Sources Sought Notice - W9124J-26-R-ACES _ACES_24MAR26.pdf

SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS

U.S. Army Continuing Education System (ACES) Centralized Education

Support Services for Headquarters, U.S. Army Installation Management Command (HQ IMCOM)

W9124J-26-R-ACES

THIS IS A Sources Sought Notice ONLY. The U.S. Government desires to procure United States Army Continuing Education Program Support Services as described in the attached DRAFT Performance Work Statement and DRAFT Technical Exhibit 1, CME Workload Spreadsheet, supporting a small business program, provided two (2) or more qualified small businesses respond to this sources sought synopsis with information sufficient to support a set-aside. Be advised the Government will not be able to set aside this requirement if two (2) or more small businesses do not respond with information to support the set aside. We encourage all small businesses, in all socioeconomic categories (including 8(a) Business Development Program, Small Disadvantaged Business, Historically Underutilized Business Zone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, and Women-Owned Small Business concerns) to identify their capabilities in meeting the requirement at a fair market price (i.e. information which may support a set-aside).

This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Quote (RFQ)/Invitation for Bid (IFB)/Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFQ, IFB or RFP in the future. This notice does not commit the U.S. Government to contract for any supply or service. Further, the U.S. Government is not seeking quotes, bids or proposals at this time and will not accept unsolicited proposals in response to this sources sought notice. The U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this notice. Submittals will not be returned to the responder. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future RFQ or IFB or RFP, if issued; however, maximum participation is highly encouraged. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Governmentwide Point of Entry. It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor the Governmentwide Point of Entry for additional information pertaining to this requirement. The anticipated NAICS code is 611710, Educational Support Services, with a size standard of $24M.

If an interested vendor believes they can provide services which meet or exceed the requirements under a different NAICS code, please respond to this Sources Sought document and provide the appropriate NAICS code that encompasses the preponderance of the work with a brief explanation why you believe it is appropriate.

A continuing need is anticipated for the U.S. Army Continuing Education Program Support services, which are currently provided under the following contract:

Current Contract Number: W9124J-21-C-0019

Current Contractor Information: Indtai, Inc., 2095 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 300, Vienna, VA 22182

Period of Performance: 28 July 21 – 27 January 27

Current Contract Total Value: $123,384,725.56

In response to this sources sought, please provide:

1. Name of the firm, point of contact, phone number, email address, DUNS number, CAGE code, a statement regarding small business status (including small business type(s)/certifications(s) such as SDB, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, etc.) and the corresponding NAICS code.

2. Your firm’s intent in competing for this requirement as a prime contractor and identify any subcontracting, joint ventures or teaming arrangement that will be pursued, if any.

3. Information in sufficient detail regarding previous military education experience (indicate whether as a prime contractor or subcontractor) on similar requirements (include size, scope, complexity, timeframe, government or commercial), pertinent certifications, etc., that will facilitate making a capability determination.

4. Information to help determine if the requirement is commercially available, including pricing information, basis for the pricing information (e.g., market pricing, catalog pricing), delivery schedules, customary terms and conditions, warranties, etc., as used by the industry.

5. Identify how the Army can best structure these contract requirements to facilitate competition by and among small business concerns.

6. Identify any condition or action that may be having the effect of unnecessarily restricting competition with respect to this acquisition. Please contact the MICC Advocate for Competition, Scott Kukes, at scott.d.kukes.civ@mail.mil or 210-466-3015, if you believe that this action is unreasonably restricting competition. Include the subject of the acquisition, this announcement, and the MICC POC information from the SAM.gov notice. Provide the specific aspects that unreasonably restrict competition and the rationale for such conclusion.

7. Recommendations to improve the approach/specifications/draft PWS/PRS to acquiring the identified items/services.

8. Any questions you might have about the Performance Work Statement which may help us further define the requirement. Please understand you will not receive a response to your individual question(s), but they may be addressed in future iterations of the Performance Work Statement.

9. Identify the appropriate GSA Governmentwide Acquisition Contract/Schedule and your individual contract number that you believe this requirement would be a good fit for.

