2.1 DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS

A.1. INTRODUCTION

The Peace Corps intends to award multiple contracts organized into eight geographic sub‑regions, to strengthen national recruitment coverage and improve the Agency’s ability to meet recruitment priorities, goals, and objectives.

The Peace Corps intends to establish at least one Strat institution in each subregion, expected to range between approximately 1 and 8 Strat institutions per region, depending on competition, institutional capacity, and alignment with recruitment needs.

This procurement is open to U.S. higher education institutions that meet at least one (1) 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.

The Peace Corps seeks to establish national coverage and a balanced portfolio of universities participating in the Strat program to strengthen the agency’s recruitment structure across the United States.

Historically, larger institutions and prior Strat participants have demonstrated stronger recruitment performance outcomes, including higher lead and applicant volume, stronger conversion rates, and greater alignment with Peace Corps’ recruitment goals.

A.1.1. Regional Structure of Strat Program To ensure balanced national coverage, the Peace Corps has divided the United States into eight sub-regions. This structure allows the Agency to:

• Promote equitable regional representation aligned with agency recruitment needs,

• Establish national Strat coverage, with at least 1 institution in each sub-region.

• Allow between 1 and 8 Strat institutions to be awarded in each sub-region, approximately; and

• Build a balanced portfolio of participating institutions capable of contributing to Agency’s recruitment priorities, goals, and objectives.

The eight (8) Strat Sub-Regions are:

(1) East North Central (4 states):

• Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio

(2) Mid‑Atlantic (8 states + DC):

• New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia

(3) Mountain (8 states):

• Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming

(4) New England (6 states):

• Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

(5) Pacific (5 states):

• Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington

Page | 1

(6) South – East – Central / Atlantic (8 states):

• Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina

(7) South – West – Central (4 states):

• Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

(8) West North Central (8 states)

• Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin

A.2. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

A.2.1. Peace Corps Campus Recruitment Office The Contractor shall establish a Peace Corps Campus Recruiting space on campus and provide access to the following campus resources:

• Physical office space with Peace Corps branded signage located in an area that is accessible and highly visible to students. Convenient private space must be easily accessible for the Campus Recruiter to conduct confidential meetings. The Contractor will furnish a bulletin board or some other form of highly visible posting area, a designated telephone (with some form of voice-messaging service), a computer with MS Office Suite software and access to the Internet, office supplies, and access to copier. The Campus Recruiter is forbidden to use a personally owned computer for Peace Corps business.

• Access to the university’s room scheduling system so that the Campus Recruiter can reserve larger conference rooms for periodic General Information Meetings and other events, as necessary.

• Online listing for the Peace Corps Campus Recruitment Office in the appropriate category within the institution's Internet webpages. The listing includes the Campus Recruiter's name as well as office location, email address, phone number, recruiter office hours, links to the Peace Corps’ website and online resources (i.e., Peace Corps social media sites).

• Direct access or liaison access (via sponsoring university organizations) to email or postal addresses and/or boxes for all faculty, students, and campus associations for the purpose of transmitting special recruitment announcements from the Peace Corps.

• University parking permit for Campus Recruiter if it is a standard part of university employee hiring package. Availability of university parking permits for guests.

• Free access to, or reduced fees for, university-sponsored career fairs and campus media outlets.

If a university is not able to secure free or reduced fees for university-sponsored career fairs or campus media outlets, the costs may be included within their pricing proposal.

• Virtual Platform: Access to a virtual recruitment technical platform (example Zoom, Teams, etc.)

that is to permit virtual sessions as well as in person sessions.

Page | 2

A.3 Hiring and Supervision of Peace Corps Campus Recruiter The Contractor shall interview and hire a part-time (20 hours per week) Campus Recruiter to staff the Campus Recruitment Office and coordinate campus recruitment activities. Final offers to select the Campus Recruiter can be initiated upon the execution of the contract .

The Campus Recruiter must be a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV), who is approved by the

Peace Corps and is to be paid a fair and reasonable hourly rate plus the fringe benefits the Contractor typically offers its part-time employees or graduate students, as the case may be.

If the contractor is unable to hire a Campus Recruiter due to the RPCV requirement, they may submit a RPCV status exemption request for that contract year to the Peace Corps.

Please use the Peace Corps Campus Recruiter job description template to advertise and promote the position (to be provided after contract award).

The Contractor shall assign an institutional employee to work as the supervisor for the Campus Recruiter.

