Request for Information/Market Research - Financial Capacity Assessment & Financial Assessment Services

This sources sought is for market research and planning purposes only (THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION); it is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. A contract may not be awarded as a result of this sources sought. The United States (U.S.) Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), on behalf of the Office of Planning and Environment (TPE), through this sources sought is gathering source information on who could provide services to conduct Financial Capacity Assessments and Financial Assessments for New Starts and Small Starts projects. The capability package response from interested contractors is not considered a response to a solicitation but a sources sought/market research survey. Thus, as previously stated, this sources sought is not a request for proposal, or request quote, but rather specific, a request for detailed information regarding the company's existing experience in relation to the areas specified in the attached draft statement of work (SOW). Respondents who simply submit a standard brochure of its company capabilities and not addressing the questions below will not be considered as adequately responding to this RFI. All social economic categories will be accepted for this RFI. If an award is made in the future, the anticipated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)code is 541611 which would be designated for this procurement, but interested parties are encouraged to submit a more suitable NAICS Code along with their capability packages. The capability package should contain the following information: your company's legal name, point of contact (POC), physical address, phone number, email address, Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS) number, your business size under the above NAICS code or your suggested NAICS code(small business or large business), if you are considered a small business identify your small business social economic category (for example: Small Business (SB), Small Disadvantage Business (SDB), HUBZone), and if you are on the General Services Administration (GSA) schedule, please list your GSA contract number ,schedule, applicable Special Item Numbers (SINs) related to the scope of this work. Your firm's capability package response must not exceed 12 pages, must be in at least 12 pitch Times New Roman font and must be submitted electronically to Mr. Deldridge Berry via email at Deldridge.Berry.ctr@dot.gov no later than September 10, 2018 at 1:00 PM EST. Please address the following questions in your firm's capability package: 1. What are some key commonalities and/or differences between the assessment work described in the draft SOW and that work, or related advisory work, that you commonly perform or have performed? 2. In the context of the work that you commonly perform or have performed, what do you believe are the special skill sets and combination of experiences that are most needed to effectively perform the assessment work described in the SOW? Which of these skill sets or combinations of experiences have been the hardest to find? 3. Which of the tasks outlined in the SOW, or components of those tasks, do you believe are the most important in terms of achieving the overall goals of the assessment work? Which are the most challenging, both in terms of general level of difficulty and in terms of finding people with the appropriate skill sets or combinations of experiences to effectively perform them? Do you have any recommendations with to respect to the general approach or the details of specific tasks, or components of those tasks, that you believe, if incorporated in this assessment, would make it more effective in terms of attaining its overall goal? 4. In the context of the financial assessment work, or related advisory work, that you commonly perform or have performed, what do you believe is the best way to organize a personnel team to effectively perform the tasks outlined as part of this assessment work described in this document? Do you believe that this type of work lends itself better to a single individual being responsible for the comprehensive total or individuals being responsible for specific parts or streams of assessment and then collaborating towards the final product? DISCLAIMER: THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (SS) IS FOR PLANNING AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT, INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB), REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS (RFQ), REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP), OR AS AN OBLIGATION ON THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT TO ACQUIRE ANY PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. NO REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE A MADE FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS SS OR ANY FOLLOW UP INFORMATION REQUEST. RESPONDENTS WILL NOT BE NOTIFIED OF THE RESULTS OF THE EVALUATION OF THE INFORMATION THEY PROVIDE. NO CONTRACT AWARD WILL BE MADE ON THE BASIS OF RESPONSES RECEIVED. NO FUNDS HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED, APPROPRIATED OR RECEIVED FOR THIS EFFORT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY. THE INFORMATION WILL BE USED IN A MARKET RESEARCH REPORT ASSESSMENT OF SOURCES CAPABLE OF PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES IN SUPPORT OF UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. NOT RESPONDING TO THIS NOTICE DOES NOT PRECLUDE PARTICIPATION IN ANY FUTURE RFQ, IFB, OR RFP, IF ARE ANY ISSUED. IF A SOLICITATION IS RELEASED, IT WILL BE SYNOPSIZED ON THE GOVERNMENT-WIDE POINT OF ENTRY (GPE) AS NOTED ABOVE. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF POTENTIAL OFFERORS TO MONITOR THE GPE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THIS REQUIREMENT.