(NSTI) National Summer Trnsportation Institute Program

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is seeking proposals from accredited colleges and universities to host the 2015 National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) program. The NSTI is a pre-engineering program designed to introduce middle and high school students, particularly minority, female, and disadvantaged youth, to transportation-related careers and encourage transportation-related coursework at the college/university level. The program can be either residential or non-residential, with a minimum of 15 participants and a duration of two to four weeks. The requested FHWA budget cannot exceed $50,000 for a residential program or $35,000 for a non-residential program. The successful bidder will be responsible for developing the program, executing and implementing all aspects, preparing a final report, and budgeting and expenditure. Proposals are due by 3:00 PM EST on Friday, February 6, 2015, with an opportunity for written questions due by January 28, 2015. The contract will be awarded for one year with a one-year renewal option.

The contract opportunity has a 10.1% disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) participation requirement. Additionally, the FHWA has capped personnel and fringe benefits at 45% and indirect costs at 15% of the total requested funding amount. There is no cost-sharing requirement, but the host site must follow MassDOT's reimbursement procedures, and FHWA may request to review invoices at any time. The Commonwealth will evaluate the proposals based on the best value to MassDOT and the Commonwealth, with cost as one of several factors considered.