Notice of Intent of Other Than Full and Open Competition

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Transit Subsidy Program with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Administration, Division of Administrative Services intends to award a sole source contract to WMATA, 600 5th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20001. The statutory authority permitting the acquisition of this requirement by other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1.

The following is a quick synopsis and explanation for this BLS requirement:

Background/History:

The Division of Administrative Services (DAS) Branch of Building Operations (BBO) is responsible for administering the national office TSB Program for BLS employees.  BBO staff serve as the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) responsible for administration of the WMATA contract.  Funding is provided centrally by the Division of Budget (DOB) as requested by DAS.

WMATA provides the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) with a web-based program, known as SmartBenefits system, through which the BLS enrolls employees who utilize public transportation for their daily commute.  SmartBenefits allows BLS to assign and distribute a monthly transit subsidy to each enrolled employee, the value of which is stored on a SmarTrip card.  In addition to Metrorail and Metrobus, SmarTrip cards are accepted on most additional area transit providers (e.g., regional commuter buses, CommuterDirect for VRE and MARC rail systems).

Scope: 

1.         The WMATA shall enroll the BLS for participation in the SmartBenefits® program, which is a web-based program that will allow the BLS to assign the dollar value of participants' monthly benefits for commuting to and from work directly to the participants' SmarTrip® cards.  Commuting benefits may include transit for Metrorail, Metrobus, regional commuter bus, van pools, and CommuterDirect for VRE and MARC rail systems as applicable.

2.         The BLS will access the SmartBenefits® program via the internet and will enter the amount of transit benefit approved for each participant no later than the twenty-first calendar day of each month.  The WMATA shall make the BLS-designated amounts of transit benefits available for each participant on the first calendar day of the month that the benefits are effective.  The BLS will pay the WMATA on a monthly basis for the actual amount of transit benefits it allocated for its participants for the given month.  Credits will be applied for those funds left over from previous months (i.e. transit subsidy funds that were not used in full by employees receiving the benefit).  There is no cost at this time to the BLS for participation in the SmartBenefits® program.

3.         The BLS will manage its transit subsidy program, to include determining which of its employees are eligible for commuting benefits and ensuring that the BLS is administering the program in accordance with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations (Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefits Law, Title 26, USC section 132(f)).

4.         The BLS will provide the following information to the WMATA through the Web-based SmartBenefits® program so that transit fare will be added to participants' SmarTrip® cards:

a.         Full name of each participant

b.         Each participant's SmarTrip® card number

c.         Amount of transit benefit approved for each participant (benefit category type)

d.         Start date for each participant's benefits

5.         The BLS agrees that the value added to the SmarTrip® cards through SmartBenefits® may only be used by qualified employees who receive the benefit from their employer.

6.         There shall be no minimum purchase imposed on the BLS for participation in the SmartBenefits® program.

7.         The WMATA shall provide training on the SmartBenefits® system onsite at the BLS offices in Washington, DC for up to ten (10) BLS employees per session, as requested by BLS.  The purpose of the training will be to educate the administrators of the program on how to add money, subtract money, submit a purchase order, and make any other needed adjustments to the participants' SmarTrip® cards.

Currently, there is only one responsible source and no other to supply the required services that will satisfy the agency requirement. This is a sole source notice published for informational purposes only and not a request for proposals. Therefore, no solicitation documents exist for this requirement. However, all responsible parties interested in responding to this notice are invited to submit a capability statement including costs by 4:00pm EST by December 20, 2017 that provides sufficient details for consideration by the Government, via e-mail transmittal to [email protected] AND [email protected].  The determination not to compete the contract based on the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. All questions or comments regarding this notice shall be addressed in writing to Elliott Jones AND Kelly Graves at [email protected] AND [email protected].