Consortium Membership and Assessment Licensing

This is a notice of intent to award on a sole source basis and is not a request for competitive proposals or quotations. The Government retains sole discretion in determining whether to compete this requirement. Responses to this notice are voluntary, and the Government will not reimburse any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of information.

The Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) requires consortium membership and associated assessment licensing services to support its educational assessment program. The contractor shall provide membership in an assessment consortium with access to proprietary computer-adaptive assessments in English language arts/literacy and mathematics for grades 3–7, including related instructional and accessibility resources. The requirement also includes participation in consortium governance, access to validated assessment tools, and support for longitudinal student performance tracking. Services must ensure compatibility with DoWEA’s existing test delivery platform and include necessary technical support and maintenance.

The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 611710, Educational Support Services, and the applicable Product Service Code (PSC) is U009, Education/Training - General.

DoWEA intends to award a sole-source contract pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 3204(a), as implemented by FAR 6.103(a), on the basis that only one responsible source can meet the Government’s requirement. The Regents of the University of California, acting as the operational and fiscal agent for the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), is the only entity capable of providing the required consortium membership and access to its proprietary adaptive assessment system, including its secure item banks and psychometric framework. No other vendor possesses the legal authority or technical capability to provide equivalent services without resulting in unacceptable delays or substantial duplication of costs.

The anticipated contract type is a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a five-year period of performance consisting of a one-year base period and four one-year option periods. Additional details regarding the requirement are provided in the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS) and Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (J&A).

Attachments:

1. Draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) - Consortium Membership and Assessment Licensing
2. Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (J&A)