H--Testing and Related Support for Energy Bill Mandated Activities

EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) administers portions of Title II of the Clean Air Act (CAA), as amended in 1977 and 1990. OTAQ?s responsibilities under Title II include setting emission standards for on- and off-highway mobile sources and assuring compliance with such standards; evaluating the emissions and fuel consumption characteristics of current and potential future on- and off-highway motor vehicles, motor vehicle engines, propulsion systems and components thereof; and assessing the effectiveness of current or potential future motor vehicle emission control systems. The objective of this solicitation is to provide OTAQ with broad emission testing support for in-use vehicles and engines, and for in-use and alternative fuels that may become nationally available to the consumer over the next decade. Alternative fuels include diesel fuel blends made with agricultural products (biodiesel) and gasoline blends with varied amounts of ethanol or other compounds. The performance work statement requires the contractor to perform: Fuel Procurement, Processing, and Analyses, Engine and Vehicle Testing, Vehicle and Equipment Emission and Activity Sampling, In-use Vehicle/Engine Recruitment, Data Processing and Quality Assurance Requirements. Such support may include; compositional and/or other analysis of a specified fuel, testing, often on a short turnaround basis, any feasible combination of separate engine types, test types, vehicle/engine classes, and fuel types. Contractor shall have the ability to test, install, operate, retrieve and process the data from Portable Emission Measurement Systems (PEMS) and Portable Activity Measurement Systems (PAMS), evaluate emission control systems or components thereof, obtain a statistically valid sample of a specified segment (may be categorized on the basis of geographic, political, temporal, functional and economic criteria) of the mobile source fleet for emission testing or emission sampling. Significant potential exists for conflicts of interest (COI) under this procurement. Therefore, it is considered in the best interest of the Government to preclude from award consideration as a prime contractor or subcontractor, all automotive manufacturers (large or small-volume), all non-road vehicle and/or engine manufacturers, all oil companies (petroleum refiners, fuel manufacturers or distributers, fuel marketers). Furthermore, all offerors will be required to submit a COI plan requiring them to identify the projects they are working on and explain how potential or actual Organizational Conflicts of Interests can be either mitigated, avoided, or neutralized. The solicitation will contain the following provision; ?Industries Prohibited from being Considered for Award?. The text of this clause will be as follows: ?Whereas this procurement requires that the contractor provide support for development of regulations directly affecting all automotive manufacturers (large or small-volume) , all non-road vehicle and/or engine manufacturers, and all oil companies e.g., (petroleum refiners, fuel manufacturers or distributers, fuel marketers)., the Contracting Officer has determined that a significant COI will result. Therefore, all automotive manufacturers (large or small-volume) , all non-road vehicle and/or engine manufacturers, and all oil companies e.g., (petroleum refiners, fuel manufacturers or distributers, fuel marketers) will be considered ineligible for award of any contract resulting from this solicitation. The specific determination whether any other offeror is to be considered ineligible for award will be made by the Agency on a case by case basis.? The solicitation and resulting contract shall also contain the clause, "Limitation on Future Contracting." The text of this clause will track with Limitation of Future Contracting, Alternative V (Headquarters Support), EPAAR 1552.209-74 (MAY 1994), except for paragraph (c). Paragraph (c) of the clause shall read as follows: "Paragraph c: Unless prior written approval is obtained from the EPA Contracting Officer, the contractor agrees not to enter into a contract with or to represent any party, other than EPA, with respect to the specific activities performed under this contract. Specifically, the contractor may not enter into business or financial relationships with all automotive manufacturers (large or small-volume), all non-road vehicle and/or engine manufacturers, all oil companies (petroleum refiners, fuel manufacturers or distributers, fuel marketers), that are affected by the policies or regulations for which the contractor has provided, is providing, or has work assignments to provide support under this contract, if the purpose of the business or financial relationship is to contest, oppose, or otherwise influence such policies or regulations, or to avoid or circumvent their applicability. These restrictions apply during the life of the contact, and extend for 3 years beyond the life of the contract. The Government anticipates award of a full and open competition, cost plus fixed fee term (LOE) contract with a twelve-month base term and four (4) twelve month options to extend the term. The base level of effort for each term will consist of 10,524 direct labor hours. The Government anticipates including quantity option amounts of 10,520 direct labor hours for the Base and the option periods, which brings the maximum total potential on the contract to 105,220 direct labor hours over five (5) years. Copies of the solicitation will be available to all offerors on the Internet. Offerors should visit the following EPA web page (http://www.epa.gov/oam/cinn_cmd) for continuous update of RFP's status. Hard copies will not be distributed. It is the responsibility of potential offerors to frequently check the EPA site for amendments. The RFP is anticipated to be release in mid April 2007 and close thirty days thereafter. The NAICS code is 541330.