DATA SCIENCE FOR HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION

SOURCES SOUGHT

SOLICITATION NUMBER:

693JJ3-26-SS-0002

NOTICE TYPE:

Sources Sought

TITLE:

Data Science for Highway Transportation

PROGRAM BACKGROUND:

With the increased availability and use of digital assets across highway transportation research, the Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) program identified a need to support new methods for creating and scaling capabilities around data science for highway transportation.  Emerging approaches for working with data scientists and for supporting cross-disciplinary research (including data science, engineering, and social sciences) could accelerate solutions for safety and reliability of the highway transportation system and exploit dramatic increases in data and computational resources.  There is a geometric increase in available data from sensors and simulation that can provide new avenues for research questions on topics from traffic safety to structural conditions.  There also is increasing computational power and novel tools for querying large amounts of disparate data including unstructured data and synthetic data.  Making practical use of these new resources will require cross-disciplinary research, development, and technology teaming involving data scientists and transportation domain experts.

REQUIRED CAPABILITIES:

The FHWA EAR program is seeking information about

1. Emerging approaches for curating and sustaining analysis-ready highway transportation datasets through engagement with multi-disciplinary research communities.
2. Methods for enabling and sustaining researcher and practitioner communities of practice around emerging data science techniques for highway transportation.
3. Methods for advancing expertise across data science and highway transportation applications both with current professionals to provide an immediate impact of agency and program performance and with students to create a pipeline of future researchers and practitioners that can exploit emerging capabilities in data science.

For the above required capabilities, FHWA also is seeking contextual information about

1. Experience with curating data types across areas of highway transportation including safety, asset management, transportation systems management and operations, planning, etc.
2. Experience building, growing, and sustaining partnerships with different federal, state, local, and tribal transportation partner agencies across geographic locations and sizes as part of data science initiatives.

ELIGIBILITY:

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541715 with a Small Business Size Standard of up to 1,000 employees. All potential sources, regardless of whether they are large or small in accordance with the NAICS size standard are encouraged to submit a capabilities statement in response to this Sources Sought notice.

SUBMISSION DETAILS (CAPABILITIES STATEMENT):

Interested businesses shall submit responses electronically to the Contracting Officer, Bob Brown, in Microsoft Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) at bob.p.brown@dot.gov no later than 12:00 pm Eastern Time on January 9, 2026. The email Subject Line must include “Sources Sought: Data Science for Highway Transportation.” No phone or email solicitations with regard to the status of this notice or future RFP will be accepted. Specific details will be provided in a solicitation. All data received in response to this Sources Sought, marked or designated as corporate or proprietary, will be fully protected from release outside the Government. Information and materials submitted in response to this request WILL NOT be returned. Classified material SHALL NOT be submitted as well as marketing materials, slide presentations, or technical papers.

Interested businesses should submit a brief capabilities statement package (no more than ten (10) one-sided, 8.5x11inch pages in length with font no smaller than 10 point) demonstrating the ability to perform the services listed in this notice. Vendor responses shall include the following administrative information:

1. Company Name, Company Address, and Point(s) of Contact including name, telephone Number(s), fax number(s), and email address(es).
2. Respondents to this notice also must indicate whether they are a large business or qualify as a Small Business (SB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) certified under the SBA 8 (a) Program, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), HUBZone Small Business (HUBZone), or Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Concern.
3. Company profile to include number of employees, annual revenue history (average over the last three completed fiscal years), office location(s), DUNS number, and a statement regarding current small/large business status.
4. Prior/current corporate experience performing efforts of similar size and scope within the last three years, including contract number, federal customers, indication of whether as a prime or subcontractor, contract amount, Government point of contact with current telephone number, and a brief description of how the referenced requirement relates to the services herein.
5. Resources available such as corporate management and key personnel to be assigned to tasks under this effort to include professional qualifications, and specific experience of such personnel.
6. Statement regarding capability to obtain the Department of Transportation (DOT) security clearances for personnel.
7. Please note that under a Small-Business Set-Aside, in accordance with FAR 52.219-14, the small business prime must perform at least 50% of the work themselves in terms of the cost performance.
8. Company’s ability to begin performance upon contract award.

All responses must be sufficient to permit agency analysis to determine bona fide capability to meet requirements.

Primary Point of Contact:

Bob Brown, Contracting Officer

Email: bob.p.brown@dot.gov

Contracting Office Address:

Department of Transportation (DOT) / Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

Office of Acquisition & Grants Management

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Mail Code: HCFA-22

Washington, DC 20590