Supervisory responsibilities include ensuring the Campus Recruiter is aware of, and working in, a responsible and professional manner to fulfill his or her recruitment strategies and activities. A Peace Corps staff member will work closely with the Campus Recruiter and Supervisor to help ensure they meet the recruitment objectives.

A.4 Campus Recruitment Strategy Plan

The Campus Recruitment Strategy Plan will be focused on achieving recruitment targets that will be shared with the school during training, such as:

1. Conduct 40 unique recruitment events that align with Peace Corps’ service sectors.

Unique recruitment events include any of the following types of events (order based on importance):

o Information tables (ex: career fairs – held in high traffic/target event or areas) o Class or club talk o Application workshops o Information session – general or sector specific o Retention event (either Friends & Family or Welcome Back/Send Off) o Panel event

2. Conduct public office hours o Minimum of 2 hours per week for a total minimum of 72 hours per year

3. Conduct 20 unique partnership connections

4. Generate a minimum total of 200 new leads throughout the year.

5. Generate a minimum of 16 applications for each new school, and produce 15% more applications year‑over‑year for all returning Strat schools, as well as for new schools in future option years.

Page | 3

6. Email marketing for Strats - Peace Corps has the technical functionality to send targeted marketing emails to students at Strat schools from our internal lead management system, PCrm.

These emails will appear to be written and sent by the Strat (school employee), and recipients can reply directly to the Strat’s school email address.

o The goal of this email marketing is to use our technology to amplify the marketing and promotion reach of each Strat with regard to leads at their school, and to reduce the amount of administrative time that Strats spend writing and sending mass emails to their existing leads regarding upcoming events.

Peace Corps will coordinate director with vendors to finalize submitted Plans within 60 days after the Strat is in the position.

A.5 Monthly Progress, Mid-year and Final Reports Monthly Report: The Contractor shall ensure the Campus Recruiter submits monthly progress reports to the designated Peace Corps representative, or saves this report in a specific location as directed by the Peace Corps, by the 5th of each month.

o Each report should reflect steady progress toward completion of the contract deliverables.

If the 5th is a weekend, the report is due on the next business day.

o Please see Attachment B for a sample monthly reporting template. The actual monthly report format to be used throughout the performance period will be provided to the Campus Recruiter at the beginning of every academic year.

Mid-Year Report: Contractor shall submit a mid-year report to the designated Peace Corps contact by the 2nd of January.

o The mid-year report format and required information will be provided to the Campus

Recruiter at the beginning of every academic year.

Final Report: the Contractor shall submit a final report to the designated Peace Corps contact within 2 weeks of the last day of Spring finals.

o The final report format and required information will be provided to the Campus Recruiter at the beginning of every academic year.

A.6 Expected Results

A.6.1 PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS – tied to payment:

(A) A Strat Recruiter is hired and is working on average 20 hours per week.

NOTE: If a Strat Recruiter is not hired, hired late in the contract work year, or leaves before the end of the contractual work year, the University shall only bill Peace Corps and Peace Corps will only pay for the time period a Strat has been working.

Payment will be pro-rated based on the following Payment Formula:

• # of weeks in a Year that the school has committed to having a Strat work per the contract

DIVIDED by the overall Annual Contract $$’s= $$’s per week.

• Payment will be pro-rated based on # of weeks a Strat is hired and working.

• Full Payment= # Weeks Committed in Contract (same as # of Weeks Worked) x $$’s per week

Page | 4

• Partial Payment= # of Weeks Worked x $$’s per week.

(B) The Campus Recruiter will establish hours of operation for the campus recruitment office, with a minimum of 2 hours per week set and posted as public office hours to meet with potential and current applicants.

(C) The Campus Recruiter is expected to respond to Peace Corps and campus staff in a timely manner, as well as attend regularly scheduled meetings initiated by Peace Corps.

(D) Office space and supporting material/resources as detailed in the Contract are provided by the University to the Strat.

(E) The Contractor will inform the Peace Corps if they are unable to hire a Strategic Campus

Recruiter within 90 days after contract execution or in the event of a vacancy during the performance period.

(F) The contractor will be responsible for the full hiring process, including posting the position, interviewing applicants, and selecting for the position.

