Establishing a Roster of Pre-Qualified Research Entities for SMD

The District of Columbia Courts, on behalf of the Strategic Management Division's Grants Management Program, issued a Request for Pre-Qualification on August 20, 2026, to establish a roster of pre-qualified research entities for grant-funded research opportunities, with Statements of Qualifications due September 30, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. EST. Pre-qualified entities will not receive awards directly from this RFPQ; instead, they will be added to a roster and compete for individual grant-funded research opportunities as they arise. The pre-qualification period is valid for two years from the notice date, with possible extension for an additional year at the Contracting Officer's discretion.

The Courts will evaluate SOQs on Experience & Qualifications (55 points maximum), Past Performance and Customer Service (30 points maximum), and Organizational Capacity and Operational Readiness (15 points maximum), with a minimum cut-off score of 76 points for pre-qualification. Research topic areas include juvenile justice, eviction, specialty courts, diversion programs, domestic violence, recidivism, technology in courts, alternative dispute resolution, debt collection, court management innovation, clean slate laws, appellate practice, and access to justice initiatives. Prospective contractors must be registered with SAM.gov and provide detailed information on research experience, key personnel qualifications, past performance evaluations, organizational capacity including technical infrastructure and data security procedures, and disclosure of minimum award thresholds and internal approval timelines. Amendment No. 2, issued September 23, 2026, confirms the Courts welcome responses from single principal investigators operating as District-based LLCs and from individuals with research experience across various topic areas, not limited to criminal justice or court-specific research. Questions were due August 28, 2026. SOQs must be submitted electronically in PDF format to ahmad.stanekzai@dccsystem.gov, with acknowledgment of Amendment No. 2 required.