DOT/RSPA/VOLPE National Transportation Systems Center, 55 Broadway, Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA 02142

B -- ALTERNATIVE FUEL DESIGN GUIDELINES SOL DTRS57-97-Q-80192 DUE 082597 POC Karen Marino, Purchasing Agent, (617) 494-2437 WEB: Volpe Center Acquisition Division Home Page, http://www.volpe.dot.gov/procure/procure.htm. E-MAIL: Purchasing Agent, doylek@volpe1.dot.gov. The Volpe Center in supporting the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) plans to award a sole-source simplified acquisition Purchase Order to Technology and Management Systems, Inc., Burlington, MA for support in assessing the extent to which recently published guideline documents are being applied by bus transit systems and recommended improvements that should be made. The guidelines that were jointly published by the Volpe Center and FTA for each of the following fuels are: Compressed Natural Gas (C.G.), Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Alcohol Fuels (Methanol and Ethanol). These guidelines are being used by Industry as a reference document when new facilities are designed. The contractor will have to develop a Design Guideline Document that will cover the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel in buses. This guideline will discuss important issues related to the safety in storing, handling and using hydrogen. Small Business firms classified under SIC Code 8731 that are interested in proposing on this requirement must demonstrate that they have the expertise to perform the following tasks: 1) Evaluate the extent to which the Design Guidelines, for alternative fuels such as those listed above are being applied by bus transit systems, and recommend improvements that need to be made in the contents; 2) Develop a Design Guideline Document covering the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel in buses. Small Business firms will be required to submit documentation in support of the above for evaluation by the Government prior to receiving a quotation. A single award will result from this solicitation. This notice is for informational purposes for Minority, Women-Owned and disadvantaged Business Enterprises: The Department of Transportation (DOT), Office of Small and Business and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), has a program to assist minority, women-owned and disadvantaged business enterprises to acquire short-term working capital assistance for transportation-related contracts. Loans are available under the DOT Short Term Lending Program (STLP) at prime interest rates to provide accounts receivable financing. The maximum line of credit is $500,000. For further information and applicable forms concerning the STLP, please call the OSDBU at (800) 532-1169. For information concerning the acquisition, contact the contracting official listed above. The solicitation and any document related to this procurement will be available on the Internet, these documents will be available in text format and reside on a WWW server which may be accessed using Web browsers. The WWW address, or URL, of the Volpe Center Acquisition Division home page is: "http://www.volpe.dot.gov/procure/procure.htm". Offerors desiring to receive electronic notification of the solicitation's posting and availability for downloading may register at the Volpe Center site. Contractors are warned that when they register to receive solicitations, amendments, and other notices, the responsibility for providing the Government with an accurate and complete e-mail address lies with the contractor. The Government will make no additional efforts to deliver information when the system indicates that transmission cannot be delivered to the e-mail address provided. NO telephone requests will be accepted -- however, we will accept requests for this solicitation via facsimile, at (617)494-3649, ATTN: Karen Marino, DTS-852. Requests for a hardcopy of the solicitation may be mailed or sent via E-Mail to doylek@volpe1.dot.gov. Telephone requests will not be honored. (0231)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0015 19970821\B-0007.SOL)