# LIMITED SOURCES JUSTIFICATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT TO to SHARMA & ASSOCIATES INC. Canonical: https://abierto.us/opportunities/fr24rdi20000000113 - Solicitation number: FR24RDI20000000113 - Notice type: Justification (first published as special notice) - Status: Awarded to Sharma & Associates Inc. - Department: Department of Transportation - Agency: Federal Railroad Administration - Contracting office: 693JJ6 Federal Railroad Admin (693JJ6) - NAICS: 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) - Product or service code: AS32 Transportation R&D Services; Water Transportation; Applied Research - Set-aside: Total small business set-aside - Place of performance: Pueblo, Colorado - County: Pueblo County (FIPS 08101). https://abierto.us/counties/pueblo-county-co-08101 - City: Pueblo. https://abierto.us/cities/pueblo-co-0862000 - First posted: June 27, 2024 - Last posted: August 16, 2024 - SAM.gov: https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/73c075acc6e5449a9426dc1649044e58/view ## Description LIMITED SOURCES JUSTIFICATION FR24RDI20000000113 Estimated Total Value $742,675.00J7A Tracking number#JA-24-0004 1. Contracting Agency: United States Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Office of Acquisition and Grants Services, 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington, DC 20590. 2. Action to be Approved: The FRA intends to award a contract on a sole source basis to Sharma & Associates, Inc., to conduct follow-on research for Very Long Train (VLT) Collaboration Study to evaluate safety and performance of VLT under an extended set of operating conditions. **3. Description of the Services:** Research to evaluate safety and performance of VLT under an extended set of operating conditions. **4. Authority Cited:** The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition of these services is contained in 41 U.S.C. § 253(c)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.405-6 (a)(1)(B), "Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized". **5. Reason for Authority Cited:** There is only one source, Sharma & Associates, Inc., that can quickly, cost effectively and at the level of quality required, continue this critical railroad safety test and simulation effort. This requirement is a follow-on to the initial VLT work under contract 693JJ618D000006 which expired on 06/17/2023. FRA is sole sourcing this requirement to the incumbent contractor (Sharma & Associates, Inc.) because of their unique position as the only source that has the experience with previous railroad collaboration and research and additionally the experience with Train Energy and Dynamics Simulator (TEDS), the simulation software used previously and going forward in this effort. The contractor developed the design of test including specialized instrumentation and designed the loading, for appropriate gross rail load, of the eight boxcars used in the previous testing, for the FRA. **6. Efforts to Obtain Competition:** RFI via GSA’s Market Research as a Service was issued on Feb 6, 2024. Market research report showed that there was no response to the issued RFI by GSA. **7. Action to Increase Competition:** The contracting officer will continue to review GSA schedules to determine if a competitor develops on a schedule. **8. Market Research:** RFI via GSA’s Market Research as a Service was issued on Feb 6, 2024. Market research report showed that there was no response to the issued RFI by GSA. **9. Interested Sources:** To date, no other sources have expressed an interest, in writing, in the proposed acquisition. **10. Other Factors:** **N/A 11. Technical/Requirements Certification:** I certify that the technical requirements and the technical justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge. ## Award on USAspending - Recipient: Sharma & Associates Inc. (UEI EQ76N7H4NW57) - Contract: 693JJ624C000028, definitive contract - Obligated: $737,800.00 - Competition: Not Competed, 1 offers received - Link: award number 693JJ624C000028 equals the contract number; same awarding office 693JJ6 (high confidence) - Record: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_693JJ624C000028_6930_-NONE-_-NONE-/ ## Publications - June 27, 2024: Special notice. Notice 17b48c3c8f1d44439b028954183b16c3. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/17b48c3c8f1d44439b028954183b16c3/view - August 16, 2024: Justification. Notice 05be405b43ac4d7586f3f0f8268d6c5b. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/05be405b43ac4d7586f3f0f8268d6c5b/view - August 16, 2024: Justification. Notice 6a028ce8f75f4f448585428d513f06ae. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/6a028ce8f75f4f448585428d513f06ae/view - August 16, 2024: Justification. Notice 73c075acc6e5449a9426dc1649044e58. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/73c075acc6e5449a9426dc1649044e58/view ## Points of contact - Akwasi Kankam, akwasi.kankam@dot.gov, 7712008245 --- Source: SAM.gov Contract Opportunities bulk extract and USAspending.gov award data. Confirm deadlines on SAM.gov before responding. Cite https://abierto.us/opportunities/fr24rdi20000000113.