Automated Driving Systems -- Fish and Wildlife Service

Request for Information (RFI)

This RFI is issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to conduct market research on driving automation systems (DAS) for potential implementation on FWS National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs). The goal is to explore the suitability of these systems in remote locations with varied road surfaces, wildlife, and topographies to aid in their integration and development on public lands. The U.S. DOT John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center is conducting this research.

Respondents are requested to provide a Statement of Capabilities addressing:

• Potential research and development questions of interest for pilot deployment.
• Description of their driving automation systems, including suitability for remote, rural environments with challenging conditions (e.g., poor GPS/cellular coverage).
• Contextual information on applicability in FWS environments, including required support infrastructure, coordination needs, potential environmental limitations, and deployment capacity.
• Potential deployment costs, earliest start dates, and minimum deployment lengths.
• Overview of past and current deployments in similar environments.
• Insights into data collection plans, including what data to collect, analysis methods, and data sharing considerations.
• Assurance of legal compliance, insurance, and safe operation.
• Potential longer-term use cases (e.g., visitor transport, conservation efforts).
• Any additional benefits and challenges identified.

This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and is not a solicitation. It does not commit the U.S. Government to solicit for or award a contract, nor will it pay for any information provided.

• Responses are due by February 13, 2026, at 4:00 pm Eastern Time.
• Submissions must be via email to Andrew.Josephs@dot.gov in Adobe PDF format.
• The response (Statement of Capabilities) should be no more than 10 pages.
• Responses will be used to determine the method of acquisition and potential issuance of a Request for Proposal.

Interested vendors must indicate their socio-economic small business size status (Total Small Business, 8(a), HUBZone, service-disabled veteran-owned, small disadvantaged, or woman-owned).

• The research aims to ensure driving automation systems do not threaten fauna and promote safer public interaction.
• Pilot projects are expected to be short-term, non-public facing, and without passengers.
• Information provided is subject to change and must be disclosable to the public, or a disclosable summary must be provided.

Request for Information (RFI)

This RFI is issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to conduct market research on driving automation systems (ADS and ADAS) for potential research and pilot projects on FWS National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs). The goal is to explore the suitability of these systems in remote environments with varied road surfaces, topographies, and wildlife.

• Investigating Automated Driving Systems (ADS) and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

• Assessing system performance in remote locations distinct from typical urban/suburban training environments.

• Evaluating impacts on wildlife, fauna, and natural resources.

• Analyzing performance across different ecosystems, topographies, road compositions, and weather conditions.

• Developing recommendations for strategies, policy, and mitigation for public land deployments.

• Exploring potential integration with wildlife conservation efforts and visitor services.

• Potential R&D questions for pilot deployments.

• Description of ADS/ADAS capabilities, vehicle suitability for remote environments (including poor GPS/cellular coverage).

• Required support infrastructure and FWS coordination needs.

• Potential environmental limitations (terrain, weather, coverage).

• Current deployment capacity and potential deployment costs (by vehicle type, duration, etc.).

• Earliest start dates and minimum deployment lengths for 2026.

• Overview of past deployments in similar environments.

• Insights for data collection plans (what to include/exclude, raw vs. processed data).

• Assurance of legal, insured, and safe operation in pilot environments.

• Potential longer-term use cases (e.g., visitor transport, maintenance, conservation).

• Additional benefits and challenges identified by the offeror.

• Submit a written Statement of Capabilities (max 10 pages).

• Demonstrate technical capabilities, knowledge, and expertise.

• Include socio-economic small business status.

• Respond via email to Andrew.Josephs@dot.gov by February 13, 2026, 4:00 pm ET.

• Attachments must be in Adobe PDF format.

• This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and is NOT a solicitation for proposals or bids.

• The U.S. Government will not pay for any effort or materials expended in responding to this RFI.

• Submissions must be disclosable to the public, or a disclosable summary statement must be provided.