Scheduled Fuel Barge Transportation Services - Gulf Region

The United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is conducting market research to understand industry capabilities for providing scheduled fuel barge transportation services in the Gulf Region. This service is intended to support the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Energy mission by transporting Department of War-owned bulk jet fuel, Marine Diesel (F76), Jet A Fuel (JAA), and Jet Propellant 5 (JP5) between specified United States ports and points along the Gulf of America and the Lower Mississippi River. The anticipated period of performance for a future contract is April 1, 2027, to March 31, 2032. USTRANSCOM is seeking information on existing market solutions and what information industry might require to scope a roadmap for this service. The RFI specifically asks about companies' organic capacity, including the ownership of tugboats and barges, their plans for subcontracting or teaming if they are a small business, their viability for surge requirements, their capacity for asset replacement, the cargo history of their proposed barges (including experience with 'dirty' products and conversion to aviation fuel standards), tank coating types, and procedures for mitigating cross-contamination when switching between different fuel types. The government also seeks information on the commercial timelines and compensation structures for third-party cleaning services to remove residual water prior to loading aviation fuel. This announcement is strictly a Request for Information (RFI) for planning purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a commitment by the government. No contract will be awarded based on this RFI, and responses will not impact future evaluations. Any costs incurred by respondents are at their own risk. Proprietary information should be marked, but confidential information should not be submitted.