Highway Infrastructure Engineering and Research Data Services (HIERD)

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a Task Order Proposal Request (TOPR) for "Highway Infrastructure Engineering and Research Data Services (HIERD)" issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Infrastructure Research. It outlines the requirements for Task Order 1 under a larger IDIQ contract.

The scope of work involves four main task areas:

• Task 1: Coordination, Engineering Support, and Quality Control Compliance.

• Task 2: Infrastructure Research Data Verification, QC/QA, and Augmentation.

• Task 3: Infrastructure Research Data Portals: Development, Enhancement, Testing, and Documentation.

• Task 4: Infrastructure Research Data Portals: Operation and Maintenance.

• The period of performance is 60 months, consisting of a 24-month base period and three 12-month option periods.

• The contract type may be FFP/T&M/LH or a combination thereof.

• Other Direct Costs (ODC) are estimated at $400,000 for the base period and $200,000 for each option period.

• Travel costs are estimated at $10,000 for the base period and $10,000 for each option period.

• Proposals must be submitted via email to TAMIKO.AIKENS@dot.gov and cc: HCFA-22SRI@dot.gov by the due date specified on page 1 of the RFP.

• Proposals are valid for 180 calendar days.

• The Technical Proposal is limited to 20 pages (excluding resumes, which are limited to two pages each).

• The Price Proposal has no page limitation.

• Proposals will be evaluated based on Technical Approach and Cost/Price. Past Performance will be evaluated during the ID/IQ phase. Technical Approach and Past Performance will be approximately equal to Cost/Price.

• Evaluation factors for the Technical proposal include:

  • Sound technical approach
  • Clear project management delineation
  • Demonstrated risk understanding and mitigation plan
  • Adequately proposed staff qualifications and experience
  • Demonstrated technical and subject matter expertise
  • In-depth knowledge of relevant FHWA portals and programs
  • Contingency plan for key personnel replacement

• Price proposals will be evaluated for realism, completeness, and reasonableness.

Not specified in this document.

• Marketing materials are not permitted.
• Font size must be no less than 12.
• Offers shall be submitted in a readable format (MS Word, MS Excel, or text-searchable PDF).
• All questions concerning the TOPR must be submitted via email by November 24, 2025, 9:00 AM ET.
• The subject line of all correspondence must include the TOPR number.

Amendment / Modification

Amendment 0001 to the solicitation has been issued, making the following changes:

• The Draft Request for Proposal (RFP) has been removed and replaced with the Final RFP, including revisions.

• Section J.1, Labor Rate Schedule, has been revised.

• Section J.2, Task Order Proposal Request (SOW and Instructions), has been revised.

• Draft RFP replaced with Final RFP (with revisions)

• Section J.1, Labor Rate Schedule

• Section J.2, Task Order Proposal Request (SOW and Instructions)

This amendment revises key sections of the solicitation, including the SOW and instructions for Task Order Proposals, and replaces the draft RFP with a final version. Bidders should review these changes carefully as they may impact proposal preparation and submission.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "ATTACHMENT J.1 SCHEDULE OF RATES 1113.xlsx", provides a schedule of labor rates for various positions. It is intended for offerors to use when preparing their proposals.

• The sheet lists several labor categories, including Program Manager, Senior Civil Engineer, Project Civil Engineer, and others.
• Columns are provided for Year 1 through Year 6, indicating rates applicable over the contract period.
• Specific labor categories require further subdivision by skill level:
  • Senior Civil Engineer: Levels I, II, and III
  • Highway Engineering Data Analyst: Levels I and II
  • Senior Database Engineer: Levels I and II
  • Senior Software Developer: Levels I and II

Offerors must use this schedule to populate their proposed labor rates for the specified positions and skill levels. This information is critical for proposal pricing and will likely be a key component of the evaluation process.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "Labor Category and Rates table," provides detailed descriptions of various labor categories and their associated requirements. It is intended to inform bidders about the personnel qualifications and roles expected for the opportunity.

• Key Personnel Identification: Specifies that the Project Manager (PM), Senior Civil Engineer, and Senior Database Engineer must be identified as Key Personnel.
• Labor Categories: Details 12 distinct labor categories, including:
  • Project Manager (PM)
  • Senior Civil Engineer
  • Project Civil Engineer
  • Staff Civil Engineer
  • Highway Engineering Data Analyst
  • Subject Matter Expert (SME)
  • Senior Database Engineer
  • Database Engineer
  • Senior Software Developer
  • Software Developer
  • Media Specialist/Editor
  • Project Support Staff
• Qualifications: For each labor category, the document outlines required education (degrees, certifications), years of relevant experience, and specific technical skills or knowledge areas.
• Rate Table Inclusion: Notes that the rate table should include loaded hourly rates for all 5 years of the contract.

This attachment is crucial for bidders to understand the personnel expertise required for the contract. Bidders must ensure their proposed team members meet or exceed these qualifications for each labor category, especially for the identified Key Personnel. This information will directly impact staffing plans and proposal development, particularly in demonstrating the capability to meet the technical and management requirements of the opportunity.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This Task Order aims to provide specialized structural and highway pavement engineering services for data Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA), management, visualization, augmentation, and public access of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) highway infrastructure research data. This data is displayed on FHWA InfoHighway data portals.

