Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition

This document is a Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (J&A) for a bridge contract action by the U.S. Department of State, Acquisition Management activity.

The Department of State seeks to award a sole-source bridge contract to the incumbent contractor, NCS Pearson, Inc. (PearsonVUE), located at 5601 Green Valley Drive, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55437-1099, to provide continued test administration services for the Bureau of Personnel and Training, Talent Acquisitions, Board of Examiners (PERT/TAC/BEX) – Foreign Service Test Administration. The existing contract was modified on December 16, 2025 (Modification P00026), extending performance through June 9, 2026. This bridge action will ensure uninterrupted mission support while the Government completes a full and open competition for the follow-on requirement. The anticipated contract type is firm-fixed-price, with an estimated new contract award for the recompete acquisition on June 9, 2027.

The contractor shall provide continuous administering and delivering of validation of legally and professionally validated written examinations used as the initial screening tool for qualified Foreign Service Officer and Foreign Service Specialist candidates. These mission-critical services directly support requirements of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 and are essential to identifying qualified candidates for diplomatic service worldwide. The sole-source justification cites FAR 6.103-2 (Unusual and Compelling Urgency) as the statutory authority. PearsonVUE's unique qualifications include operational capacity, technical infrastructure, industry expertise for large-scale testing programs, established working relationships with the Board of Examiners and Department stakeholders, and the operational risks inherent in transitioning to a new contractor during the bridge period. A Request for Information was posted on SAM.gov (19AQMM-26-RFI-1001) to identify potential sources, with the Contracting Officer determining solicitation under NAICS 541910 (Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling).