The Grantee invites submission of qualifications and proposal data (collectively referred to as the "Proposal") from interested U.S. firms that are qualified on the basis of experience and capability to provide Technical Assistance to conduct analysis of ITS technologies and their applicability in Colombia and define two pilot programs using different ITS applications in the effort to facilitate their implementation by the Colombian government.

The Technical Assistance to the Colombia Ministry of Transport for the Implementation of ITS Technologies will develop a practical plan for the implementation of ITS technologies to increase efficiency for the control and management of Colombia's highway and transport systems as well as facilitate the implementation of a congestion pricing policy in the city of Bogotá or other urban areas. Longer-term objectives of the introduction of ITS technologies are being pursued by the government of Colombia in order to improve highway and transport safety, increase compliance with government requirements, enhance security, generate increased revenues, and make maximum use of existing infrastructure. This Technical Assistance will identify short and medium-term milestones for the acquisition and implementation of ITS technologies.

The Grantee as well as major cities and public and private transport operators operating in the country are expected to utilize the recommendations from the Technical Assistance to make decisions regarding the acquisition and implementation of ITS technologies for the highway and transport systems throughout the country.

The final product of the Technical Assistance shall be a practical strategy for the acquisition and deployment of ITS technologies for the Grantee and other GOC agencies, including the definition of up to two specific pilot programs to be selected from a diverse set of potential ITS applications for the various highway and transport systems managed by the Grantee, INVIAS, other GOC agencies, and/or private operators in Colombia.

Wherever applicable, the Contractor for this Technical Assistance shall utilize a systems engineering approach and the principles as outlined in the U.S. DOT website at: http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/int_its_deployment/sys_eng.htm. Use of a systems engineering approach will ensure that all technology, equipment and systems decisions and acquisitions that are recommended for both longer term as well as for the pilot program(s) shall be compatible and consistent with other ongoing longer-term initiatives of the Grantee for electronic tolling and congestion management.

The Contractor shall also utilize, as applicable, the standards and protocols available from the NTCIP (National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol) at its web site: http://www.ntcip.org. The NTCIP protocols reduce reliance on specific vendors and customized software as well as help achieve interoperability, two important objectives of the Colombian government.

The U.S. firm selected will be paid in U.S. dollars from a $ 479,000 grant to the Grantee from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).

A detailed Request for Proposals (RFP), which includes requirements for the Proposal, the Terms of Reference, and portions of a background definitional mission/desk study report are available from USTDA, at 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA 22209-3901. To request the RFP in PDF format, please go to:

https://www.ustda.gov/businessopps/rfpform.asp

Requests for a mailed hardcopy version of the RFP may also be faxed to the IRC, USTDA at 703-875-4009. In the fax, please include your firm's name, contact person, address, and telephone number. Some firms have found that RFP materials sent by U.S. mail do not reach them in time for preparation of an adequate response. Firms that want USTDA to use an overnight delivery service should include the name of the delivery service and your firm's account number in the request for the RFP. Firms that want to send a courier to USTDA to retrieve the RFP should allow one hour after faxing the request to USTDA before scheduling a pick-up. Please note that no telephone requests for the RFP will be honored. Please check your internal fax verification receipt. Because of the large number of RFP requests, USTDA cannot respond to requests for fax verification. Requests for RFPs received before 4:00 PM will be mailed the same day. Requests received after 4:00 PM will be mailed the following day. Please check with your courier and/or mail room before calling USTDA.

Only U.S. firms and individuals may bid on this USTDA financed activity. Interested firms, their subcontractors and employees of all participants must qualify under USTDA's nationality requirements as of the due date for submission of qualifications and proposals and, if selected to carry out the USTDA-financed activity, must continue to meet such requirements throughout the duration of the USTDA-financed activity. All goods and services to be provided by the selected firm shall have their nationality, source and origin in the U.S. or host country. The U.S. firm may use subcontractors from the host country for up to 20 percent of the USTDA grant amount. Details of USTDA's nationality requirements and mandatory contract clauses are also included in the RFP.

Interested U.S. firms should submit their Proposal in English and Spanish directly to the Grantee by 4:00 PM, October 31, 2013 at the above address. Evaluation criteria for the Proposal are included in the RFP. Price will not be a factor in contractor selection, and therefore, cost proposals should NOT be submitted. The Grantee reserves the right to reject any and/or all Proposals. The Grantee also reserves the right to contract with the selected firm for subsequent work related to the project. The Grantee is not bound to pay for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of Proposals.