Grades 6-12 Social Studies Databases

Amendment / Modification

This amendment extends the proposal due date and time for Solicitation HE125426QE030.

• Proposal Due Date: Extended from 21 April 2026 to 24 April 2026.

• Proposal Due Time: Extended from 10:00 AM to 08:00 AM EST.

• The proposal due date and time are modified.

• The deadline for submitting proposals has been extended to 24 April 2026 at 08:00 AM EST.

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This PWS outlines the requirements for providing Grades 6-12 Social Studies Standalone Databases and related support for the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoWEA) Information Centers systemwide. The goal is to procure digital library content/databases that align with DoWEA's secondary-level social studies curriculum, including AP courses.

• Databases: Provide vendor-hosted, Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) digital library content/databases with 100% full text, original content, and a variety of reference materials (government documents, primary sources, multimedia, etc.). Databases must be age-appropriate, easy to use, and compatible with various platforms. They must also be regularly updated and support secondary-level coursework in US/world history, government, economics, and current events.

• Product Training: Deliver three sets of 90-minute synchronous or asynchronous presentations (webinars or digital modules) to enable staff and students to use the databases effectively. Training content and delivery dates will be determined in consultation with DoWEA.

• General Requirements: Provide secure, standards-compliant digital resources that integrate with DoWEA's LMS (Schoology), Google Classroom, and ClassLink single sign-on. This includes responsive technical support, adherence to interoperability and security requirements, and accessible formats.

• Database access must be available 24/7/365, with minimal unscheduled downtime.

• Technical support requests must be acknowledged within one business day and resolved within five business days.

• Training feedback from at least 80% of responding staff must rate the training as satisfactory, good, or excellent.

• All digital resources must be PWS-compliant.

• Work shall be performed at the Contractor's facilities.

• Resources must be available for the life of the contract.

• Licensing: Per-student/staff model required; site-based or per-building licensing is not accepted.

• Accessibility: Resources must be accessible throughout school buildings and remotely, and comply with Section 508 standards.

• Security: Compliance with DoD and DoWEA cybersecurity requirements, including FedRAMP Level 2 standards, is mandatory. Data must be encrypted at rest and in transit. Contractor personnel must be US citizens and undergo privacy training.

• Integration: Solutions must integrate with DoWEA's LMS, Google Classroom, and ClassLink via SSO.

• Data Management: Mechanisms for batch administration, data integration, and secure data storage (in the US) are required.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for "6-12 Grades Social Studies Databases" and includes licensing, maintenance, technical support, and virtual professional learning and training. The North American Industry Classification Standard (NAICS) code is 519210, with a size standard of USD 21,000,000.00.

• Provision of Social Studies databases licensing.

• Maintenance of databases.

• Technical support for databases.

• Virtual professional learning and training.

• All services must be in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

• The contract is a Firm Fixed Price arrangement.

• The period of performance spans multiple years, with option line items extending from May 11, 2026, through May 10, 2031.

• Offer Due Date: April 21, 2026, at 10:00 AM.

• The solicitation incorporates FAR clauses 52.212-1 (Instructions to Offerors) and 52.212-2 (Evaluation) by reference, with the full text of these clauses available electronically.

• Evaluation will be based on price and other factors, with specific evaluation factors to be inserted by the Contracting Officer.

• The acquisition is currently set as UNRESTRICTED.

• The document includes numerous FAR and DFARS clauses incorporated by reference and in full text, covering various aspects such as contract administration, payment instructions (WAWF), cybersecurity requirements (CMMC), and representations and certifications.

• Several attachments are listed, including a Combined Synopsis, Performance Work Statement (PWS), Instructions to Offerors, Evaluation criteria, Pricing Template, DODEA Cloud Information Questionnaire, and Terms of Service Addendum.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a questionnaire designed to help the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) evaluate the compatibility of a vendor's cloud-based solution with DoD and DISA guidelines. It aims to facilitate a quick and effective evaluation of the vendor's cloud offering.

