The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), through the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, MA, has issued a new solicitation for proposals for the testing, evaluation, and performance monitoring of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT)-dependent safety systems and critical infrastructure sectors.
This initiative, part of the DOT’s Complementary PNT (CPNT) Action Plan, aims to enhance the resilience of the nation’s PNT-dependent systems by encouraging the implementation and adoption of CPNT services.
This Request for Quotation (RFQ) is a multiple-award solicitation that seeks proposals from vendors with operationally ready CPNT services for field testing and evaluation during the Rapid Phase of the CPNT Action Plan. It follows on from the September 2023 quick-turn RFI to seek industry input on CPNT technologies — see additional Inside GNSS reporting on likely contenders.
The main objectives detailed in the RFQ include deploying high Technical Readiness Level (TRL) ≥ 8 PNT services, evaluating these services under various conditions (including threat scenarios), and sharing results with Sector Risk Management Agencies (SRMAs) to promote CPNT adoption.
Purpose of the Solicitation
The primary purpose behind this solicitation is to:
- Stimulate the Adoption of CPNT Services: By testing and evaluating operationally ready CPNT technologies, the DOT aims to identify and promote alternatives that can complement or substitute for GPS/GNSS, thereby ensuring uninterrupted PNT services for critical infrastructure.
- Enhance Resilience: The initiative seeks to make the nation’s PNT-dependent systems more resilient to various threats and disruptions, enhancing safety, security, and continuity of operations across essential sectors.
- Drive Technological Readiness: Encouraging the development and deployment of high-TRL CPNT technologies to achieve an operational status that meets the needs of national critical infrastructure sectors.
DOT Objectives and Expectations
The DOT is looking for proposals that demonstrate:
- High Technical Readiness: Vendors must offer CPNT services that are operationally ready (TRL ≥ 8), capable of being deployed in the field for immediate testing and evaluation.
- Performance Under Various Conditions: The proposed CPNT services should perform reliably under nominal conditions as well as in the face of challenges, including both unintentional and intentional disruptions to GPS/GNSS services.
- Alignment with Critical Infrastructure Needs: Proposals should tailor CPNT solutions to the requirements of one or more national critical infrastructure sectors, ensuring that the technology can meet specific industry needs.
- Comprehensive Evaluation and Testing: Vendors should describe their capabilities to test CPNT technologies under a wide range of conditions, including the ability to monitor performance, detect and respond to faults, and evaluate resilience against threats.
- Collaboration and Partnership: The DOT encourages partnerships among vendors, critical infrastructure operators, and other stakeholders to facilitate the deployment and evaluation of CPNT services, sharing results and best practices to foster wider adoption.
Through this solicitation, the U.S. DOT aims to identify and support CPNT technologies that can ensure the reliability and security of critical PNT services, mitigating the risk of disruption and enhancing national resilience. Successful proposals will not only demonstrate technological readiness and effectiveness but also contribute to a collaborative effort to safeguard essential infrastructure against emerging threats to PNT services.
View the full RFQ with instructions for participating on Sam.Gov.
