Army Credentialing Opportunities On-Line Support

This is a sources sought notice only. The Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC)- Fort Knox, KY is issuing this source sought synopsis as a means of conducting market research to identify potential sources having an interest and industry capability to provide Army Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) Support.  Requirement includes the research and analysis of civilian credentialing requirements compared to Army Military Occupational Specialties (MOS), and Additional Skill Identifiers (ASI), Skill Qualification Identifiers (SQI). Interested vendors must have rights to modify/alter the database supporting COOL.  We encourage all vendors to identify their capabilities to meet the requirement at a fair market price.

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 any is issued.  If a solicitation is released, it may 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 North American Industry Classification System code is 611710 Educational Support Services with a small business size standard of $15 million. The Product Service Code (PSC) is R799 Other Management Support Servics.

This requirement is for Army Credentialing and Continuing Education Services for Soldiers (ACCESS), Army University, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), located at Fort Knox, The Government anticipates awarding a single Firm Fixed Price contract for this action. This action requires updating of its current Army COOL website, continued analysis of Army enlisted and warrant officer MOSs as they relate to civilian certifications and licenses, analysis of Officer Areas of Concentration (AOC) as they relate to credentials, and the counseling on credentials Soldiers pursue. A draft Performance Work Statement is provided with this announcement.

The anticipated period of performance for delivery purposes is 08 Apr 2023 to 07 Apr 2024 with four one-year option periods.

In response to this sources sought notice, Please Provide:

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

2.  Identify whether your firm is interested in competing for this requirement as a prime contractor or not.  Identify subcontracting, joint ventures or teaming arrangement that will be pursued, if any.

3.  Information in sufficient detail regarding previous 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.  Identify how the Army can best structure these contract requirements to facilitate competition by and among small business concerns.

5.  Identify any condition or action that may be having the effect of unnecessarily restricting competition with respect to this acquisition.  Please contact the Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) Advocate for Competition, Scott Kukes, at scott.d.kukes.civ@army.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 Point-of-Contact (POC) information from the www.sam.gov notice.  Provide the specific aspects that unreasonably restrict competition and the rationale for such conclusion.

7.  Please send responses to the Contract Specialist, Anthony Johnson and JoDeen M. Cuffe in either Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (PDF), via e-mail to anthony.h.johnson.civ@army.mil and jodeen.m.cuffe.civ@army.mil no later than 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 7 November 2022 and reference this synopsis number in subject line of e-mail and on all enclosed documents.

8. All WOSB firms must be certified through certified through the Small Business Administration as a WOSB.  Self-certification is not sufficient to compete for WOSB Federal Contracting Program set-aside contracts.   To compete for WOSB Federal Contracting program set-aside contracts go to https://beta.certify.sba.gov.

9. Limitations on subcontracting and nonmanufacturer rule do not apply to small business set-asides for contracts at or below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT). It does apply to 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, EDWOSB, and WOSB set asides regardless of the dollar value of the award. See Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.219-14 Class Deviation 2021-O0008 - Limitations on Subcontracting for Small Business (10 September 2021)