A -- Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source Contract

Under the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Part 15.6 and Part 5.2, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHSMA) intends to contract with Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) on a sole source basis. This acquisition is being conducted using Contracting by Negotiation in accordance with FAR Part 15, and it will provide the following that is critical to PHMSA: 1) Develop data necessary to make engineering assessments of the feasibility of transporting fuel grade ethanol (FGE) and FGE blends in existing pipelines; 2) Identify ethanol blends that can be transported in existing pipelines without significant modification of the system and operations, blends that require significant modifications, and blends that cannot be transported in existing pipelines, but could be moved in specially designed systems; 3). Characterize the time to initiation of Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) in a range of potent ethanol environments and identify safe operating an/or batching practices that mitigate the initiation and growth of SCC. PHMSA?s contribution will not exceed $75,000, the overall project value for these services is $321,500. PRCI is a member funded not-for-profit corporation focusing on a spectrum of activities from basic to applied research. Research ranges from near-term integrity and reliability solutions to design and operating problems in the gas transmission, oil and petroleum products, and hazardous liquid product pipelines. A majority of the industry stakeholders participated in the development of the PRCI proposal. Any response to this notice must demonstrate that competition would be advantageous to the government. In doing so, interested sources must submit technical capabilities, pricing, and other information that demonstrates their ability to meet PHMSA?s needs. Detailed capabilities must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM EDT on Saturday, September 8, 2007 to the PMHSA Office of Contracts and Procurement, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, East Building, 2nd Floor, Room E22-229, Washington, DC 20590 or via e-mail at glen.vierk@dot.gov ATTN: Glen Vierk. This synopsis is not to be considered a request for quotation or proposal. No solicitation document is available and telephone requests will not be honored. No contract will be awarded on the basis of offers received in response to this notice, but offers will be used to determine if a comparable source is available and more advantageous to the government. If no affirmative written response is received within 15 days from the publication of this synopsis, a contract may be issued to PRCI without further notice.