U.S. Army Continuing Education System (ACES) Centralized Education Support Services

Sources Sought Notice

This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes to gauge industry interest and capabilities for United States Army Continuing Education Program Support Services. It is not a Request for Quote (RFQ), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Proposal (RFP), and does not commit the U.S. Government to a future contract. The government is seeking information to determine if the requirement can be set aside for small businesses.

The government is procuring Army Continuing Education Program Support Services, as described in the attached DRAFT Performance Work Statement and DRAFT Technical Exhibit 1. These services support a small business program and involve staffing over 70 locations across the U.S., Japan, and Korea.

Interested businesses are requested to provide information regarding their firm's capabilities, small business status, intent to compete, experience with similar requirements, pricing information, and recommendations for structuring the contract to facilitate competition. Specific questions are posed regarding financial stability, personnel recruiting and retention, global staffing and continuity of operations, OCONUS operations and SOFA expertise, quality control, and technical/virtual service delivery. Responses should be submitted via email no later than 12:00 p.m. (CDT) on 01 April 2026. Questions regarding the synopsis are due by 12:00 p.m. (CDT) on 01 April 2026.

The government is particularly interested in responses from small businesses in all socioeconomic categories (including 8(a), Small Disadvantaged Business, HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, and Women-Owned Small Business concerns) to support a potential set-aside. The anticipated NAICS code is 611710, Educational Support Services, with a size standard of $24M. Vendors suggesting an alternative NAICS code must provide justification.

• The current contract is W9124J-21-C-0019, held by Indtai, Inc., with a period of performance from July 21, 2021, to January 27, 2027, and a total value of $123,384,725.56.
• Responses should not exceed 10 pages, single-spaced, 12-point font.
• Submissions are due by 12:00 p.m. (noon) (CDT) on 14 April 2026.

Sources Sought Notice

This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes to gauge market interest and identify potential small business capabilities for United States Army Continuing Education Program Support Services. It does not constitute a Request for Quote (RFQ), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Proposal (RFP), nor does it commit the U.S. Government to a contract.

The U.S. Army Continuing Education System (ACES) requires support services for Headquarters, U.S. Army Installation Management Command (HQ IMCOM). The attached DRAFT Performance Work Statement (PWS) and DRAFT Technical Exhibit 1 (CME Workload Spreadsheet) outline the scope of work. Key areas of interest include:

• Providing education support services across over 70 locations in the U.S., Japan, and Korea.

• Ensuring financial stability to manage cash flow for a large-scale contract.

• Recruiting, qualifying, and retaining personnel with specific education and experience requirements.

• Managing global staffing and ensuring continuity of operations, including rapid phase-in and providing trained substitutes.

• Handling Overseas Operations and Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) processes in Korea and Japan.

• Implementing an effective Quality Control Plan (QCP) for a geographically dispersed service contract.

• Delivering education support services through both in-person and virtual modalities, utilizing approved Army platforms.

• Anticipated NAICS Code: 611710, Educational Support Services, with a size standard of $24M.

• The current contract (W9124J-21-C-0019) is held by Indtai, Inc., with a period of performance from July 21, 2021, to January 27, 2027, and a total value of $123,384,725.56.

• Interested small businesses are encouraged to identify their capabilities. Responses should include firm information, intent to compete, subcontracting plans, relevant experience, pricing information, recommendations for structuring requirements to facilitate competition, and any conditions restricting competition.

• Vendors are also asked to provide recommendations to improve the approach/specifications/draft PWS/PRS and any questions regarding the PWS.

• Specific questions regarding financial stability, personnel recruiting/qualification/retention, global staffing/continuity of operations, OCONUS operations/SOFA expertise, quality control, and technical/virtual service delivery are requested.

• Responses are limited to 10 pages (single-spaced, 12-point font).

• This notice is specifically seeking responses from small businesses in all socioeconomic categories (including 8(a), Small Disadvantaged Business, HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB) to support a potential small business set-aside.

• If fewer than two qualified small businesses respond with sufficient information, the government may not be able to set aside the requirement.

• Questions due: 01 April 2026, 12:00 p.m. CDT.

• Submissions due: 14 April 2026, 12:00 p.m. CDT.

• Submittals will not be returned. Not responding does not preclude future participation.

• Any solicitation, if released, will be synopsized on the Governmentwide Point of Entry.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

To provide education support services to assist Government professionals in delivering adult education programs at CONUS and OCONUS Army locations, promoting lifelong learning opportunities for Soldiers and other eligible personnel.

Services include counseling, credentialing/licensure, testing, instruction, technological/automation services, and administration support. The contractor will support various ACES programs and services, including reception and administration, education counseling, test examination, automation and technology services, instructor services, and multi-use learning facility coordination.

Performance will be evaluated based on accuracy, timeliness, and customer satisfaction. Specific metrics include 98% on-time deliverables, 98% accuracy for deliverables, and 95% accuracy for location-based services. Contractor performance will be documented and used for objective ratings, with trends of less than acceptable performance potentially leading to reductions in monthly payments.

The contract includes a 12-month base period (with a 2-month phase-in and 10-month performance) and four 12-month option periods. A 2-month phase-out period is also included. Services will be performed at designated Government Education Centers and Army Learning Centers, as listed in Attachment 3, Active Duty (AD) Army Education Support Locations.

Contractors must comply with security requirements, including Anti-Terrorism (AT) Level I training, Information Assurance (IA) training, and obtaining Common Access Cards (CACs). Personnel must meet specific education and experience requirements for various roles. The contractor must also develop and maintain a Quality Control Plan (QCP) and adhere to the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP).

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document is a matrix containing questions and answers related to the W9124J-26-R-ACES U.S. Army Continuing Education System (ACES) Centralized Education Support Services opportunity. It serves to clarify aspects of the solicitation documents, such as the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

This document is a matrix of questions and answers. The provided text only includes the header row for the matrix and does not contain any specific questions or government responses. Therefore, no major clarifications can be summarized from the provided content.

As the content of the questions and answers is not provided, it is not possible to determine if any requirements, due dates, or submission rules were affected by this document.