The scope encompasses services related to several key FHWA data programs and portals:

• LTPP Program: Pavement engineering data accessible via LTPP InfoPave.
• LTBP Program: Bridge engineering data accessible via LTBP InfoBridge.
• PTF Program: Pavement Testing Facility data accessible via FHWA InfoPTF.
• Other FHWA Research: Highway infrastructure research and materials testing data, and technical knowledge.

Key activities include:

• Data QC/QA, verification, and augmentation.

• Data management, including upgrading and enhancing information management systems.

• Enhancing and testing FHWA InfoHighway data portals (LTPP InfoPave, LTBP InfoBridge, FHWA InfoMaterials, FHWA InfoPTF, FHWA InfoTechnology).

• Developing visualization techniques and intuitive analytics tools.

• Providing ongoing portal operation, maintenance, security, and support.

• The Contractor must adhere to quality control standards, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with prescribed procedures.

• Deliverables must be submitted for FHWA review and approval within specified timelines.

• Progress will be monitored through Quarterly Progress Reports (QPRs) and periodic progress meetings.

• Period of Performance: 60 months from the effective date, comprising one 24-month base period and three 12-month option periods.

• Place of Performance: Both Contractor facilities and the FHWA Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia.

• Quality Control Plan (QCP): Must be prepared and followed, including peer reviews and a process for addressing FHWA comments.

• Coordination: Requires collaboration with FHWA staff and other FHWA contractors.

• Documentation: Comprehensive documentation is required for all tasks, including technical specifications, user guides, and operational procedures.

• Security: Contractor personnel require a Government PIV card for on-site work and must comply with IT rules and regulations, including FISMA and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

• Data Rights: The Government holds unlimited rights to all materials produced under this task order.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding Solicitation RFP 693JJ326R000001.

• Labor Rates: The RFP's statement on Page 2, Section B.2 regarding fully-burdened hourly rates is correct. Attachment J.1, which allows for separate rates for prime and subcontractors, has been revised and requires submission of fully-burdened and blended hourly rates for each labor category.
• Year 6 Pricing: The year 6 tab in Attachment J.1 is for the potential 6-year option and has been revised to include this column.
• Labor Category Qualifications: Labor category descriptions and qualifications have been added as Attachment J.3.
• Submission Page Limits: The RFP specifies maximum page limits for each volume but does not set a minimum requirement.
• Due Date: The due date for the RFP will be revised to be 30 days from the issuance of the Final RFP.
• Part II Instructions: Detailed instructions for Part II (ID/IQ Resources and Management Approach) have been provided.
• TOPR Proposal Submission: The TOPR proposal should be submitted as a separate document, not included within the ID/IQ proposal.
• Schedule of Services: The Schedule of Services in Section 7 is a CLIN-based template for capturing line-item pricing (Labor per task, ODC, Travel).
• Staffing Information: Offerors are instructed NOT to include personnel names in the Level of Effort Table. However, evaluation factors mention demonstrated technical and subject matter expertise of proposed staff. Clarification is provided that these evaluation factors should be addressed within the technical proposal.
• Off-shore Personnel: The use of "off-shore" personnel is not permitted. Refer to TAR 1252.237-70 QUALIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES.
• Level of Effort Table Hours: The hours in the Level of Effort table represent the anticipated level of effort for the 24-month base period, not the full task order performance period.
• Key Personnel: Only one Program Manager is required, who may perform duties both onsite and offsite.

Several attachments and sections have been revised or clarified, including Attachment J.1, Attachment J.3, and instructions for Part II. The due date has also been extended. Offerors should review these updates carefully when preparing their proposals.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for a competitive small business set-aside for "Highway Infrastructure Engineering and Research Data Services (HIERD) Contract." The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is seeking non-personal services to provide specialized engineering services, data management, data analytics, and web application development. The goal is to support the FHWA's Long-Term Infrastructure Performance (LTIP) programs by collecting, managing, analyzing, and disseminating critical data related to highway infrastructure performance.

• Provide specialized engineering services in pavement, bridge, and highway infrastructure.

• Perform data management, data analytics (including machine learning and AI), and web application development.

• Conduct data quality control and assurance for collected data.

• Manage the entire lifecycle of data, from intake to archiving.

• Develop data visualization techniques for understanding infrastructure research data.

• Augment FHWA InfoHighway web portals with new validated research data.

• Provide technical support for various FHWA data portals.

• Ensure all Information and Communication Technology (ICT) deliverables meet Section 508 standards.

• Contract Type: Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) utilizing Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) or Time-and-Materials/Labor Hour (TM/LH) or a combination.

• Minimum Guarantee: $50,000 awarded across all Task Orders (TOs).

• Maximum Ceiling: $8,000,000 for all TOs.

• Period of Performance: 60 months from the date of award.

• Proposals are due by December 22, 2025, 12:00 PM EST.

• Evaluation will be based on Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Price/Cost.

• Technical Capability is more important than Past Performance; combined, they are significantly more important than Cost/Price.

• Proposals will be evaluated in two phases: Technical Capability, followed by Price and Past Performance.

• The Government reserves the right to award without discussions.

• This procurement is a competitive Small Business Set-Aside.

• Key attachments include Labor Rate Schedule (J.1), Task Order Proposal Request 1 (J.2), and Labor Category Descriptions (J.3).

• Offerors must adhere to specific proposal format and submission instructions, including page limits and electronic submission requirements.