RFP 24RD006 Characterization of Brake Wear Emissions from Off-Road Vehicles

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is seeking competitive proposals for a research project to characterize brake wear particulate matter (PM) and gaseous emissions from off-road vehicles through RFP No. 24RD006. The contractor will develop comprehensive brake-duty cycles for representative off-road vehicles in California, including bulldozers, graders, loaders, dump trucks, harvesters, and agricultural tractors. Key project requirements include real-time monitoring of PM2.5 and PM10 mass, total hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and other pollutant compounds during testing cycles, as well as collecting PM filter samples for chemical speciation and oxidative stress analyses and gaseous samples for volatile organic compounds (VOC) and polycyclic aromatic compound (PAH) analyses. The proposal evaluation will be based on technical criteria (70 points maximum) and cost (30 points maximum), with a minimum score of 81 points required for award eligibility. Critical project dates include a written questions deadline of February 6, 2025, proposal submissions due March 10, 2025 at 5:00 p.m., proposal evaluation from March 11-April 2, 2025, and an anticipated contract start date of April 30, 2025. Proposing contractors must demonstrate prior experience in characterizing non-exhaust emissions, conducting sampling campaigns, and having published research findings in peer-reviewed journals.

The contract includes a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) incentive program with potential incentives ranging from 1% to 5% based on DVBE participation levels, though there is no minimum participation requirement. The total budget for this contract is $500,000, and any proposals exceeding this amount will be deemed non-responsive and ineligible for award. The project has a planned contract term of thirty months with a possible time-only extension of up to twelve months. Proposing organizations should be prepared to provide comprehensive deliverables including fleet representative brake-duty cycles for off-road vehicles, real-time measurement results for both particulate and gaseous emissions, emission factor and chemical analysis results, and a comprehensive report compiling all measurement and analysis findings. The research outcomes are intended to inform off-road emission inventory, air quality planning, and off-road emission reduction programs in California. Successful contractors will need sophisticated technical capabilities in emissions testing, chemical analysis, and environmental research methodologies.