Sole-Source Notice - SmartBenefits

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), intends to negotiate, on a sole-source basis, with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) of Washington, DC, for the purchase of fare media (SmartBenefits) in various denominations. Fare media shall be purchased on a monthly basis for a period of one year. Four one-year option periods shall be included in the purchase order. Fare media is being purchased in compliance with Executive Order 13150 providing direct employer benefit to employees utilizing approved mass transit. Sole source determination is based on the WMATA being the sole provider of SmartBenefits which are the only form of fare media accepted by the District of Columbia METRO system and all other approved transportation providers in the Washington, DC area. Delivery shall be FOB Destination, Gaithersburg, MD. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 485111, and the size standard is $16.5 million. No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations, however, responses received by November 23, 2020, will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.