Head Start in State Systems Sole Source Award
Open Special Notice Posted
- Agency
- Not on record
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 541611 Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
- PSC
- R499 Support- Professional: Other
- Place of performance
- Washington, District of Columbia 20201, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is awarding a sole-source task order to NORC at the University of Chicago for research on Head Start programs operating within state early care and education systems, with a response deadline of October 29, 2026. The award is justified as a logical follow-on to the competitively awarded Financing for Early Care and Education Study task order (47QRAA-20D-001M/140D0422F0154) under GSA's Multiple Award Schedule, citing the incumbent's exclusive access to restricted-use survey data and specialized expertise in ECE financing research that cannot be replicated by other vendors within required quality and schedule parameters.
The new task order will build on data collected under the prior study to complete analyses available only to the incumbent, conduct a follow-up survey to original participants, and analyze the National Survey of Early Care and Education 2024 data. The research aims to identify strategies enabling Head Start programs to align with state funding contexts, reduce administrative burden, expand service reach, and streamline licensing, regulatory, and workforce requirements across funding streams. The work supports ACF's mission to provide actionable insights for states and localities leveraging federal funding to meet local early childhood needs and improve program efficiency and child outcomes. Award is projected for fiscal year 2026 funding.
Notice text
2 versions
Update #2 · Latest ·
This requirement was awarded through task order 47QRAA-20D-001M/7571MN26F80105
This requirement will support the generation and dissemination of research and/or evaluation that builds on the Financing Early Care and Education (ECE) Study task order (47QRAA-20D-001M/ 140D0422F0154). The primary objective is to generate and disseminate evidence pertaining to the financing of early care and education programs that meet child, family, and community needs. Building on data collected under the prior contract, this project will identify and elevate strategies used to align Head Start programs within state funding contexts to reduce administrative burden and expand the reach of ECE and Head Start funding. The research will focus on how Head Start programs operate within state systems and highlight effective strategies states have used to integrate or build upon Head Start funding within their broader early childhood systems. The project will also examine how efforts to streamline licensing and regulatory requirements, workforce standards, and supports for quality and technical assistance across funding streams can reduce burden, improve program efficiency, increase parental access to ECE, and support child and family outcomes.
This requirement will build on prior efforts to identify and elevate financing approaches for states that most effectively align funding streams to both reduce burden and increase the reach of ECE funding. This project will provide ACF with critical evidence to understand how federal early care and education programs can achieve the Agency’s mission and vision of (1) supporting federalism & local leadership by providing actionable insights into how states and localities can leverage Head Start and other federal funding streams for early care and education (ECE) to best meet local needs, (2) promoting quality early learning environments and improved child outcomes by understanding how to leverage existing funding sources to best meet the preferences of families with young children consistent with their unique needs, and (3) promoting work and self-sufficiency by exploring how leveraging funds can expand the availability of ECE services that allow parents to work.
Update #1 ·
Authority of the FSS Program, Title III of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 251, et seq.); Title 40 U.S.C. 501, Services for Executive Agencies, as implemented at FAR 8.401 and GSAM/R 538.7104-3(b)(1).
GSAM/R 538.7104-3(b)(1)(iii)- The order should be issued on a sole source basis in the interest of economy and efficiency because it is a logical follow-on to an FSS order already issued on a competitive basis.
Per the Federal Supply Schedule Ordering Procedures, the Contracting Officer can make an award on a limited basis when the new work is a logical follow-on to an original Federal Supply Schedule order and doing so would be in the interest of economy and efficiency to the Federal Government. The proposed requirement is a follow-on to task order Financing for Early Care and Education Study (47QRAA-20D-001M/ 140D0422F0154), which was awarded via the General Services Administration (GSA)’s Multiple Award Schedule under a competitive basis. The new requirement will build on work conducted under the prior task order, specifically to complete analyses of data collected under the prior task order that are only available to the incumbent, conduct a follow-up survey to the survey fielded under the original task order, and conduct other data collections with early care and education (ECE) providers in response to emerging Agency needs.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Sole Source Justification under FAR part 8.4_Redacted.pdf |
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