Sources Sought
Build America Bureau - Insurance Advisor
Department of Transportation · Federal Highway Administration · Sol. RFI_LIA_2026
Due in 21 days
AI summary Beta
This summary was written for another version of this notice. Check what changed on SAM.gov.
The Federal Highway Administration's Build America Bureau (U.S. DOT) is doing market research for an independent insurance advisor to its lending programs (TIFIA and RRIF loans). This is a Sources Sought / RFI, not a bid request: it asks firms to describe their capabilities and comment on a draft scope of work. Work is in Washington, DC per the notice and would be ordered by task order over the life of the loans.
Watch out for
- Not a solicitation. Responding is only market research; there is no contract to win from this notice and the Government pays nothing for responses.
NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations.
- Strict independence and conflict of interest rules. Firms that sell, place or broker insurance, or earn commissions, would be a poor fit; brokers and affiliates may have trouble qualifying.
Obtain genuinely independent advice from parties with no placement, brokerage,
- Very specialized, broad expertise. The Bureau wants deep skills across highway, rail, ports, aviation and real estate asset classes plus project finance, which a small firm may need to team to cover.
- Short response window and tight page limit. Questions are due 9/18/26 and responses 10/13/26, with a hard seven page cap and no proprietary information allowed.
Not more than seven pages in length, including all items submitted (not including
- Ad hoc work and unclear volume. Tasks 4 to 7 are ad hoc and not every task would be used on every deal, so revenue could be uneven and no value is given.
Full brief
What they want
- Independent insurance advice to the Bureau as a lender, with no placement, brokerage or commission interest in the program reviewed
- Task 1: Quick screening of proposed insurance at the early loan stage
- Task 2: Pre-closing review of project agreements and construction and operating insurance coverages, plus market pricing checks
- Task 3: Support to draft and negotiate insurance terms in loan documents at closing
- Task 4 (ad hoc): Post-closing checks of certificates and policies, annual renewal reviews and portfolio tracking
- Task 5 (ad hoc): Claims, loss event and workout support
- Task 6 (ad hoc): Review of public entity self-insurance, risk pools and captives
- Task 7 (ad hoc): Program-level strategic advisory support
- Contract type
- Not yet decided. This is a Sources Sought; the draft scope says work would be ordered by task order. The Bureau is asking industry for advice on IDIQ, BPA or other structures.
- Place of performance
- Washington, DC, USA
- Contract vehicle
- None stated. Respondents are asked to list any GSA schedule, GSA OASIS+ or other governmentwide contract numbers they hold, but none is required.
- How they'll choose
- Not applicable yet. This is market research only, with no award or evaluation. Responses will be used to decide the acquisition approach (for example 8(a), set-aside or full and open).
- Offers due
- October 13, 2026, 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time (questions due by 9/18/26)
- How to submit
- Email to Khadija.Osman@dot.gov and Carolyn.Lethert@dot.gov
- Page limits
- Not more than seven pages total (not counting cover page, table of contents and acronym list): up to 2 pages answering the capability questions and up to 5 pages of feedback on the acquisition questions. 8.5x11 pages, 1 inch margins, 12 point font or larger.
What to include when you submit
- Electronic responses only, in Microsoft Word or PDF
- Include a cover page with company name, primary contact with phone and email, SAM.gov UEI, and the NAICS you think fits best
- On the cover page also list GSA schedule/contract number, GSA OASIS+ number and other governmentwide contracts if any
- On the cover page state your business size and status (small, woman-owned, 8(a), SDB, HUBZone, SDVOSB, non-profit, other) under NAICS 524298 and 524210
- On the cover page say whether you could do the whole requirement alone or with subcontractors
- Answer questions a to e (experience as lender's advisor, firm model and any placement or commission revenue, in-house vs teamed asset classes, size of the competitive market, capacity for concurrent work and annual renewals)
- Optionally answer the 22 numbered acquisition strategy, speed, pricing and other questions, noting the question number
- Questions or comments on the draft scope can go in a separately labeled document that does not count toward the page limit
- Do not submit proprietary information
You must have
- No set-aside is used for this notice, but the Government is checking size and small business status (including 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, woman-owned) to decide a future acquisition strategy.
Determine the size and Small Business status of potential sources, and
- Must be independent of the insurance being reviewed: no economic interest in placement, brokerage, commissions or contingent compensation.
secured lender by a party with no economic interest in the placement of the program under
- Deep expertise in commercial insurance lines (property, liability, environmental, political risk, construction all-risk) plus project finance and debt structuring experience.
- Knowledge of federal lending insurance mandates (Flood Disaster Protection Act, TRIA) and portfolio monitoring capability.
- Respondents should highlight staff with industry credentials such as CPCU or ARM and a track record advising federal credit programs, agencies or institutional lenders.
such as Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) or Associate in Risk
- A SAM.gov Unique Entity ID (UEI) is requested on the cover page.
SAM.GOV Unique Entity ID (UEI)
Not in the notice text
- Estimated contract value or task order sizes
- Contract type, vehicle and number of awards (the Bureau is asking industry for input)
- Period of performance, base and option lengths
- Evaluation criteria and award method for any future solicitation
- Whether a future acquisition will be set aside for small business
- Whether there is a current contractor or incumbent
- Clearance, insurance or bonding requirements for the contractor, if any
- Notice lists NAICS 524298 and attachment also proposes 524210; final NAICS and size standard are not set
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Key facts
- Response due
- Oct 29, 2026, 2:00 PM UTC
- Posted
- Oct 6, 2026
- Notice type
- Sources Sought
- Solicitation
- RFI_LIA_2026
- Agency
- Department of Transportation · Federal Highway Administration
- Office
- 693JJ3 Acquisition and Grants MGT
- Set-aside
- No Set aside used
- NAICS
- 524298
- Product/service code
- R499
- Business type
- Consulting & professional services
- Place of performance
- Washington, DC
- Contracting contact
- Carolyn Lethertcarolyn.lethert@dot.gov
- Versions
- 2 (amended since first posted)
Full notice text from SAM.gov
This is a sources sought notice/request for information for an Insurance Advisor for the Build America Bureau. FHWA is conducting market research to identify potential sources for an anticipated contract for the Build America Bureau. Please submit questions on this requirement no later than 9/18/2026. Response date is updated to 10/29 to give the Government additional time to provide responses to questions.
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