Vehicle Safety Hotline Services

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is issuing this Sources Sought Notice to identify potential qualified Small Business (SB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), 8(a) Certified SDB, HUBZone SB, SDVOSB, or WOSB concerns that may be interested in and capable of performing the work described herein which is to establish, operate and manage a NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline. NHTSA welcomes all qualified Small Business concerns, with the appropriate NAICS Code and past experience to submit their Corporate Capability Statements that demonstrate their ability to successfully accomplish the goals of the project as listed below. NHTSA does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses to this notice or otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. Acknowledgement of receipt of responses will not be made; no formal evaluation of the information received will be conducted by NHTSA. NHTSA may; however later on issue a Request for Proposals (RFP). However, should such a requirement fail to materialize, no basis for claims against NHTSA shall arise as a result of a response to this notice.

Background: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline (Hotline) is the agency’s for the public to request safety defect information on passenger vehicles, heavy trucks, and recreational vehicle, or to report problems with motor vehicle equipment (e.g., air bags, motorcycle helmets, brakes, or child safety seats) that could affect safety. NHTSA evaluates the information gathered from the Hotline and from other sources to determine if serious safety problems exist. The Vehicle Safety Hotline has undergone a major transformation from an operation that merely recorded vehicle-related complaints to a one-stop customer-oriented operation that accepts many types of calls related to vehicle and traffic safety. The major actions undertaken to transform Hotline operations include: Establishing the Hotline as the NHTSA’s single point of public contact for safety information, Developing a training program that will assist the agents in obtaining vital information from consumers who would like file a vehicle safety complaint, Developing, publishing, and monitoring customer service standards (courtesy, timeliness, and accuracy) as performance measurements. Publicizing the Hotline number during all NHTSA events, Expanding the Hotline’s infrastructure to handle calls in English and Spanish; and Expanding Hotline services to include a web chat and automatic call back services.

Objective(s): The primary

objectives is to obtain agency mission-critical information from callers about vehicle or vehicle equipment problems that may warrant a formal safety defect investigation; record complaint data on possible safety-related vehicle problems; provide answers to consumer

questions related to vehicle and traffic safety issues; perform call-backs from recorded messages; fulfill information requests; electronically mail information to NHTSA action program offices on issues related to highway safety; refer calls to other non-safety related offices outside NHTSA (e.g. Environmental Protection Agency); and to provide general information in order to increase consumer understanding and awareness of issues concerning highway safety. The Contractor shall be responsible for a turnkey Hotline call center operation to include all the necessary equipment, personnel, location, and managing of workflow as identified in the attached Draft Statement of Work (SOW). CAPABILITY STATEMENTS Any interested qualified Small Business firms, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), 8(a) Certified SDB, HUBZone SB, SDVOSB, or WOSB concerns should submit their Corporate Capability Statement, which demonstrates the firm’s ability and past experience in no more than 10 pages to perform the key

requirements described above to the identified NHTSA