voluntary emissions recall reports; and in-use compliance and evaluation testing.

Specific areas to be addressed in capability packages are as follows:

The Contractor shall have experience in project management and analysis, program auditing, scientific analysis of emission or other data, database development and maintenance, as well as regulatory analysis.

The Contractor shall also demonstrate the following capabilities:

1. Ability to read and understand the Federal regulations describing the importation and exportation of motor vehicles;

2. Ability to work with spreadsheets, relational databases, and presentation programs;

3. Ability to search the relational database containing the records, past and present, and provide the data in report form for use by upper management, including but not limited to spreadsheet and presentation programs for use in meetings and for publication to the EPA website;

4. Ability to maintain a current filing system for incoming electronic and hard copy requests to provide quick retrieval service to upper management within a day's notice.

5. Ability to prepare vehicles for testing. These preparations may include: installing marmon flanges, thermocouples, placards, fuel changes, installation of fuel drains, repairs, identification of emission system components, mileage accumulation, providing vehicle dynamometer operation instructions (traction control, ABS, etc.), and other preparations as directed by work assignment. Responsible for completion of vehicle inspections and performing maintenance necessary to prepare vehicles for testing. Also performs necessary periodic maintenance to loaner fleet vehicles. May install or set up test equipment. Mechanics shall be thoroughly familiar with current and recent emission control systems. The mechanics shall be certified as Master Mechanics by the State of Michigan. They shall require both oral and written communication skills since they meet the public during vehicle check in. In addition, personnel involved in operating heavy duty vehicles and non-road equipment shall be appropriately trained and licensed as necessary in the State of Michigan.

6. Ability to arrange shipment of test vehicles, engines and equipment by common carrier to other test facilities.

7. Ability to send out mailings to vehicle owners requesting permission to test their vehicles as part of EPA's surveillance program.

8. Ability to review the accuracy and contract compliance of outgoing data. Responsible for developing and maintaining audit programs for procurement and maintenance data. Solicits vehicles from the general public or from private sources for testing in the EPA emissions programs. Performs clerical functions in support of projects. May coordinate vehicle exchanges with program participants.

It is anticipated that the contract will be an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity type contract consisting of one (1) five-year ordering period, expected to begin on July 1, 2018. Work will be requested through the issuance of both Firm Fixed Price and Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (Term and Completion) type task orders.

The applicable NAICS Code is 541330, and the size standard is $15 Million.

It is anticipated that the following firms will be excluded from consideration for award:

Automotive manufacturers; Non-road vehicle and engine manufacturers; Fuel refineries and distributors; Air emissions testing equipment manufacturers and dealers; Additionally, all offerors will be required to disclose any business or financial relationships with the firms listed above, which could pose a significant actual or potential conflict of interest.



Any interested firms should submit a capability statement of no more than 15 pages which demonstrates the firm's ability to perform the key requirements described above. Standard company brochures will not be considered a sufficient response to this Sources Sought Synopsis. In the capabilities statements, contractors should provide their size status for the above referenced NAICS code, (i.e. large, small) and whether or not they are a certified hub-zone, 8(a), women-owned, small disadvantaged and/or disabled veteran owned concern.



As a reminder, small businesses are required to perform at least 50 percent of the costs of the contract performance with their own personnel (FAR 52.219-14). The EPA reserves the right to set this action aside for small businesses. Responses to the above should be submitted to Michael Kreacic via email at Kreacic.Michael@epa.gov no later than 30 calendar days from date of posting. A separate synopsis will be issued for the Request for Proposal (RFP) resulting from this sources source synopsis.