Sole Source Special Notice / Pre-Solicitation Notice for a project involving contractor-work to be performed on a Tellabs-Based Passive Optical Local Area Network (LAN) Upgrade for the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

The U.S. Department of Transportation is proceeding with a sole-source acquisition under FAR 6.103-1 to upgrade its existing Tellabs-based Passive Optical Local Area Network (POLAN) infrastructure, with VTG, LLC identified as the only qualified contractor due to unique, mission-critical expertise. The estimated contract value is $239,027.23, and the work involves replacing 12-year-old end-of-life hardware while preserving the legacy fiber-optic backbone, ensuring zero service disruption. VTG, LLC’s exclusive authorization by Tellabs, proprietary integration rights, and continuous institutional knowledge dating back to 2014 form the basis for non-competitive award, eliminating viable alternatives and mitigating unacceptable risk of system failure. The performance location includes the DOT’s facilities in Washington, D.C., and the Piney Point, Maryland site, where rapid 30-minute emergency response capability is required due to operational criticality. Security clearances, likely at the Secret level, are mandatory for personnel due to facility access requirements, and continuity of the same technical team with decades-long system familiarity is indispensable. No formal competitive bidding process will occur; instead, the procurement hinges on justification under FAR 6.302-1 for only one responsible source, supported by VTG’s unmatched warranty coverage across legacy and new components, proximity to the site, and documented operational reliability. Submissions from other potential contractors are invited only as Statements of Qualifications, with a deadline of June 11, 2025, to be sent via email to designated DOT contacts, though no award is anticipated outside of VTG, LLC. The contract is expected to be awarded as a firm-fixed-price purchase order with no line-item breakdown, and no formal inspection criteria or test standards are specified—quality assurance is based entirely on VTG’s historical performance and institutional knowledge rather than technical specifications or compliance metrics.