The questionnaire covers several key areas, including:

• Cloud Resource Website/URLs
• Client Systems and Software Configuration
• Privacy Information Data Collection and Distribution
• System Management and Security
• Data Storage, Retention, and Access
• Development and Change Management Process
• Audits and Standards
• Test and Development Environments
• Data Breach, Incident Investigation and Response

Vendors are instructed to answer all questions. Links to web pages are acceptable as supporting documentation, but not as a substitute for an answer. Proprietary or sensitive security information will be protected and not shared outside the US Government. Not answering a question is considered an unacceptable response.

This questionnaire is critical for any vendor proposing a cloud-based solution to DoDEA. The responses will directly inform DoDEA's evaluation of the vendor's ability to meet security, privacy, and operational requirements. Failure to adequately address these points may impact the evaluation and selection process.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "Attachment 7 - Terms of Service Addendum," serves as an addendum to the License Agreement or Terms of Use that offerors must submit with their proposals. It specifies terms that the Government finds unacceptable due to conflicts with Federal law or incompatibility with Government needs. If awarded a contract, the terms of this Addendum will supersede any conflicting terms in the offeror's original License Agreement.

This Addendum outlines specific clauses that are considered null and void or modified as follows:

• General Indemnity (by the government): Government will not indemnify; recourse must be through the Contract Disputes Act.
• Patent Indemnity (by the contractor): Contractor indemnifies the Government against infringement claims, with defense control under the U.S. Department of Justice.
• Automatic renewals: Not permitted; require prior express Government approval by a warranted contracting officer.
• Audit: Contractors cannot audit Government systems; Government may conduct self-audits at its discretion.
• Attorney fees and costs; equitable relief; arbitration: Not agreed to, except as permitted by statute (e.g., Prompt Payment Act). Binding arbitration is not allowed.
• Taxes: Government is not responsible for all taxes; any payable taxes must be submitted individually for adjudication or included in the firm-fixed price.
• Incorporating other License Terms by Reference: Terms not submitted with the proposal and made an attachment to the contract are not binding.
• Venue; Choice of Law: Government does not agree to specific venue, jurisdiction, or choice of law clauses; disputes governed by applicable federal statutes and regulations.
• Arbitration: Mandatory arbitration is not agreed to; disputes resolved per federal statutes and regulations.
• Equitable remedies, injunctions: Not agreed to, except as permitted by federal statutes.
• Unilateral termination by contractor for breach: Not permitted; recourse via Contract Disputes Act.
• Unilateral modification: Contractor cannot unilaterally change license terms.
• Assignment by licensor: Not agreed to, except as permitted by statute (e.g., Assignment of Claims Act).
• Confidentiality: Unit prices or license agreement terms are not considered confidential or proprietary; FOIA governs disclosure.
• User obligations: Government users are not bound by terms; the Government itself is the "User" for enforcement purposes.

Offerors must review these terms carefully. By submitting this Addendum with their proposal, they agree that in the event of a contract award, the terms of this Addendum will prevail over any conflicting terms in their original License Agreement. Failure to acknowledge and agree to these modified terms could impact proposal acceptance.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is an addendum to FAR 52.212-2, "Evaluation of Commercial Products and Commercial Services." It outlines the government's intended evaluation process and criteria for awarding a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract for commercial products and services.

• Quote Evaluation: Quoters must meet all solicitation requirements to be eligible for award. Failure to comply may result in removal from consideration.
• Evaluation Factors: The government will consider two factors: Technical Approach and Price.
• Relative Order of Importance: Technical approach is significantly more important than price. Price becomes the deciding factor only when technical ratings are nearly equal.
• Section 508 Acceptance: The government reserves the right to test ICT items for Section 508 conformance and may require remediation if claims do not match actual conformance. Non-compliance may lead to ineligibility for award.
• Evaluation Criteria:
  • Factor 1 – Technical Approach: Evaluated based on compliance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and functional requirements. Ratings include Outstanding, Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Unacceptable, with corresponding risk levels.
  • Factor 2 – Price: Evaluated separately for reasonableness. The total evaluated price will be based on the sum of all prices quoted, including options. Incomplete pricing may result in rejection. Unbalanced option prices may lead to an unacceptable offer.

This document is critical for bidders as it details how their quotes will be evaluated. Understanding the relative importance of technical approach versus price, the specific criteria for each factor, and the Section 508 compliance requirements is essential for preparing a competitive and compliant proposal.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is an addendum to FAR 52.212-1, providing instructions for Quoters to prepare and submit quotations for commercial products and commercial services. It emphasizes the need for thorough review of the solicitation and all attachments.

