Amendment_3_rev_0003.pdf

140D0426Q0260 Amendment 3

The purpose of this amendment 3 is to provide responses to questions submitted to the Contracting Officer, incorporate the mandatory clause FAR 52.222-90, extend the quote due date to May 18, 2026, and provide a copy of the updated Performance Work Statement, as follows:

Quotes are due May 18, 2026 at 11:00 11:00 EDT.

Questions & Answers Peace Corps Strat Recruitment Solicitation

April 21, 2026

1. Is it possible to hire the recruiter as a Graduate Assistant who works a 12-month contract at 50% instead of 50% full-time equivalent staff person? This would likely expand our options for recruitment. The costs would shake out almost the same, but for the Graduate Assistant part of the cost would come in lump sums for tuition remission.

Answer: Yes, that is possible. The Government cannot provide you with advice as to how your university structures the position, apply salary, indirect cost rates, or applies benefits to its employees.

2. Is it possible to make this role part of a new or existing full-time role as long as we recruit a RPCV to fulfill the role? Where 50% is focused on Peace Corps recruitment and the other 50% is focused on other job responsibilities and funded by other sources?

Answer: Yes. However, Peace Corps recruitment activities must take priority as scheduled.

3. On the budget tool I see a space for "Other Direct Costs"? Would contractors just include those costs on their quarterly invoice?

Answer: The Other Direct Costs space has been removed from the pricing template.

Please see revised Attachment D--Price Quote Template. The Government is looking for a fully burdened rate based on an hourly basis. We do not need to see any indirect rates.

Any other direct costs would be coordinated directly with the Peace Corps liaison after award. See response to question 20 for additional information.

4. Is there support for me as I complete the request? With no experience, I am hesitant to take this on without further guidance.

Answer: There is not any additional support other than what is outlined in the solicitation.

5. Can you share how competitive this is? I wonder if the time and effort is worth it if multiple universities per region apply and we might be at a disadvantage being from a less populated state as our regional counterparts.

Answer: We do not know how competitive it will be however in the past, there was a high rate of quote acceptance.

6. From my first read the material, it appears that we set the salary for the recruiter. Is that correct? And if so, the entire funding will come from the federal government and our only material contribution is essentially office space and office equipment (i.e. no salary contributions).

Answer: Correct. There is no limit to what you can request, and you should build any indirect cost rate(s) into your fully burdened rate quote taking into account customary salary rate of similarly situated salaries. The Government cannot provide you with advice as to how your university applies salary or indirect cost rates.

We recommend working with the university accounting office to determine the indirect cost rate.

The Service Contract Act (Wage Determination) does apply and rates have to be at or above the determination for their area. Wage Determinations can be found at:

https://sam.gov/wage-determinations

Further, the strategic campus recruiter role does not need to be filled with a student. The position can be filled by any individual as long as the individual is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. See section A.3 in the PWS regarding Hiring and Supervision of Peace Corps Campus Recruiter.

7. Will the person be eligible for benefits, and if so, who provides that part?

Answer: There is no limit to what you can request, and you should build any indirect cost rate(s) into your quote while taking into account customary salary rate of similarly situated salaries. The Government cannot provide you with advice as to how your university applies salary, indirect cost rates, or applies benefits to its part-time employees.

The Service Contract Act (Wage Determination) does apply and rates have to be at or above the determination for their area. Wage Determinations can be found at:

https://sam.gov/wage-determinations

8. If the minimum wage is $15.00. Will the University need to provide matching funds to bring the pay rate up to that amount?

Answer: The Government is looking for a fully burdened rate based on an hourly basis.

Fully burdened rate definition: A fully burdened rate is the total cost of employing one person for one hour, calculated by adding the employee’s base wages or salary to all employer related costs required to keep them on the job. It goes beyond the hourly wages and includes direct labor costs plus labor burden-the sum of payroll taxes, benefits, insurance, paid time, off training, equipment, and allocated overhead.

9. Are we correct to assume Attachments B & C (monthly reporting and mid-year and final reports, respectively) are an FYI for us and do not require a response from us?

Answer: Correct. They are reference attachments and are not required as part of the submission package.

10. Is there still time to apply and how much would it cost for a non-profit to possibly host a PC recruiter?

Answer: The procurement is open to U.S. higher education institutions that meet at least one of the following eligibility criteria:

- United States higher education institutions with at least 10,000 undergraduate students;

- Or institutions previously awarded a Strat contract with the Peace Corps.

Please note that solicitation 140D0426Q0260 has been amended and that the eligibility criteria is 10,000 undergraduates, not 20,000 as previously stated.

11. Do we need to pay to host a Peace Corps recruiter here. Or, if it is entirely federally funded?

Answer: This is a federally funded contract. The Government is looking for a fully burdened rate based on an hourly basis. There should be no other costs except for labor and any applicable indirect cost rate(s) built into the labor rate; if applicable. The Government does not anticipate Other Direct Costs and previous Peace Corps contracts for these services did not include Other Direct Costs (ex. travel, materials, equipment, etc.).

