RFI Instructions WWC OSRG.docx

U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences

Request for Information (RFI) What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Online Study Review Guide (OSRG) October 19, 2026

The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) is conducting market research to provide a demonstration of the recommended commercial software if the government thinks would be of benefit in describing the needed characteristics in the requirement for the future solicitation. This notice is NOT a request for quotes but is an invitation for potential offerors to express interest and provide information regarding their relevant knowledge, skills, and capabilities. The Department is seeking to gain suitable Market Research for the WWC OSRG. Information submitted in response to this Sources Sought Notice may be used to assist the Department in finalizing its acquisition strategy.

DISCLAIMER: The Department will not pay for the provision of any information, nor will it compensate any respondents for providing this information. This notice in no way obligates the Government to award any contract to any interested party. Feedback will not be provided to any interested party who submits information to the Department in response to this notice.

PLEASE NOTE: All information contained in this notice is preliminary in nature and subject to change. This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposals (RFP), Request for Quotations (RFQ), Invitation for Bids (IFB), or a commitment on the part of the Government to conduct a solicitation in the future. All information provided is strictly voluntary and no reimbursement will be made by the Government for any costs associated with providing a response to this notice or otherwise participating in market research activities. Further, the U.S. Department of Education offers no assurance that a solicitation will result from this notice.

BACKGROUND:

The Institute of Education Sciences (referred to as “the government”) desires a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) alternative to the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Online Study Review Guide (OSRG; see “Information About the OSRG” below). The OSRG is a web-based tool that captures data; computes summary statistics; outputs the results of individual study reviews and metanalytic syntheses; and manages workflows associated with government contractors’ reviews of academic journal articles against the What Works Clearinghouse standards (see “WWC Standards and Procedures” below). The OSRG is critical to the work of, and is currently maintained by, the government’s WWC contractor (see “Prior Task Order 4 PWS” below).

RESOURCES:

· Information about the OSRG:

· https://youtu.be/W99s8RlNXis

· https://youtu.be/HT6qkZzpjAw

· https://youtu.be/x3Jy0GaLYf0

· WWC Standards and Procedures https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/WWC/Handbooks

· Prior Task Order 4 PWS (Attachment 1 TOAST TO4 PWS)

QUESTIONS:

Directions: When answering questions please provide examples of prior or current work where you have demonstrated the capability of the recommended commercial software solution.

1. How does your recommended commercial software solution meet the existing needs of the WWC, as described in the referenced PWS and WWC Standards? Describe how your recommended COTS meets the functional and technical needs described in this RFI. Please identify which capabilities are available out of the box, which require configuration, and which would require custom development. Include examples of similar implementations supporting complex review, workflow, or evaluation processes.

2. Does your software have the ability through API or other means to publish data to the IES’s Drupal-based website? Describe your solution's integration capabilities with Drupal-based websites and content management systems. Include available APIs, supported data exchange methods, authentication approaches, and examples of existing Drupal integrations. Identify any additional software, services, or development required.

3. How easily can data or information (i.e., workflows) within the recommended commercial software be transferred to another commercial software should that become necessary? Describe the solution's data portability capabilities. Include:

a. Available export formats

b. Ability to export structured data, metadata, attachments, and audit history

c. Ability to export workflows, business rules, forms, configurations, and reporting structures

d. Availability of APIs and bulk export tools

e. Any proprietary dependencies or limitations

f. Typical effort required to migrate data to another platform

4. What is the System architecture and deployment model for the recommended COTS? Describe the system architecture and deployment model (e.g., SaaS, cloud-hosted, hybrid). What level of configuration can be performed by business users without vendor involvement?

5. How does the recommended COTS meet federal security requirements? Identify security certifications and compliance standards supported by the solution (e.g., FedRAMP, SOC 2, NIST-based controls). Describe role-based access controls, audit logging, and data protection capabilities

6. What limitations exist for government control of the COTS? Describe the government's ownership rights to data, metadata, configurations, workflows, and outputs created within the solution.

7. What would be the recommended licensing model for the COTS given the government need? Describe the licensing structure, including user-based, transaction-based, and enterprise licensing options. Identify any additional costs associated with APIs, integrations, reporting, storage, or workflow capabilities.

8. What if any Artificial Intelligence or Superintelligence is embedded in the COTS? Describe any embedded artificial intelligence or machine learning capabilities that could improve study review workflows, document processing, quality assurance, content tagging, or reporting. Identify which capabilities are currently available versus planned.

Note: The government may select 1-3 vendors to provide a demonstration of the recommended commercial software if the government thinks would be of benefit in describing the needed characteristics in the requirement for the future solicitation.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

In response to the attached DRAFT Attachment 1 Performance Work Statement (PWS) the Department hereby solicits capability statements from eligible, interested parties. Capability Statements shall be no longer than 10 pages (single-spaced, with a minimum of one-inch margins and 12-point font). Interested Parties shall provide responses for all content areas noted below.

1. Please state your entity name and address. Include contact information such as an Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), entity email address, and website URL.

1. Please state your entity size status (i.e., large or small) in the stated NAICS code of 541611. Provide all socioeconomic categories for your company and the corresponding NAICS code

1. State if your entity believes that the PWS contains any unduly restrictive language or content and, if so, why. Please cite specific examples and provide feedback.

1. State if your entity has questions about the contents of the PWS and what they are.

1. Respond to some or all of Questions 1 through 8 above.

All interested parties are invited to submit formal responses in a PDF and submit as an attachment via e-mail to Jana.Knapp@ed.gov, and cc: Joseph.Gibbs@ed.gov. Responses are due no later than November 10, 2026, 10:00AM Eastern Time.

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