NIH TRANShare Program – SmartBenefits® Program Transit Benefit Services

Notice Type: Synopsis of Intent to Sole Source

Purpose: 

The purpose of this action is to issue an IDIQ contract. 

The anticipated period of performance is October 1, 2026 through September 30, 3031. 

Anticipated award date: October 1, 2026 

Set-Aside Status: None — this action is being pursued on a sole source basis under FAR 6.302-1

1.Statement of Intent

The Government intends to award an IDIQ contract to Washington Area Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) (600 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001) on a sole source basis for National Institutes of Health (NIH) SmartBenefits Transhare Program under the authority of FAR 6.103-1, Only One Responsible Source, and the corresponding statutory authority at 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), because WMATA is the only source capable of satisfying the Government's requirement, as further described in the justification supporting this action.

This notice is not a request for competitive proposals. However, in accordance with FAR 5.207, any organization that believes it can meet the requirement described below may express their interest by submitting a capability statement by the response date above. The Government will consider all responsible sources that respond to this notice; however, award of a sole source contract will not be made until the Government has had the opportunity to review and consider any such expressions of interest. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

2. Description of the Requirement

The NIH Office of Research Services (ORS), Division of Amenities and Transportation Services (DATS), requires continued participation in the SmartBenefits® Program. NIH participates in WMATA’s SmartBenefits® Program, which is a web-based platform that allows employers to electronically assign transportation subsidies directly to employee SmarTrip® cards. NIH requires access to the SmartBenefits® Program for administration of transportation fringe benefits under the NIH Transhare Program. The SmartBenefits® Program allows NIH to electronically distribute transit benefits directly to employee SmarTrip® cards for use on participating public transportation systems throughout the National Capital Region.

Anticipated Period of Performance: Five-year IDIQ ordering period

Anticipated Contract Type: IDIQ

3. Basis for Sole Source 

To promote rideshare and public transportation in accordance with Executive Orders 12191 and 13150, NIH established the Transhare Program, which provides transportation subsidies through SmartBenefits® and SmarTrip® cards to eligible employees. This requirement is available exclusively through WMATA, an interstate compact agency created by Congress and the signatory jurisdictions (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia). WMATA is the sole owner and operator of the SmarTrip® fare payment system and the SmartBenefits® employer benefit platform used throughout the National Capital Region's mass transit network, including Metrorail, Metrobus, and connecting regional transit providers (RideOn, TheBus, MARC, VRE, MTA Commuter Bus, and area vanpools) that NIH employees rely on for their commute.

No other entity has the legal authority, proprietary system access, or technical capability to load employer-sponsored transit benefits directly onto SmarTrip® cards or interoperate with these regional transit systems. As a result, WMATA is the only responsible source capable of meeting NIH's requirement, and no other supplies or services can satisfy it.

4. Capability Statement Instructions (For Interested Parties)

Any firm believing it possesses the capability to satisfy this requirement must submit, no later than the response date above. Please refer to notice # 75N98026R00156 for details.

Note: Capability statements will be reviewed to determine whether they demonstrate a bona fide ability to meet the Government's actual minimum needs. Submissions that do not address the specific basis for sole source described in Section 3 may not be considered responsive.

5. No Solicitation Package Will Be Issued at This Time

No solicitation document is available at this time. If, after reviewing responses to this notice, the Government determines it should proceed on a sole source basis, a solicitation will be issued to the intended source only, and this notice will serve as the required public notice of that intent under RFO 5.201.

6. Disclaimer

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract on a sole source basis and does not preclude the Government from soliciting competitively if responses to this notice demonstrate that other responsible sources exist. The Government will not pay for information submitted in response to this notice. Responses marked proprietary will be handled accordingly.