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Action Code: Sources Sought

Classification Code: AS11, Transportation R&D Services; Surface transportation, public transit, and rail; Basic Research

Solicitation: 693JJ923RQ000166

Agency/Office: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Location: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration HQ

NAICS Code: 541720, Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities, $24.5M.

Point of Contract: Vincent Lynch, Contracting Officer, ph(202) 366-9568

Title: Demonstration to Address Special Needs and Student Behavior on School Buses

Description(s):

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is issuing this Sources Sought Notice to identify potential qualified Small Business (SB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), 8(a) Certified SDB, HUBZone SB, SDVOSB, or WOSB concerns that may be interested in and capable of performing the work described herein to provide research about develop a program strategy and institutionalize a process for identifying and implementing effective strategies to address student behavior (misbehavior and standees) that cause risk to the safe transportation of children to and from school.

NHTSA welcomes all qualified Small Business concerns, with the appropriate NAICS Code and past experience to submit their Corporate Capability Statements that demonstrate their ability to successfully accomplish the goals of the project as listed in the attached draft SOW. NHTSA does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses to this notice or otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. Acknowledgement of receipt of responses will not be made; no formal evaluation of the information received will be conducted by NHTSA. NHTSA may; however later on issue a Request for Proposals (RFP). However, should such a requirement fail to materialize, no basis for claims against NHTSA shall arise as a result of a response to this notice.

Background:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce traffic-related health care and other economic costs. The agency develops, promotes, and implements effective educational, engineering, and enforcement programs with the goal of ending vehicle crash tragedies and reducing economic costs associated with vehicle use and highway travel. NHTSA conducts extensive research, development, testing, crash investigation, data collection, and analysis activities to provide the scientific basis needed to support the Agency’s motor vehicle and traffic safety goals. In addition to supporting internal NHTSA efforts, NHTSA-sponsored research provides high-quality publicly-accessible data that serves as the basis for countless other research endeavors.

Every school day, there are typically around 480,000 school buses in the country transporting 26 million children to school. NHTSA considers school buses one of the safest forms of transportation in the United States. The fatality rate for school buses is 0.2 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) compared to a much higher 0.91 fatalities per 100 million VMT for cars.

The best way to provide crash protection to passengers of large school buses is through “compartmentalization.” This requires that the interior of large buses protect children without them needing to buckle up. Through compartmentalization, children are protected from crashes by strong, closely-spaced seats that have energy-absorbing seat backs. But compartmentalization only works if the student is sitting properly and facing forward. This is why it is crucial to develop a National Strategy and relevant program to address behavior and standees on school buses.

Objective:

The purpose of this project is to conduct a demonstration project, develop a program strategy and institutionalize a process for identifying and implementing effective strategies to address student behavior (misbehavior and standees) that cause risk to the safe transportation of children to and from school including higher risk populations such as children with special needs. This strategy will include the development of educational materials and resources focused on pupil transportation safety for high-risk populations.

Materials will be developed using available data from NHTSA and other credible sources, current information, and subject matter expertise. The Contractor would then use its vast network of school educators and administrators to disseminate the materials to directors of transportation, school bus drivers, schools, teachers and, the public across the United States.

Capabilities:

The corporate capability statement must address the capabilities necessary to accomplish the scope outlined above as well as the additional tasks and characteristics given in the attached draft SOW.

Format of Corporate Capabilities Statement:

Any interested qualified Small Business firms, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), 8(a) Certified SDB, HUBZone SB, SDVOSB, or WOSB concerns should submit their Corporate Capability Statement, which demonstrates the firm’s ability and past experience in no more than 10 pages to perform the key requirements described above to the identified NHTSA point of contact listed herein.

Any proprietary information should be marked as such. All respondents are asked to certify the type and size of their business organization is in-line with the requirements of this Sources Sought Notice, and must be received no later than the closing date for responses to this notice.

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