12. I noticed that the technical volume template is now asking for references. I wanted to check in-- given the length of our collaboration, do want references from our university?

If so, are you looking for internal references within the Peace Corps? Faculty? RPCVs?

Answer: You may use a past Peace Corps contract or any other source as a reference if it is relevant to the services outlined in this Request for Quote.

13. In reviewing, it says that this will be an email submission to you and to include the following three documents: The Quote, Attachment A, and Attachment D.

Answer: The emailed submission must include the completed Attachment A and Attachment D. The Pricing Quote shall contain the labor rate for each item quoted, extended totals, and Total Order amount (Firm Fixed Price).

14. I couldn’t join last week’s webinar because I was in the field in Costa Rica. Will a recording of the webinar be posted online?

Answer: Yes. The webinar link is:

https://peacecorps.zoomgov.com/rec/share/jbzv1jgCnjZIOwLy0PyaRDJjGBHpnFD-weolBu5J0VUURQ-0m8gqWt_oMMlIIIl8.Xrn-NOJsUvR6Ssw8

A summary of the webinar has also been provided with this amendment.

15. Should universities use the Indirect Cost rate that has been agreed upon for "Other sponsored projects” by the federal government and the universities’ research and sponsored projects offices when putting together their Price Proposal? Or are there specific indirect cost limits for this contract as has been the case in the past, with limits ranging from 8% to 15%.

Answer: There is no limit to what you can request, and you should build any indirect cost rate(s) into your fully burdened rate quote taking into account customary salary rate of similarly situated salaries. The Government cannot provide you with advice as to how your university applies salary or indirect cost rates.

We recommend working with the university accounting office to determine the indirect cost rate.

16. Could you please confirm if we should include an Indirect Cost line in the budget detail, as it is not currently a specified category on the Price Quote document?

Answer: The Government is looking for a fully burdened rate based on an hourly basis.

We do not need to see any indirect rates. You should build any applicable indirect cost rate(s) into your quote to the Government. The Government cannot provide you with advice as to how your university applies their indirect cost rate(s).

17. Should the Price Quote be submitted in Excel format?

Answer: Yes, please submit the Excel pricing template.

18. Is there a page limit for the technical volume?

Answer: The total page limit for the technical volume is 20 pages.

19. Should the Technical Volume be submitted in MS Word format or PDF format?

Answer: The technical volume can be submitted in MS Word format or PDF.

https://peacecorps.zoomgov.com/rec/share/jbzv1jgCnjZIOwLy0PyaRDJjGBHpnFD-weolBu5J0VUURQ-0m8gqWt_oMMlIIIl8.Xrn-NOJsUvR6Ssw8 https://peacecorps.zoomgov.com/rec/share/jbzv1jgCnjZIOwLy0PyaRDJjGBHpnFD-weolBu5J0VUURQ-0m8gqWt_oMMlIIIl8.Xrn-NOJsUvR6Ssw8

20. Under Section IV. CAMPUS RECRUITMENT STRATEGY PLAN, C. Recruitment activities Each contract year, the Campus Recruiter will plan and execute the following recruitment activities.

• Distribute agency approved brochures, posters, visual aids, and other Peace Corps recruitment materials to individuals, groups, associations, faculty, and targeted populations.

• Complete 40 class talks or presentations.

• Complete 4 application workshops, which coincide with Peace Corps’ application deadlines in October, January and April.

• Staff a recruitment table (e.g. university career fairs, other events with similar goals and/or tabling public, high-traffic areas on campus) 6 times.

• Organize and facilitate 4 retention events (e.g. send-off/welcome back volunteer parties, friends and family events, Peace Corps Week celebrations, and/or RPCV panels).

• Provide limited or ancillary recruitment services to the surrounding communities, including other educational institutions, as guided by Peace Corps.

Yellow Section: Currently in my work, and on the Attachment B (Monthly Reporting Template), the overall recruitment events should reach a minimum of 40 not specifically 40 class talks and presentations as stated in the "Recruitment activities" above. Which is correct? Also, it states 1 minimum Application Workshop not 4- as mentioned above.

Have the minimum number of specific events increased?

Orange section: We are also curious about what "ancillary recruitment service to surrounding communities, including other education institutions", would entail. I currently engage heavily with the local RPCV group and have presented at an AmeriCorps conference, for example, which involved leads outside of campus, but I am wondering how frequently this work outside of the school might be.

Answer: The requested recruitment strategy requested in Attachment A is a plan.

Finalized goals and deliverables will be shared during Strategic Campus Recruiter training for the new contract year. Attachment B is shared as a reference document. Any proposed recruitment services to surrounding communities, including other educational institutions will need to be approved in advance by the Peace Corps and if approved, will be limited in scope.

