Sources Sought_DANTES CLEP (8-21-2026).pdf

NOTICE TYPE: Sources Sought

CENTER OFFICE: Defense Support Services Center (DSSC), Defense Activity for Non-

Traditional Education Support (DANTES)

REQUIREMENT: College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

This requirement is currently being performed by College Entrance Examination Board under contract H9821022D0001. The Government intends to sole source this follow-on requirement to the College Entrance Examination Board, if additional, capable vendors are not identified.

1. The Personnel Readiness Management Agency (PRMA) 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 CLEP testing for military personnel and eligible civilian groups to support officer accession programs and to meet entrance requirements for postsecondary education.

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). A business must be a current participant and certified by SBA if responding as an 8(a) firm, and

HUBZONE small businesses must be certified by SBA by the time of proposal. A Service-

Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) must represent to the contracting officer that is it certified as such at the time of offer submission. Women-owned small business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged WOSB (EDWOSB) should indicate if their certification is a self-certification or if they are formally certified by SBA (or will be by time of any proposal).

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) Type of business, including small business socio-economic category if applicable (e.g.

Other than Small, 8(a) s, HUBZone, Non-Profit)

c) Small businesses shall specify if any kind of teaming arrangement will be involved and

“other than small” businesses shall address subcontracting opportunities that exist.

d) If applicable, GSA contract number, schedule, Multiple Award IDIQ contract number

(e.g. OASIS, NITAAC).

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

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

g) Describe your organization's breadth of expertise/competency to respond to the draft

PWS. Critical functions to be provided include:

• Administration of Nationally Recognized Prior Learning Assessments (PLA): Proven experience in designing, administering, and scaling standardized prior learning examinations that measure college-level competency for diverse, globally dispersed military populations.

• Secure, Global Electronic Test Distribution: Managing a highly secure, resilient, and cloud-capable digital examination delivery network optimized for both high-bandwidth domestic military installations and low-bandwidth, austere, or forward-deployed overseas locations.

• Advanced Remote Proctoring and Integrity Controls: Implementing state-of-the-art remote proctoring methodologies, biometric identity verification, and strict quality-control protocols to mitigate academic dishonesty and protect high-stakes testing integrity.

• Authoritative Transcripting and Academic Data Exchange: Generating official, secure transcript data and comprehensive score reports that seamlessly integrate with academic data systems and are universally accepted for transfer credit by a vast majority of accredited Institutions of Higher Education (IHE).

h) 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.

• Commercial Availability of Subject-Matter Exams: What is industry's capacity to execute these requirements utilizing an existing, commercially available suite of college-level, subject-matter examinations that align with general education requirements?

• Academic Credentialing & Universal Acceptance: Does your organization's examinations carry American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendation and accepted for credit-by-examination transfer by a majority of accredited two-year and four-year colleges, universities, and technical/trade schools nationwide?

• Secure Global Distribution & Remote Proctoring: Does your organization possess an existing, secure IT infrastructure to distribute electronic examinations globally to military installations, and does it include a validated, secure remote-proctoring solution for service members in austere or remote locations?

• Data Systems, Security, & Transcripting: Does your organization maintain an existing, secure database registry capable of tracking candidate scores, maintaining historical testing records, and securely transmitting official academic transcripts to higher education institutions?

• Higher Education Liaison & Academic Outreach: Describe your organization's experience serving as a primary liaison to postsecondary systems, academic registrars, and institutional departments to advocate for, update, and maintain the acceptance of your credit-by-examination program.

i) 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.

• The name and value of each project;

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

• A description of each project, including challenges and successes; and

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

j) Provide your company’s current Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification level, documentation of same, and any additional information regarding its status.

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 whether an 8(a), Service-Disabled

Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), Certified HUBZone Small Business, Woman-

Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), Small Business set-aside, or full and open competition is an acceptable strategy for this procurement. Responses to this synopsis may be used to aid in establishing realistic, achievable small business participation goals.

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 close of business on Tuesday, 15

September 2026. All responses shall be submitted electronically to the PRMA Acquisition

Management Directorate point of contacts listed in SAM and below.

Jada Weaver, Contract Specialist, jada.a.weaver.civ@mail.mil

Charles M. Carnley, Contracting Officer, Charles.m.carnley.civ@mail.mil

If you need assistance from the PRMA Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP), please reach out to dodhraosbp@mail.mil.

mailto:jada.a.weaver.civ@mail.mil mailto:Charles.m.carnley.civ@mail.mil