Procurement of Research Evaluation and Statistics Task Orders (PRESTO)

The Procurement of Research Evaluation and Statistics Task Orders (PRESTO) is a multiple-award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle established by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) within the U.S. Department of Education. The contract supports IES's mission of providing independent research, evaluation, and statistical services across various educational domains. Based on the original solicitation, the vehicle encompasses five primary scope categories: education sciences support activities, assessment development support, communications and outreach, recruitment, and operational support. The $2 billion contract allows for task orders to be awarded to multiple prime contractors, with vendors required to be approved in specific scope categories to bid on work.

Task orders under PRESTO exhibit significant diversity in scope, typically ranging from $500,000 to $62 million, with performance periods between 1-5 years. Frequently awarded prime contractors include non-profit research organizations like American Institutes for Research (AIR), Research Triangle Institute (RTI), and for-profit entities such as Mathematica Inc., Sanametrix Inc., and The Manhattan Strategy Group. Most task orders support the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and focus on activities like international education studies, civil rights data collection, longitudinal survey support, technical assistance, and program evaluation. While many awards do not have set-aside designations, some task orders are designated for small businesses, particularly woman-owned and minority-owned small businesses. Performance locations are predominantly in Washington, D.C., with some work occurring in locations like Denver, Colorado, and research facilities across the United States.