10. The Government has identified several risk areas and is seeking detailed responses to the following questions to assess market capability. Please provide comprehensive, evidence-based responses:

a) Financial Stability: This Firm-Fixed-Price requirement involves staffing over 70 locations across the U.S., Japan, and Korea. The Risk Assessment identifies the contractor's financial capability as a "High Risk" area. Describe your company's financial strategy to manage cash flow for a contract of this magnitude, specifically addressing your ability to maintain payroll and operations for at least 90 days in the event of unforeseen Government payment delays. You may cite examples from past contracts where you successfully managed similar financial requirements.

b) Personnel Recruiting, Qualification, and Retention: PWS (para 1.6.15) contains stringent and specific education and experience requirements for personnel. The Risk Assessment identifies "providing properly trained employees" as the greatest technical risk. Describe your corporate methodology for recruiting, vetting, and verifying that candidates meet these specific requirements across a geographically dispersed area. How does your training program ensure staff remain proficient with Army-specific systems (e.g., ArmyIgnitED.com) and policies?

c) Global Staffing and Continuity of Operations: The PWS (para 1.5.1) requires a rapid phase-in.

mailto:scott.d.kukes.civ@mail.mil

Describe your firm's plan for staffing all locations to full operational capacity within the required timeline. Detail your process for providing trained substitutes to cover planned and unplanned absences (e.g., leave, illness, turnover) to ensure service continuity. Please include your company's historical fill rate for contracts of a similar size and scope.

d) OCONUS Operations and SOFA Expertise: The PWS (para 1.6.13.2 and 1.6.22) mandates performance in Korea and Japan and requires a Pacific Regional Manager with recent, direct experience with the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) process. Describe your corporate experience managing personnel under SOFA in these countries and your process for navigating these requirements to meet the contract's phase-in schedule.

e) Quality Control: The PWS (para 1.6.1) requires an effective Quality Control Plan (QCP). Describe your corporate approach to quality control for a geographically dispersed service contract. How would you monitor performance, identify deficiencies, and implement timely corrective actions to meet the standards in the Performance Requirements Summary (PRS)?

f) Technical and Virtual Service Delivery: The Risk Assessment notes that the vendor must provide alternative technical solutions when face-to-face service is not feasible. Describe your experience and capabilities in delivering education support services (e.g., counseling, instruction) through virtual platforms and other remote technologies. Provide specific examples of how you have successfully implemented such solutions using approved Army programs, applications and in compliance with all applicable security and control measures.

NOTE: Background Information for Innovation: The Army Continuing Education System (ACES) requires the ability to deliver high quality counseling services through both in person and virtual modalities. Solutions should support secure, mobile accessible counseling options that allow Soldiers to engage using their personal devices, consistent with Army approved collaboration platforms and cybersecurity requirements. Capabilities may include, but are not limited to, virtual counseling sessions, appointment scheduling tools, and digital communication features that operate within authorized Army systems such as approved collaboration environments and scheduling applications.

The solution should also enable seamless coordination and workload sharing across geographically dispersed Education Centers to ensure continuity of service, particularly in environments experiencing staffing shortages or reduced authorizations. Cross center virtual counseling support is mission critical because it ensures uninterrupted access to education services regardless of local staffing fluctuations, operational tempo, or geographic constraints, allowing Soldiers to receive timely, accurate guidance essential to their career progression and readiness.

Proposed approaches must be flexible, scalable, and capable of integrating with existing and emerging Army Education processes while maintaining compliance with all applicable security and access control policies.

It is requested that interested businesses submit (via e-mail) their completed response (no more than 10 pages in length, single spaced, 12-point font minimum) to the following personnel:

Questions: All questions regarding this Sources Sought Synopsis shall be submitted in writing to the points of contact listed below no later than 12:00 p.m. (CDT) on 01 April 2026. The e-mail subject line must include the solicitation title: "W9124J-26-R-ACES, U.S. Army Continuing Education System (ACES) Centralized Education Support Services." The Government will not guarantee a response to questions received after this date and time.

Submissions must be received at the office cited no later than 12:00 p.m.(noon) (CDT) on 14 April 2026.

Ms. Tanisha Bush, Contract Specialist, tanisha.a.bush.civ@army.mil, and Ms. Angelic Hatcher, Contracting Officer, angelic.m.hatcher.civ@mail.mil.

mailto:tanisha.a.bush.civ@army.mil, mailto:angelic.m.hatcher.civ@mail.mil.