2026 Society of American Foresters For OTS

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Trust Services has issued a Special Notice announcing its intent to award a sole source contract to the Society of American Foresters (SAF) for recruitment and outreach services. This notice, posted on February 24, 2026, represents a firm-fixed-price procurement valued at $75,000 with a performance period from February 23, 2026, through February 22, 2027. The BIA has designated SAF as the only source capable of providing the specialized services required under this acquisition, citing SAF's unique qualifications and collaborative history with tribal forest stewardship initiatives. The contract falls under NAICS code 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services) and PSC category R699 (Support – Administrative: Other). This procurement is being executed under Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) using the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT) authority.

The primary objective of this procurement is to support the "Forests of the First Stewards" initiative and strengthen BIA's alignment with authentic sustainability and Indigenous visibility in forestry professions. SAF will provide recruitment and retention services by sponsoring and participating in the SAF 2025 National Convention, where BIA anticipates engaging with over 2,000 attendees, including approximately 24 percent students. The BIA selected SAF as a sole source based on its exclusive position as the nation's premier organization representing forestry and natural resources professionals and its demonstrated partnership with tribal nations on sustainable forest management. The deadline for any firm believing the BIA should not pursue this sole source procurement to submit a capability statement and pricing information is 11:00 a.m. EDT on February 25, 2026. Inquiries and submissions should be directed to Nancy Shah, Contracting Officer, at Nancy.Shah@bia.gov; however, no solicitation will be issued and no technical questions will be answered regarding this requirement.