Research Initiatives in Support of FHWA Next Generation Structural Materials and Systems

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) solicits research and development initiatives to support the FHWA Bridge Engineering Research Team's efforts in developing next-generation structural materials and systems. The BAA aims to quickly and efficiently execute research to deliver practical solutions for high-priority problems related to maintaining or improving the safety, integrity, durability, and resilience of the Nation's bridges and highway structures. Research topics include Structural Steel, Structural Concrete, Geotechnical Structures, and Bridge Hydraulics. A new strategic plan is expected in February 2026.

• The BAA utilizes a two-phase process: submission and evaluation of project white papers, followed by formal project proposals.

• White papers should provide a concise overview of the research effort, including the current state of development, development plan, and rough order magnitude cost and schedule data.

• Formal proposals build upon white papers and require detailed information in two volumes: Technical Proposal and Cost and Pricing Proposal.

• Deliverables include technical reports, publication-ready materials, data, source code, and documentation.

• All Information and Communication Technology (ICT) deliverables must meet Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements.

• The BAA is open for 5 years.

• Awards are anticipated to range between $50,000 and $250,000, though awards may be of any dollar value.

• Contract types may include Firm Fixed Price, Cost Reimbursement, or Time and Materials.

• Cost sharing is not mandatory.

• White papers and proposals are solicited and accepted during individual calls, which will specify topic areas, evaluation criteria, and submission deadlines.

• All submissions must be made electronically.

• Evaluation is a two-phase process: Phase 1 (White Paper Evaluation) assesses technical merit and categorizes papers. Phase 2 (Proposal Evaluation) assesses technical merit, importance to agency programs, and funding availability.

• Key evaluation factors include technical merit, impact, dissemination plan, team qualifications, cost/schedule reasonableness, and availability of funds.

• This is an unrestricted BAA. Any responsible source may submit a proposal, including State/local governments, universities, non-profits, private individuals, and corporations.

• All Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).

• Small Business Subcontracting Plans are required for proposals exceeding $900,000 from other than small businesses.

• The BAA is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to pay proposal costs.

• The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, one, or none of the proposals.

• Offerors must describe any limitations on intellectual property.

• Section 889 compliance is required for all contracts.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Infrastructure Research and Development (HRDI) Bridge Engineering Research Team solicits white papers and proposals for research initiatives in support of FHWA's Next Generation Structural Materials and Systems. The BAA aims to quickly and efficiently execute research and development to deliver practical solutions to high-priority problems, utilizing a 5-year open BAA strategy.

• Research topics will align with FHWA's strategic goals: Safety, Economic Strength and Global Competitiveness, Equity, Climate and Sustainability, Transformation, and Organizational Excellence.

• Focus areas include Structural Steel, Structural Concrete, Geotechnical Structures, and Bridge Hydraulics.

• Projects should develop next-generation technologies and solutions.

• The BAA is designed for technology development in Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3 through 8, though other levels may be considered.

• Deliverables must be compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and accessible to persons with disabilities.

• The BAA is a 5-year open BAA.

• Awards are subject to the availability of funds.

• Anticipated individual award values range between $50,000 and $250,000.

• The Government reserves the right to award contracts, assistance agreements, or other instruments.

• A two-step process: Phase 1 involves submission and evaluation of project white papers. Phase 2 involves submission and evaluation of full proposals.

• White papers are used to gauge applicability and Government interest. Full proposals are only accepted from Offerors who submit white papers.

• Evaluation is based on technical merit, importance to agency programs, and funding availability. Cost realism and reasonableness will also be considered.

• Proposal due dates will be specified in an advisory email after white paper evaluations.

• This is an unrestricted BAA. Responsible sources include State/local governments, universities, non-profits, private individuals, corporations, and commercial organizations.

• All Offerors must be registered in the Federal Government's System for Award Management (SAM).

• The BAA does not commit the Government to pay proposal preparation costs.

• Offerors must describe any limitations on intellectual property.

• Section 889 compliance regarding telecommunications and video surveillance services/equipment is required.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document provides a template for bidders to submit their cost and pricing proposals, specifically detailing a Cost Proposal Model and a Time-and-Materials Price Model. It is intended to guide offerors in structuring their financial submissions for BAA No. 693JJ3-24-BAA-0003.

Cost Proposal Model:

• Sections for Offeror Name, Address, and Project Description.
• Detailed breakdown of cost elements including Personnel (by category), Fringe Benefits, Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Contractual/Consultants, and Other direct costs.
• Includes fields for estimated hours, rates, estimated costs, and total costs for each category.
• Separate sections for Indirect Charges (Facilities & Administrative - F&A) with rate and basis.
• Totals for direct charges, indirect charges, and overall totals.

Time-and-Materials Price Model:

• Sections for Proposal Title and Period of Performance.
• Direct Labor Cost Estimate, detailing Labor Categories, Hours, Rate, Extended Cost, and allocation by Task.
• Other Direct Cost (ODC) Estimate, including Travel (Airfare, Per Diem) and Materials, allocated by Task.
• Miscellaneous Costs such as Telephone, Reproduction, Delivery, Computer, Facilities, and Other, allocated by Task.
• Summary of Total Labor Cost, Total ODCs, and overall SUMMARY TOTAL.

