Notice of Intent to Sole Source: DEOMI American Council on Education (ACE) Learning Evaluation
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA) intends to award a sole source, Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract to the American Council on Education (ACE) for the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) Learning Evaluation. This special notice advises interested parties that the government plans to proceed with a non-competitive procurement under the authority of FAR Deviation 12.201-1 and 41 U.S.C. §1901. Capability statements are due by March 16, 2026.
Scope of Work
The contract requires services to support DEOMI's triennial review of its curriculum for college credit recommendations by ACE. The selected contractor (ACE) will provide:
- An evaluation methodology.
- Necessary personnel and management.
- Required materials and information technology infrastructure.
- Equipment to fulfill accreditation and credit recommendations aligned with the College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT®). The evaluation will be performed virtually, with the contractor responsible for providing their own workspace.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Sole Source, Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract.
- Authority: FAR Deviation 12.201-1 and 41 U.S.C. §1901.
- Period of Performance: Anticipated 4 months.
- Set-Aside: None (Sole Source).
- Capability Statement Due: March 16, 2026, 1:00 PM UTC.
- Published: March 4, 2026.
Evaluation & Response
This is not a request for competitive quotes, and no solicitation will be made available. However, sources interested in challenging the sole source basis must submit a capability statement.
- Content: Sufficient detail and convincing evidence demonstrating the capability to provide the required services.
- Format: Not to exceed 25 pages, using a font size no smaller than 12-point.
- Submission: Email as a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF to the Contracting Officer. The government will consider all received capability statements to determine if a competitive procurement is feasible. Information submitted will not be paid for.
Additional Notes
The Justification and Approval (J&A) document further explains the rationale for this sole source award to ACE, detailing the specific courses/exams to be evaluated. While this opportunity is currently justified for sole source, the government has stated its intention to continue searching for competitive opportunities in the future for similar services.