• Quotations must provide convincing rationale addressing how the Quoter intends to meet requirements, not just restate them.

• Specific requirements for Section 508 Compliance include providing an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) for each offered Information and Communication Technology (ICT) item, using the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) Version 2.1 or later.

• Quoters must describe their approach to incorporating universal design principles and plans for features not fully conforming to Section 508 Standards.

• Technical Capability volume requires a narrative demonstrating understanding and capability to perform PWS requirements, including methodology and approach for providing databases with specified functionality.

• Digital resources must be accessible via URL and login for five individuals for evaluation purposes.

• The period of acceptance of offers is 120 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers.

• Due Date/Time: 21 April 2026 at 10:00am EST.

• Submission Method: Via email to Ms. Tiffany Brown (Tiffany.Brown@dodea.edu) and Ms. Hillary Turnbull (Hillary.Turnbull@dodea.edu).

• Questions/Clarifications Deadline: 14 April 2026 at 8:00am EST. Inquiries must be in writing.

• Quotation Format: Standard 8 ½" x 11" paper. Specific font sizes are required for text and graphics. Both sides of a sheet count as two pages.

• Quotation Volumes & Page Limitations:

  • Volume I: Administrative Cover Letter (8 pages max)
  • Volume II: Factor 1 - Technical Capability (10 pages max)
  • Volume III: Factor 2 - Pricing Quotation (No Page Limit)

• Evaluation: The Government reserves the right to reject quotations with insufficient information or incomplete pricing. Quotes with items in the technical volume not included in the pricing schedule may be excluded.

• Quoters must be registered and current in the System for Award Management (SAM) database.

• Failure to submit required information or comply with instructions may result in rejection.

• Password-protected documents will render the quote ineligible.

• A consolidated list of questions and answers will be provided via a SAM.gov amendment.

• Quoters must acknowledge any issued amendments by signing and returning the SF30.

• The signed cover letter for Volume I must include specific information such as Name, TIN, UEI, Address, Cage Code/NAICS, POC, Quote/Solicitation Number, and statements of agreement, validity, and any assumptions/conditions/exceptions.

• Completed Attachments 5, 6, and 7 are required in Volume I.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products, specifically Grades 6-12 Social Studies Databases. It serves as the only solicitation, and no separate written solicitation will be issued. The acquisition is being conducted as a Request for Quote (RFQ) under NAICS code 519210.

Attachments to this solicitation contain a list of line-item numbers, items, quantities, units of measure for the base year, and four option years. These attachments also include a description of requirements for the items, as well as details on dates, delivery, and acceptance.

Not explicitly stated in this document, but it references attachments for details on the base year and option years.

• Questions Deadline: Submit electronically no later than 8:00 a.m. EST, April 14, 2026.
• Quotes Deadline: Submit via email to Hillary Turnbull (Hillary.turnbull@dodea.edu) and Tiffany Brown (Tiffany.brown@dodea.edu) no later than 10:00 a.m. EST, April 21, 2026. The email subject line must be "Quotes for HE125426QE030".
• Late quotes will not be accepted.
• Quotes and all attachments must be virus-free, legible, signed, and dated.

This acquisition is not set aside for small business concerns.

• The solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses by reference, accessible at www.acquisition.gov. These are effective through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2025-06.
• The Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer are the sole points of contact. Communication with other officials may compromise the acquisition's integrity.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is Attachment 5, a pricing template for the "Grades 6-12 Social Studies Databases" opportunity. Bidders are expected to use this template to provide their pricing details.

• The template outlines pricing for a Base Year and four Option Years.
• For each year, it includes line items (CLINs) with specified quantities for a 'Package' unit of issue.
• Fields are provided for Unit Price and Line Item Cost, which bidders must complete.
• A "PROPOSAL GRAND TOTAL" section is included for the sum of the Base and all Option Years.

This attachment is critical for bidders to accurately propose their pricing structure in accordance with the solicitation's requirements. Completing this template correctly is essential for proposal submission and evaluation.