The Federal Highway Administration has a need to contract for financial advisory services for the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program. Pursuant to the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 1998 (TIFIA), Title I, Subtitle E, Chapter 1 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), Public Law 105-178 (23 U.S.C. 181-189), the Department of Transportation (DOT) is authorized to provide credit assistance to major surface transportation projects, including secured (direct) loans, loan guarantees, and standby lines of credit to project sponsors (Borrowers) of major surface transportation projects for up to 33% of eligible project costs. Projects may include highway, transit, passenger rail and intermodal facilities. Generally, under current law, projects must cost at least $50 million.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), on behalf of the DOT, seeks to award multiple financial advisory task order contracts to several qualified firms with project financial analysis expertise in the municipal bond and private lender sectors to assist the DOT in two phases of activity with respect to TIFIA loan applications.
Phase 1 (Project Evaluation): Evaluate the soundness and creditworthiness of the applicant?s financial plan for the project; and
Phase 2 (Project Negotiation): As part of a DOT team that includes DOT staff, attorneys and outside counsel, provide support in negotiating the financial terms of credit agreements to be entered into with Borrowers, for those projects selected to receive assistance.
Both phases will involve extensive financial analysis, including, but not limited to, the evaluation of proposed credit structures, calculation of debt service coverage ratios, development of alternative TIFIA debt repayment structures, review of feasibility studies, and provision of computer analysis and modeling support.
The firm must be able to attend working conferences and meetings at DOT headquarters in Washington, D.C. as well as participate in telephone conference calls often on short notice..
It is anticipated that each contractor will be assigned one to five projects (task orders) to evaluate annually, depending upon the level of demand for program assistance. For each project/task order, DOT will select one firm from among the multiple firms it retains to advise it on each transaction. Although every project assigned to a contractor will involve the performance of work under Phase 1, the performance of work under Phase 2 will be limited to only those applicants selected by the DOT to receive TIFIA assistance.
Extensive information on the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) can be accessed through the websitehttp://www.tifia.fhwa.dot.gov/
The solicitation and all related documents and amendments, if any, will only be released and available electronically through Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) web site at http://www1.eps.gov/spg/DOT/FHWA/postdate_1.html which will list all the FHWA business opportunities sorted by posted date. The solicitation and related documents will be posted under the RFP number. Interested parties must download the RFP from that site. NO WRITTEN, TELEPHONIC, FACSIMILE, OR E-MAIL REQUESTS will be honored. Since this solicitation will only be available electronically, it is the responsibility of interested parties to monitor the FebBizOpps website for any solicitation amendments. Interested parties can register at the FebBizOpps site to receive e-mail notifications of postings.
Please note that FedBizOpps has a feature called "Interested Vendors List." Those interested in subcontracting, supplying, consulting, teaming and the like should register, and contractors may find it helpful to review the names posted there.
The ESTIMATED release date of the RFP is February 21, 2008. NO OTHER PROCUREMENT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.
ATTENTION: Minority, Women-owned, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises. The Department of Transportation, Short-Term Lending Program offers working capital financing in the form of lines of credit to finance accounts receivable for transportation related contracts. Maximum line of credit is $750,000 with interest at the prime rate as published daily in the Wall Street Journal, plus 1.75%. For further information, call (800) 532-1169. Internet address: http://osdbuweb.dot.gov. This requirement is listed at: http://www.dot.gov/ost/m60/earl/chap1205.htm#1205.2
