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FR23RAD10000000011 NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SINGLE SOURCE CONTRACT

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) intends to award a Single Source Firm Fixed Price contract to Intek Freight & Logistics for Intermodal Spot Rate Data Subscription to support research and development for intermodal pricing data from origin to destination that includes a Class I railroad movement. Intek does business with Class I railroads who normally do not publicly release spot rate and pricing data. Intek data is unique in that: it is wide ranging, contains a regionally diverse range of transit lanes, is extremely granular, it maintains the privacy of the railroads involved and it also is updated live & on a weekly basis – which is essential to our purposes for seeking out and analyzing this data, to get a real time pulse on supply chain on-goings.

Door-to-door spot rate data for intermodal transportation by rail. The ongoing supply chain crisis and disruptions in the US goods movement chain has shown weaknesses in the US freight transportation system. International demand shocks have caused a surge in intermodal container traffic at US ports and thus are clogging up US freight supply lines. The FRA requires intermodal spot rate data to analyze shifts in pricing and demand as intermodal goods move throughout the rail system. This information needs to be updated weekly, be disaggregated and cover a diverse geographic region.

The proposed contract action, for which the Government intends to solicit to a Single Source, is under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b), Soliciting from a single source. (1) For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold. (i) Contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available.

The NAICS code for this procurement is 36305 – Subscriptions and Sales – Internet databases.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals; however, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement. Interested parties with the capability of meeting the proposed requirements are requested to provide an email to the FRA point of contact, Akwasi Kankam at akwasi.kankam@dot.gov no later than 1:00 p.m. ET, Friday, August 18, 2023, expressing interest and outlining their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.

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