Sources Sought_clean.pdf

NOTICE TYPE: Sources Sought

CENTER OFFICE: Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES)

REQUIREMENT: Online College and Career Planning Tool

1. The Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA) is issuing this Sources Sought Notice as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in, and the resources for, providing services in accordance with the draft Performance Work Statement (PWS).

The Government is specifically performing Market Research to see if there are potential vendors who can provide the following: Online resources to provide military members self-paced counseling assistance which will result in a career and education pathway customized for each individual user. This resource shall help military members plan for an appropriate career based on personal information by assessing interests, skills, and work values. The tool shall provide career options aligned to a user's self-assessment, an education pathway for specific career options, prepare users for a job search; and facilitate the job search process. The tool shall be based on sound career theory and up-to-date information and resources of state and national colleges, scholarship, labor, and occupational information integrated seamlessly to the respective databases. This college and career planning counseling program will assist Service members in identifying education and career pathways in preparation for their eventual transition to the civilian workforce. The tool shall be available online, 24/7, 365 days per year and shall be available for unrestricted usage for all active, reserve, and National Guard military members (Air

Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard). Service members who access the tool and establish an account during the subscription period shall have lifetime access to their portfolio, individual assessments and documents.

This requirement is currently being performed by and was sole-sourced to Kuder, Inc under Task

Order H9821021F0257, and the Government is intending on the follow-on acquisition to be sole source as well.

2. This notice shall not be construed as a formal solicitation or an obligation on the part of the

Government to acquire any products or services. In addition, it does not guarantee that a subsequent solicitation will be issued. Submission of any information in response to this Sources

Sought notice is voluntary and will assist in selecting the appropriate solicitation type/method.

Costs associated with any submission shall not be reimbursed by the Government. THE

GOVERNMENT IS NOT SEEKING PROPOSALS AND WILL NOT ACCEPT

UNSOLICITED PROPOSALS.

3. The proposed NAICS for this effort is 611710, Educational Support Services (size standard

$24.0M). Comments on this NAICS and suggestions for alternative codes must include supporting rationale.

4. Interested parties must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database.

5. Interested parties are requested to submit an unclassified capability statement, limited to 10 pages, that includes:

a) Company name, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone numbers, website address (if available), and the name, telephone number, and e-mail address of a point of contact having the authority and knowledge to clarify responses with Government representatives. Include Unique Entity Identifier from the System for Award

Management (UEI (SAM)), CAGE Code and company structure (Corporation, LLC, partnership, joint venture, etc.).

b) Vendors shall specify if any kind of teaming arrangement will be involved.

c) Indicate if you are interested as a Prime contractor or subcontractor.

d) Describe any teaming or subcontracting that you may use to fulfill a requirement such as this.

e) Please describe your organization's breadth of expertise/competency to respond to the draft PWS. Critical functions to be provided include: - Provide military specific functionality to include:

1) Online registration that captures branch of military and military installation location

2) separate military registration for military counselors and administrators

3) guidance for military personnel transitioning to the civilian workforce

4) occupational search capability by Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) and Armed

Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) score

5) search capability for education and financial aid information for Service members and link to VA benefits

6) information on education benefits related to VA GI Bill of Rights

7) links to military transition centers, military specific job services sites, and military friendly employers

8) user reporting by branch of military service. - ability to provide access to an existing, commercially available online college and career planning tool - provide access to service members for a lifetime to member's portfolio if they gain access - ability to gain access to information which identify careers and pathways in preparation for their eventual transition to civilian work.

9) providing monthly webinars to service members and counselors related to the capabilities and features of the online counseling tool product.

f) Industry feedback is requested on the PWS for this requirement. Please list any challenges or potential performance roadblocks related to fulfilling the PWS requirements and any suggestions for improving the PWS language. Additionally, the Government seeks answers to the following questions concerning this requirement.

g) Please consider providing responses:

1- Will service members have indefinite access to the profiles, resources, and documents created within your program?

2- What access will counselors have at their respective bases to track the progress of their customer base?

h) Provide the following information on two (2) similar projects in an environment of similar scale completed within the last five (5) years for which the responder was a prime or

Sub-Contractor.

1. The name and value of each project;

2. The name, address, telephone and email address for point of contact;

3. A description of each project, including challenges and successes;

4. Your company's role and services provided for each project.

6. All interested and capable contractors are encouraged to respond. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the sources sought evaluation. The results of this sources sought notice will assist the Contracting Officer in determining the appropriate acquisition strategy for this procurement.

7. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this Sources Sought; all costs associated with responding will be solely at the interested party’s expense. All information received in response to this submission that is clearly marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly.

Acknowledgement of receipt of responses will not be made and submissions to this Sources

Sought will not be returned.

8. The information provided in this Sources Sought is subject to change and is not binding on the Government.

9. The Government requests that all responses be returned by the date listed on the sources sought notice. All responses shall be submitted electronically to both of the DHRA

Acquisition Management Directorate point of contacts listed as follows: Constance Reedus at constance.r.reedus.civ@mail.mil, and Mike Carnley at charles.m.carnley.civ@mail.mil.

10. For DHRA Small Business Matters, interested vendors may contact the DHRA Office of

Small Business Programs, Point of Contact: Ms. Natalie Rosa, dodhraosbp@mail.mil.

mailto:constance.r.reedus.civ@mail.mil mailto:charles.m.carnley.civ@mail.mil mailto:dodhraosbp@mail.mil