STRATs may be asked to attend recruitment events in the surrounding area, with prior authorization from the Peace Corps. A clear plan for recruitment activities and any necessary travel must be submitted in advance for approval. Any approved event that requires payment would be coordinated with recruiter liaison and the Peace Corps HQ office for direct payment.

• Any approved travel would be detailed prior to travel and would require official Peace Corps HQ approved Travel Authorization.

o With a Travel Authorization, the strat could travel within the parameters of the authorization.

o Upon completion of travel, the strat would submit receipts and proof of travel to the Peace Corps HQ office, as directed by and in coordination with the recruiter liaison.

o Reimbursement would be reviewed and processed for payment to strat directly.

o To facilitate direct payment, the strat must provide the Peace Corps HQ office with banking information and other relevant information.

21. I was unable to find the indirect cost limits for this solicitation. Can you please provide the percentage so we can include in our budgeting proposal.

Answer: There is no limit to what you can request, and you should build any indirect cost rate(s) into your fully burdened rate quote taking into account customary salary rate of similarly situated salaries. The Government cannot provide you with advice as to how your university applies salary or indirect cost rates.

22. We are working on the section about recruiter compensation. I have looked at the Department of Labor compensation standards, but I am having trouble identifying this particular position or a similar categorization to find the accurate rate information. Can you please provide more guidance on compensation minimums and benefit requirements?

Answer: The wage determinations specify the minimum rate applicable. The applicable labor category is 01020 Administrative Assistant which includes the minimum indirect rate for Health & Welfare benefits. There is no limit to what you can request, and you should build any indirect cost rate(s) into your quote while taking into account customary salary rate of similarly situated salaries. The Government cannot provide you with advice as to how your university applies salary, indirect cost rates, or applies benefits to its part-time employees.

23. Is there guidance on building out Attachment D, the Price Quote Template? For example, what are allowable expenses? Can we include expenses related to the purchase of marketing materials and signage? And, what are the allowable benefit expenses we can include for the recruiter staff position?

Answer: The Government is looking for a fully burdened rate based on an hourly basis.

There should be no other costs except for labor and any applicable indirect cost rate(s) built into the labor rate; if applicable. There is no limit to what you can request. Previous Peace Corps contracts for these services did not include Other Direct Costs (ex. travel, materials, equipment, etc.). Contract funds cannot be used to purchase food. The Strategic Recruiter can coordinate payment for event registrations and food with the Peace Corps recruiter. Peace Corps will pay directly for food and event registrations.

Refer to section B.1 of the performance work statement for items provided by the Peace Corps.

STRATs may be asked to attend recruitment events in the surrounding area, with prior authorization from the Peace Corps. A clear plan for recruitment activities and any necessary travel must be submitted in advance for approval. Any approved event that requires payment would be coordinated with recruiter liaison and the Peace Corps HQ office for direct payment.

• Any approved travel would be detailed prior to travel and would require official Peace Corps HQ approved Travel Authorization.

o With a Travel Authorization, the strat could travel within the parameters of the authorization.

o Upon completion of travel, the strat would submit receipts and proof of travel to the Peace Corps HQ office, as directed by and in coordination with the recruiter liaison.

o Reimbursement would be reviewed and processed for payment to strat directly.

o To facilitate direct payment, the strat must provide the Peace Corps HQ office with banking information and other relevant information.

Incorporate FAR clause 52.222-90, Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors (Deviation) (April 2026)

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause—

Program participation means membership or participation in, or access or admission to: training, mentoring, or leadership development programs; educational opportunities; clubs; associations;

or similar opportunities that are sponsored or established by the contractor or subcontractor.

Racially discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities means disparate treatment based on race or ethnicity in the recruitment, employment (e.g., hiring, promotions), contracting (e.g., vendor agreements), program participation, or allocation or deployment of an entity's resources.

(b) In connection with the performance of work under this contract, the Contractor agrees as follows:

(1) The Contractor will not engage in any racially discriminatory DEI activities;

(2) The Contractor will furnish all information and reports, including providing access to books, records, and accounts, as required by the Contracting Officer, for purposes of ascertaining compliance with this clause;

(3) In the event of the Contractor's or a subcontractor's noncompliance with this clause, this contract may be canceled, terminated, or suspended in whole or in part, and the Contractor or subcontractor may be declared ineligible for further Government contracts;

(4) The Contractor will report any subcontractor's known or reasonably knowable conduct that may violate this clause to the Contracting Officer and take any appropriate remedial actions directed by the Contracting Officer; and

(5) The Contractor will inform the Contracting Officer if a subcontractor sues the Contractor and the suit puts at issue, in any way, the validity of this clause.

(6) The Contractor recognizes that compliance with the requirements of this clause are material to the Government's payment decisions for purposes of 31 U.S.C. 3729(b)(4).

(c) The Contractor must include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (c), in subcontracts at any tier, including those for commercial products and commercial services, except those where the place of delivery or performance is outside the United States.

(End of clause)