Notice on Contracting Initiative

The Department of Transportation is announcing an initiative to permit, on an experimental basis, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recipients and subrecipients to utilize various contracting requirements that generally have been disallowed due to concerns about adverse impacts on competition.  

This initiative will be carried out as a pilot program for a period of 1 year (unless extended) under the FHWA and FTA’s existing authorities.  The purpose of this pilot program is to determine whether the use of such requirements “unduly limit competition,” as provided in an August 23, 2013, opinion from the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC).  At the end of the pilot program, should DOT find that such restrictions do not unduly limit competition, DOT may provide further guidance regarding their use.

To apply, please follow the instruction contained in the notice.

Please read the full document, available above in PDF, for further information.