TRAC BRIDGE CHALLENGE - AASHTO TRAC Modules

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) issued Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) 210000000009 on January 7, 2021, seeking a single provider for TRAC (Transportation and Civil Engineering) educational modules developed and copyrighted by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The procurement encompasses nine distinct educational modules—Bridge Builder, Design & Construction, Environmental, Maglev, Motion, Highway Safety, Traffic Technology, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV), and RIDES—designed to introduce students to civil engineering and transportation careers in alignment with Michigan Education Standards. Each module includes specific components such as manuals, software, hardware, materials, and supplies, with quantities ranging from individual items to bulk supplies. The deliverables must be shipped within 30 calendar days of order placement to the MDOT facility in Escanaba, Michigan. The resulting contract will have an initial four-year term with two optional one-year renewal periods. Critical deadlines include January 11, 2021, at 12:00 PM EST for submission of questions and January 14, 2021, at 2:00 PM EST for responses indicating alternative sources. All questions and responses must be submitted in writing through the Michigan SIGMA VSS website, with answers posted publicly for transparency.

The ITN identifies AASHTO as the intended source, reflecting MDOT's determination that no viable alternative exists for these copyrighted educational materials, which suggests a single-source procurement justification based on proprietary rights. No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, small businesses, or other restricted vendor categories are mentioned in the solicitation document. The procurement does not identify incumbent contractors or current vendors in the available documentation. No specific award values or budget ranges are provided in the ITN, and funding sources are not specified. The commodity code reference is 78544 (Displays, Educational: Kits, Models, Plaques, etc.), and the solicitation does not detail any existing infrastructure or technology integration requirements beyond the delivery of the AASHTO modules themselves.