Alternate Assessments, CAO

The Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Education seeks commercial off-the-shelf alternate assessment services for students with significant cognitive disabilities in Bureau Operated Schools across 23 states, with proposals due October 23 at 10:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time. This is the third amendment to the solicitation (140A2326Q0158); the deadline was extended from the original August 18 date due to insufficient responsive offerors. The procurement is unrestricted and not set-aside.

Performance runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027 (base year), with four one-year renewal options through 2030-2031. An estimated 220 students annually across grades 3–8 and 11 require assessments in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Next Generation Science Standards. The contractor must deliver a fully operational COTS assessment—not in pilot status—with completed standards-setting alignment to BIE College and Career Ready Standards.

Core deliverables include paper-based and online assessments, a secure student registration portal interfacing with BIE's Student Information System, individual and aggregate reports, EdFacts-compliant electronic data, and an assessment reporting platform. The contractor must provide up to six virtual and four onsite test administration training sessions annually, plus weekly office hours; project management with monthly calls; and helpdesk support Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM across all time zones with 15-minute maximum hold times during registration, testing, and post-administration periods. Optional components in years two through five include test item customization and interim assessments.

The contractor must comply with NIST SP 800-53, FIPS 140-2 encryption, FERPA, COPPA, CIPA, Section 508 accessibility, and Department of Interior IT security policies including FedRAMP where applicable. All travel requires prior Contracting Officer's Representative approval.

Pricing is firm fixed price and all-inclusive for assessment services; travel CLINs are cost reimbursable under Federal Travel Regulations. Evaluation weighs experience with large-scale diverse educational platforms and Indigenous communities; management and technical approach including quality control and timeline; and pricing for completeness, reasonableness, and balance. Award goes to the responsible offeror providing best value. NAICS 611710; PSC U009.