Notice of Intent to Sole Source FOIL propulsion system

Pursuant to the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.106-1(b), soliciting from a single source, The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) intends to negotiate and award a sole source purchase order to Messring for the procurement of Messring Propulsion System Control Computer and Remote Braking System. This equipment is required for use at the Federal Outdoor Impact Laboratory (FOIL) located at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC).

This requirement replaces critical components within the existing Messring propulsion system currently installed at the FOIL facility. The FOIL system's camera control console and remote vehicle braking system components have reached their end-of-life cycle and are now considered obsolete due to recent network security protocol upgrades implemented at TFHRC rendered current systems incompatible with the updated network infrastructure.

The FOIL test system is a highly customized setup built around proprietary Messring hardware and software. The Messring Propulsion System Control Computer and Remote Braking System are essential components that must integrate seamlessly and reliably with the existing system infrastructure and other Messring components currently in place. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals.

However, in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(i), interested parties who believe they can satisfy the requirement described herein, including providing a system that can seamlessly integrate with the existing proprietary FOIL infrastructure, may submit a written description of their firm's capabilities.

Responses must clearly demonstrate the firm's ability to meet all aspects of the requirement, specifically addressing the challenge of integrating with the existing proprietary Messring-based FOIL system without disrupting current operations or requiring substantial system overhauls. Information received from interested parties will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether a competitive procurement should be conducted in the future. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed acquisition based on the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Submission Deadline: Responses must be received no later than May 29th, 2025 at 12:00 AM Eastern Time.

Contact Information: All questions concerning this notice and any capability statements must be submitted via email to:

Jerrett Solven Email: Jerrett.solven@dot.gov