(G) The Strat Recruiter has:

• Taken the mandatory Strat Training(s)

• Submitted Recruitment Plan(s) in the format and by the deadline provided by Peace Corps for review and approval

• Submitted Monthly Reports in format and by the deadline provided by Peace Corps

• Submitted a Mid-Year Report in format and by the deadline provided by Peace Corps

• Submitted a Final Year-End Report in format and by the deadline provided by Peace Corps.

A.7 PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS – to be used to determine option year approval:

(A) Quality of the approved/final Recruitment Plan(s)

During the mandatory Strat Training, Peace Corps will provide guidance on activities and deliverables to include in the Recruitment Plan(s) along with recruitment targets.

This guidance will include targets such as:

i. # and type of Recruitment Events / activities

ii. # of office hours

iii. Target # of Leads

iv. Target # of Applications

(B) Overall execution and results in relation to the Recruitment Plan approved by the Peace Corps

Page | 5

(C) Complete monthly, mid-year, and final reports submitted by the deadlines (or by approved alternative date agreed upon by the Peace Corps)

(D) Strat and/or University point of contact (Strat Administrator/Strat Supervisor) attendance of assigned Peace Corps training)

A.8 Reduction of Contract Payments

(A) Notwithstanding any other payment provision of this contract, failure of the Contractor to hire a

Strat in a timely manner, failure to submit required reports when due or any other failure to deliver, may result in the reduction of payments under this contract. For example, not having an active Strat on the job for a portion of an invoice period, will result in a reduced payment.

Exceptions to this reduction in payment will be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account mitigating circumstances beyond the Contractor’s control and without fault or negligence on the part of the Contractor e.g. acts of God.

(B) Peace Corps, in the interest of equity, will reduce payments in an amount commensurate with the percentage of the 20 hours per week worked e.g. if Strat works 50% of hours (10 hours per week) the payment will be reduced by a commensurate 50%.

(C) If the Peace Corps intends to reduce a payment of any voucher or invoice in full to $0, it shall promptly notify the Contractor of its intention to do so. However, if only a portion(s) of the invoice are being reduced, then the voucher may be processed without notification to the Contractor, in order to prevent delay in payment

B. PEACE CORPS RESPONSIBILITIES

B.1 The Peace Corps will:

• Review and approve the Contractor’s Recruitment Plan(s).

• Provide Peace Corps recruitment materials to the Campus Recruiter, including printed material, visual aids, and digital resources.

• Provide Peace Corps promotional material to the Campus Recruiter to support their recruitment efforts on campus.

• Provide dashboard Campus Recruiter/Strat recruitment metrics

• Provide training for the Peace Corps Campus Recruiter to accurately inform the student population about Peace Corps program skill needs, length of service, benefits, and legal and medical guidelines. In addition, Campus Recruiters will learn how to assist Peace Corps applicants with the application process - including how to select a position based on their interests and skill sets.

• Provide transport and per diem funds for Peace Corps Campus Recruiter's authorized travel to

Peace Corps offices for training and/or meetings and/or to Peace Corps organized Strategic Recruiter specific trainings/meetings/events held at other locations as applicable.

Page | 6

• Assign a Peace Corps staff member to work closely with the Campus Recruiter and Supervisor to ensure objectives of the contract are met.

• Ensure that the assigned Peace Corps staff member will establish and facilitate regular performance and planning meetings with the Campus Recruiter.

• Provide reporting templates to the contractor.

• Provide programming information and performance data regarding trends in program openings and the application pipeline so that the contractor has the necessary information to execute terms of contract.

• Provide a monthly Strat recruitment metrics dashboard.

C. DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

C.1. Period of Performance The period of performance (POP) for this requirement is one (1) base year and up to four one-year options for a yearly period of August 1 – July 31.

C.2. Deliverables See Section A for full information and listing. All written deliverables shall also be submitted electronically to the appropriate Peace Corps assigned point of contact(s) from the Volunteer Recruitment and Selection Office.

C.3. Place of Performance The place of performance for this requirement is the United States, or U.S. Territories and Outlying Areas.

In the Performance of this contract, the contractor may work remotely ‘telework’ within the Unites States, or U.S. Territories and Outlying Areas. The contractor shall communicate with the Government employees via telephone, email, and virtual meeting platforms. The Government will not be responsible for any additional costs associated with working remotely.

D. SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

D.1. Invoices Electronic invoices with accompanying PDF attachments shall be submitted through the Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform system (IPP) on a quarterly basis. Invoices for each respective quarters can be submitted quarterly. Invoices must be submitted only after the performance and billing period end date. Additional guidance will be provided by the Contracting Officer during the contract awarding process.

