ITS4US Deployment Accelerator Pilot Technical Assistance

Pursuant to FAR Subsection 13.106-1(b), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) intends to negotiate a single source purchase order with the Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency, Unique Entity ID: EY6CSJBGGM25 for ITS4US Deployment Accelerator Pilot Technical Assistance.

The ITS JPO delivers large-scale ITS deployment programs (e.g., ITS4US, V2X Accelerator, and Connected Vehicle Pilots) addressing key transportation challenges and enhancing safety, efficiency, and mobility. These programs develop, test, and deploy mature and emerging transportation technologies to operate at full-scale in real-world settings. These successful deployments also serve as replicable models that others can use to solve similar transportation challenges in their own localities more rapidly, and at lower cost and risk.

ITS JPO historically focused efforts to encourage replication of deployment successes on public outreach and publishing documentation, data, and code developed by the projects. Now, ITS JPO is looking to more proactively encourage replication and deployment through activities such as the Cohorts program which established a collaborative environment for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) deployers. However, engaging with various localities in different stages of the project/deployment life-cycle constrains the ability to expedite follow-on deployment.

Aligned with the DOT’s priority of advancing innovation, the ITS4US Deployment Accelerator Pilot program aims to demonstrate the replicability of successful ITS4US deployment components, accelerated by knowledge and technology transfer. One such successful deployment is the ITS4US Health Connector, developed and deployed by HIRTA in rural Iowa. The Health Connector addresses the needs and challenges faced by various populations in accessing healthcare services. The Health Connector integrates healthcare appointment scheduling and transportation to ensure enhanced access to healthcare options for all Americans.

This initiative aims to significantly accelerate multiple, successful follow-on deployments of the Health Connector components, utilizing the successful path charted by HIRTA. The technical assistance provider will coach each selected deployer (up to five) in developing a Proof-of-Concept for systematically replicating Health Connector technology deployment across multiple locations. By creating a structured mechanism for knowledge transfer and deployment acceleration, this project aims to maximize the USDOT’s return on investment from successful innovations. This project will remove inefficiencies resulting from jurisdictions pursuing independent development.

There is only one developer and deployer of the Health Connector system, which is the Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA). The HIRTA team is the only organization with the technical knowledge and ITS4US experience to provide this in-depth technical assistance on this timeline due to their role as the original developers and ITS4US Phase 2/3 deployment team. There are a number of entities capable of providing technical assistance to a deployer cohort, but none of them have direct experience of developing the Health Connector application, working with a medical facility and systems integrator, and engaging with stakeholders associated with the target population. The HIRTA Team's role as the original developer of the ITS4US Health Connector and deployer under the ITS4US program gives them irreplaceable ITS4US Program experience and technical expertise in the Health Connector's technical requirements, deployment challenges, medical facility integration processes, and rural healthcare transportation workflows that cannot be replicated by any other technical assistance providers within the required timeframe. The HIRTA Team’s technical experience and knowledge of the Health Connector's system architecture, API integrations, healthcare appointment scheduling protocols, and the specific stakeholder coordination strategies are essential for them to be the technical assistance team providing support for the accelerator sites and ensuring successful replication of the HIRTA Health Connector system.

With regard to demonstrations, HIRTA has provided demonstrations of the Health Connector technology in dozens of venues reaching over 200 participants (e.g., ITS World Congress, Transportation Research Board, and USDOT Operational Showcase). In this respect, HIRTA has unique experience in convening public agency representatives to identify and address their stakeholder needs for this unique mobility application. Only HIRTA can provide the peer insights that are essential for the selected deployers in building their own Health Connector app faster, better, and cheaper, delivering a high return on investment to the USDOT.

The intent of this notice is not to request competitive quotes or proposals, and any information received from interested parties will only be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether competitive procurement should be conducted. Questions will not be answered at this time. However, interested parties may submit a description of their firm's capabilities to satisfy this requirement, which demonstrates they possess the ability to successfully perform this effort. The responses must be received by August 12, 2026, at 11:00 AM Eastern Time. All questions concerning this matter should be addressed directly to Jason Motala at jason.motala@dot.gov.