SS_031326.pdf

Sources Sought(SS) for Information Technology Support Services(ITSS)

Response Date: 20 March 2026, 12:00 PM EST

Issued By: Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA), Procurement Division - Information Technology Branch

1. Purpose and Disclaimer

The Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) issuing this Sources Sought in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 to conduct market research. The purpose of this Sources Sought is to gather information and input from industry to help refine our requirements for enterprise-wide IT support services (ITSS) and to better understand current commercial best practices.

This announcement is for informational and planning purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), a solicitation, or a Request for Quote (RFQ). The Government does not intend to award a contract based on this SS.

To be clear:

• This SS is a market research tool, not a solicitation. The Government is seeking industry's expertise and feedback on the attached draft documents and questions below.

• Do not submit proposals, quotes, or pricing information. The Government will not evaluate, nor entertain, any unsolicited proposals or offers received in response to this SS.

Any such submissions will be discarded.

• Participation in this SS is not a prerequisite for participation in any future solicitation. A response to this SS will not be considered as an offer and will not be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.

Participation is entirely voluntary. The Government will not compensate respondents for any costs incurred in preparing or submitting a response to this SS. All proprietary information should be clearly marked as such and will be handled accordingly.

2. Requirement Overview

DoWEA is contemplating a requirement to acquire comprehensive IT support services for its global enterprise. Services include, but are not limited to, a centralized Service Desk, endpoint device support, systems and network administration, cybersecurity operations, and classroom technology support. A Draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) is attached to provide context for the potential scope of work.

• Anticipated Period of Performance: One (1) twelve-month base period, with four (4) twelve-month option periods.

• Anticipated NAICS Codes: The primary anticipated NAICS code is 541519, Other Computer Related Services (Size Standard: $34 Million). However, depending on the final acquisition strategy, NAICS code 541512, Computer Systems Design Services (Size Standard: $34 Million), may also be considered.

3. Specific Information Requested

We invite interested parties to provide a response that addresses the following questions. Your insights will help us finalize our acquisition strategy and ensure the final PWS is clear, comprehensive, and aligned with modern best practices.

A. Technical Approach & IT Service Management:

1. Based on the attached Draft PWS, what IT Service Management (ITSM) frameworks (e.g., ITIL, COBIT) and best practices do you consider most effective for managing an enterprise service delivery model of this scale?

2. What are the most significant technical challenges or risks you foresee in supporting DoWEA's global infrastructure (including both CONUS and OCONUS locations)? How would you propose to mitigate them?

3. Are there any key tasks, technologies, or deliverables missing from the Draft PWS that are critical for successful IT service delivery?

B. Experience in Key Capability Areas (Based on Lessons Learned):

The capability areas identified below are based on documented operational lessons learned and the requirements outlined in the PWS. These areas are intended to assess vendor readiness to support DoWEA’s global mission environment.

1. OCONUS and Host-Nation Familiarity: Past contract transitions demonstrated that lack of familiarity with Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA), host-nation labor laws, and country-specific onboarding timelines resulted in significant readiness delays.

o Please describe your company's experience supporting IT operations in multiple OCONUS countries and managing host-nation and SOFA-related onboarding requirements.

2. Staffing Readiness and Rapid Onboarding: Operational experience has shown that delays in security clearances, CAC issuance, and DoD 8140 qualification directly impacted readiness, particularly during school start-up periods.

o Please describe your approach to rapid onboarding, clearance initiation, credentialing, and tracking of personnel readiness to ensure staff are mission-capable on day one.

3. Phase-In and Transition Planning: Lessons learned indicate that insufficient or compressed transition-in periods increased risk to continuity of operations.

o Please describe your experience executing structured phase-in and transition activities aligned to mission milestones to ensure full operational readiness at the start of performance.

4. Multi-Capable IT Support Workforce: Operational effectiveness was highest where contractors deployed multi-capable technicians able to support a range of end-user, classroom, and infrastructure functions.

o Please describe your experience providing cross-trained IT support personnel consistent with the performance-based requirements in the PWS.

5. Training and Certification Sustainment: Lessons learned identified that embedded training and certification sustainment reduced access delays and improved service continuity.

o Please describe your approach to managing workforce training and ensuring cybersecurity and professional certifications remain compliant throughout the period of performance.

6. Readiness Reporting and Transparency: Limited visibility into staffing and clearance status delayed corrective action during prior transitions.

o Please describe your experience providing staffing, clearance, and readiness reporting for geographically dispersed operations.

7. Surge and Scalability: The PWS requires the ability to scale resources for emergent mission requirements without degrading baseline services.

o Please describe your experience with surge staffing and rapidly scaling technical support across both CONUS and OCONUS environments.

C. Corporate Information:

11. Provide a brief company overview, including socio-economic status (e.g., Small Business, 8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB).

12. Do you believe the primary anticipated NAICS code (541519) is appropriate for this work?

Please also comment on the suitability of NAICS code 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services) for this requirement and which you believe is a better fit.

4. Submission Instructions

• Please structure your response to clearly address the questions in Section 3.

• Your response must also include: Company Name, Address, Point of Contact (Name, Title, Email, Phone), Unique Entity ID (UEI), and CAGE Code.

• Submit your response via email to Wardell Gordon at wardell.gordon@dodea.edu.

• The email subject line must read: "Response to Sources Sought: Enterprise IT Support

Services".

• All responses must be received no later than 12:00 PM EST on 20 March 2026.

Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. We appreciate your time and expertise in helping us refine our requirements.