D.2. Personnel The Contractor will hire and supervise a part-time Campus Recruiter to staff the Recruitment Office and coordinate campus recruitment activities. The hired Campus Recruiter will be supervised by an institutional employee assigned by the Contractor. Supervisory responsibilities include ensuring that the Campus Recruiter is aware of and working in a responsible and professional manner to fulfill his or her recruitment strategies and activities.

Page | 7

D.3. Use of Peace Corps Name and Logo (Nov 2008) The Contractor shall make no publicity announcements or issue other public relations or promotional materials mentioning the Contractor’s connection with Peace Corps without first consulting with the Contracting Officer. Furthermore, the Contractor shall not use the Peace Corps name and/or logo in conjunction with, or proximity to, the Contractor’s logo, trademark, trade name or facsimile thereof (co-branding) without the advance written concurrence of the Contracting Officer.

D.4. Personnel Security Requirements (Nov 2005) It is the policy of Peace Corps to exclude from engagement via contractual relationship, including subcontracts, any individuals who have engaged in intelligence activity or related work or who have been employed by or connected with an intelligence agency either directly or by way of contract.

(a) Each Campus Recruiter is required to complete a background investigation in accordance with University hiring procedures for new staff.

(b) Once hired, the continuation of a Strat’s employment is contingent on the ability of the University to receive a favorable adjudication from the background investigation in accordance with the University hiring procedures for new staff. In the event that a Strat is not cleared through the background check process, their employment will be terminated. Any delay in submission of background check documents may result in termination of employment.

(c) Peace Corps forbids contractual relationships with any individuals who have engaged in intelligence activity or related work or who have been employed by or connected with an intelligence agency either directly or by way of contract, including subcontracts. If the Contracting Officer, via a determinations & finding memo, concludes a Strategic Recruiter has worked in the intelligence community, the employment will be terminated.

D.5. Observance of Legal Holidays and Administrative Leave (DATE)

(A) Holidays

1. Peace Corps observes the following days as holidays—

New Year's Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day President's Day Memorial Day Juneteenth Independence Day

Labor Day Columbus Day Veteran’s Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day

Any other day designated by Federal law, Executive Order or Presidential Proclamation.

2. When any holiday specified in (a)(1) falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday shall be observed.

When any such holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be observed.

Observances of such days by Government personnel shall not be cause for additional period of performance or entitlement to compensation except as set forth in the contract. If the contractor's personnel work on a holiday, no form of holiday or other premium compensation will be reimbursed either as a direct or indirect cost, unless authorized pursuant to an overtime clause elsewhere in this contract.

(B) Closures

1. Peace Corps may close a Peace Corps facility for all or a portion of a business day as a result of-

Page | 8

(a) Granting administrative leave to non-essential Peace Corps employees (e.g., unanticipated holiday);

(b) Inclement weather;

(c) Failure of Congress to appropriate operational funds;

(d) Or any other reason.

2. In such cases, contractor personnel not classified as essential, i.e., not performing critical round-the-clock services or tasks, who are not already on duty at the facility, shall not report to the facility. Such contractor personnel already present shall be dismissed and shall leave the facility.

3. The contractor agrees to continue to provide sufficient personnel to perform round-the-clock requirements of critical tasks already in operation or scheduled for performance during the period in which Peace Corps employees are dismissed, and shall be guided by any specific instructions of the Contracting Officer or his/her duly authorized representative.

(C) When contractor personnel services are not required or provided due to closure of a Peace Corps facility as described in this clause, the contractor shall be compensated as follows—

1. For fixed-price contracts, deductions in the contractor’s price will be computed as follows—

(a) The deduction rate in dollars per day will be equal to the per month contract price divided by 21 days per month.

(b) The deduction rate in dollars per day will be multiplied by the number of days services are not required or provided.

If services are provided for portions of days, appropriate adjustment will be made by the Contracting Officer to ensure that the contractor is compensated for services provided.

D.6 Executive Orders

Peace Corps requires that the vendor comply with all federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) requirements in execution if this requirement, including but not limited to the latest Executive Order titled, "Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors" dated 3/26/2026.

2.2 GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY

Government-Furnished Property will not be provided under this purchase order.

A.8 Reduction of Contract Payments

B. PEACE CORPS RESPONSIBILITIES