Independent External Peer Reviews for the US Army Corps of Engineers

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mission Support Battalion seeks to establish one or more Blanket Purchase Agreements for independent external peer review services supporting water resources projects and scientific assessments, with proposals due July 31, 2026. Prime contractors must be eligible 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations as defined under the Water Resources Development Act of 2007, Section 2034.

Place of performance is nationwide across USACE locations; contractor work may be performed remotely via electronic communications and teleconferences or at contractor facilities. Contractors must establish panels of independent experts following National Academy of Sciences selection policies, manage peer reviews of project studies and scientific assessments in compliance with OMB Bulletin M-05-03 and WRDA 2007, develop work plans, facilitate panel meetings, process public comments, and deliver final reports documenting panel analyses. Panel members must have minimum ten years' experience in relevant disciplines including planning, economics, environmental resources, hydrology, hydraulics, civil engineering, structural engineering, and geotechnical engineering. Contractors must be free from conflicts of interest and maintain quality control plans. All contractor and subcontractor employees must complete AT Level I training.

The BPA carries a five-year ordering period with a maximum total capacity ceiling of $7 million across all awardees. Individual orders are priced on a firm fixed-price basis with labor, travel, and other direct costs negotiated at order level, and each order shall not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. Evaluation uses best-value trade-off analysis across six factors: Management Approach, Technical Capability, Response to Example Order, and Past Performance (weighted equally and individually more important than Small Business Participation); and Price (less important than combined non-price factors). Minimum acceptable ratings are "Acceptable" or better for Factors 1–3 and 5, and "Neutral Confidence" or better for Factor 4. All offerors must meet a minimum 10 percent small business subcontracting goal and submit a current third-party certified financial statement or IRS Form 990. Amendment 001, issued July 9, provides answers to contractor questions and revises Sections L and M.