Community And Regional Development R&D Services; Community Development; R&D Administrative Expenses

The PSC Category AB14 encompasses Community and Regional Development Research and Development (R&D) Services, focusing on community development initiatives and associated administrative expenses. These services typically involve sponsorships, workshops, and networking events designed to promote economic development, workforce training, and collaboration among various stakeholders. The category supports activities that aim to advance community-level objectives through strategic research, education, and professional development programs.

Recent federal contract awards in this PSC category primarily involve small-scale purchase orders ranging from $10,000 to $32,500, typically funded by the Department of Energy's Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. The awards consistently demonstrate support for minority-serving institutions, professional organizations, and educational entities such as Hampton University, the National Urban League, and the University of California Riverside. Most contracts are firm fixed-price purchase orders with no specific set-aside designations, and they support events like energy summits, professional development workshops, and conference sponsorships. The performance periods for these awards generally span several months to a year, with ultimate completion dates ranging from late 2022 to late 2025.

The most recent federal contract opportunity in this category is a pre-solicitation from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Commerce seeking market intelligence for establishing a National Network Coordination Hub for Microelectronics Education. This opportunity seeks to address workforce shortages in the microelectronics industry by developing a comprehensive national network. The solicitation is part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and aims to gather input on developing educational and workforce development strategies, creating diverse workforce pipelines, facilitating industry partnerships, and establishing performance metrics for a nationwide microelectronics education program.