Bidders must use these templates to format their cost and pricing proposals. The structure provided dictates how costs should be itemized and presented, including labor categories, hours, rates, travel, equipment, supplies, and indirect costs. Accurate completion and submission of these models are crucial for proposal evaluation under BAA No. 693JJ3-24-BAA-0003.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, titled "FHWA InfoMaterials™ Dataset Management," is a TechBrief that provides guidance on data and metadata management for research data collected or generated by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It was originally developed for the FHWA Office of Infrastructure Research and Development (R&D) at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) for the InfoMaterials Web portal, but its guidelines can be applied to all FHWA programs and studies.

• Data Types: Discusses three main types of data: structured, unstructured, and semistructured, with examples and characteristics of each.
• Metadata: Explains the importance of metadata (data about data) at both the project and data levels, including project-level metadata (project/program, protocols/standards, computation, references) and data-level metadata (data dictionary).
• Formats: Provides guidance on selecting appropriate file formats based on the nature of the data.
• Organization: Offers best practices for organizing data, including folder structure and naming conventions.
• Examples: Illustrates data organization and metadata development using Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel.

This document is relevant to bidders as it outlines the standards and practices the FHWA uses for managing research data. Understanding these practices can help potential bidders align their data management approaches with FHWA's requirements, particularly if the opportunity involves data collection, analysis, or management. It highlights the importance of structured data, comprehensive metadata, and organized file management, which are crucial for ensuring data integrity, accessibility, and usability.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document provides instructions and a template for creating a "Quad Chart." The Quad Chart is a one-page, landscape-oriented document used by government agencies to provide a synopsis of a project's objectives, progress, and graphical representation. It is intended for use in briefings to help Task Monitors explain work to others, emphasizing brevity and factual statements rather than technical engineering details.

The Quad Chart is divided into four quadrants:

• Quadrant 1 (Upper Left): Visually appealing graphics or pictures representing the key technological idea(s) or expected impact. Limited to a maximum of five images, with copyright attribution required.
• Quadrant 2 (Upper Right): Brief project description presented in a bulleted list format (max five bullets).
• Quadrant 3 (Lower Left): Three to five quantitative statements discussing how the project work will revolutionize an area, addressing current systems, limitations, and expected improvements in areas like performance, durability, safety, efficiency, sustainability, and resiliency. Presented in a bulleted list format.
• Quadrant 4 (Lower Right): Three to five significant project milestones and associated approximate or projected costs, presented on a three-year horizontal timeline or in a bulleted list format.

The Quad Chart also includes a project title, the FHWA Task Monitor's name, and the project partner's name.

Specific font types (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial) and sizes are mandated for uniformity: 30-36 for the title, and 14-16 for text in quadrants two, three, and four.

Bidders must submit Quad Charts in Microsoft PowerPoint template format only. The Quad Charts are limited to one page and a file size of 500,000 bytes (0.5 MB). This document guides bidders on how to prepare and format their project summaries for submission, ensuring compliance with specific presentation and technical requirements.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "Appendix C: FHWA SUBCONTRACTING PLAN," is a template and set of instructions for bidders to outline their subcontracting goals and plans. It is a required attachment for proposals where subcontracting opportunities exist.

• Instructions: Details how to complete and submit the subcontracting plan, including the rationale for determining no subcontracting opportunities.
• Subcontracting Goals - Base Year: A table requiring the bidder to insert amounts and percentages for:
  • Total prime contract amount
  • Total planned subcontracted amount
  • Subcontracts to "other than small business" concerns
  • Subcontracts to Small Business concerns
  • Subcontracts to specific small business categories: Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB).
• Rationale for Lower Goals: Sections to provide justification if subcontracting goals are below established thresholds (e.g., <5% for VOSB, <3% for HUBZone).
• Planned Subcontracted Supplies/Services: A table to list the type of supply/service, company name, subcontracted amount, and subcontractor size standard.
• Methods for Developing Goals and Identifying Sources: Sections to describe the processes used to set goals and find potential subcontractors.
• Indirect Costs: Information on whether indirect costs were included in goal calculations.
• Subcontracting Program Administrator: Details for the individual responsible for administering the subcontracting program.
• Efforts for Equitable Opportunity: Description of actions to ensure fair competition for subcontractors.
• Record Maintenance: Requirements for maintaining records related to subcontracting compliance.
• FAR Clause Compliance: Agreement to include FAR Clause 52.219-8 and compliance with FAR Clause 52.219-9 for applicable subcontracts.
• Reporting Requirements: Agreement to cooperate with surveys, submit periodic reports, and use the Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (eSRS).
• Submission Details: Fields for the submitting company's POC, title, email, DUNS/CAGE, and mailing address.

Bidders must complete this form accurately to demonstrate their commitment to utilizing small businesses and other targeted categories for subcontracting. Failure to provide a comprehensive plan may impact proposal evaluation. The specific goals and the methods used to identify subcontractors are critical components of the proposal.