Office Safety Investigations Support

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT (NOI) TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT AND IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) intends to award a sole‑source, firm‑fixed‑price contract to Sharma and Associates, Inc. to provide engineering simulations and analytical support for railroad incident and derailment investigations. FRA’s authority for this work is established under 49 USC §20108(a) and 49 CFR §§1.88(b) and 1.89(f).

The FRA Office of Safety (OSS) frequently faces urgent, short‑notice requests for technical reviews and analyses—often following accidents, derailments, or preparation for congressional testimony. Many of these tasks require simulations using the Train Energy and Dynamics Simulator (TEDS), which FRA R&D has used to support OSS requests since 2013, averaging 3–5 simulation studies per year.

The current contractor has performed 11 derailment simulations between January 2024 and December 2025 and recently received another request. FRA R&D seeks to continue this support for an additional three years. The work requires deep familiarity with TEDS, industry knowledge, and an independent investigative approach.

This action continues to work similar to prior IDIQ 693JJ618D000006 and Task Order 693JJ620F000101, though each incident requires unique analysis. The Office of Safety strongly recommends continuing with Sharma due to their experience and long‑standing performance.

AUTHORITY

This sole source action is conducted under the authority of FAR 6.302‑1, implemented by 41 U.S.C. § 3304(a)(1), Only One Responsible Source.” No solicitation or request for quote is available.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance shall be for a total of three (3) years from the date of award.

RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

This Notice of Intent is not a request for competitive proposals; however, interested parties may submit a capability statement that clearly demonstrates the ability to perform the Office Safety Investigations Support without disruption, duplication of cost, or loss of program continuity. Capability statements must be received no later than 15 calendar days from the date of posting, by 2:00 PM Eastern Time. Oral communication will not be accepted.

POINT OF CONTACT (POC)

Akwasi Kankam

Contract Specialist, Federal Railroad Administration

Email: akwasi.kankam@dot.gov

DISCLAIMER

This Notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for information provided in response. No solicitation document exists.