Public Service Campaign for the National Chronic Absenteeism Initiative

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE PURCHASE ORDER: The United States Department of Education (Department), Office of the Deputy Secretary (ODS), intends to award a sole source purchase order to The Advertising Council, 815 2ND AVE., FL 9, NEW YORK, NY, 10017-4503, to fund the Department's participation in a public service campaign for the National Chronic Absenteeism Initiative. The Department is partnering with other Federal agencies and non-governmental entities to work with The Advertising Council on the public service campaign to galvanize support for the development and implementation of chronic absenteeism early warning and intervention systems that help ensure students are in school and ready to learn by addressing intersecting concerns related to education, health, juvenile justice, housing, transportation, and other significant disparities that impact school attendance and student achievement.

In accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b), soliciting from a single source, ODS intends to make a noncompetitive award to The Advertising Council. The Advertising Council, a private, non-profit organization that focuses on national campaigns, each sponsored by non-profit organizations or federal government agencies, is uniquely qualified to provide the required support. They represent a unique collaboration between advertising, media, and business communities with many of their campaigns being produced pro bono by industry leaders to create comprehensive, integrated communication campaigns. After each campaign is produced, the Advertising Council distributes the end product to their media partners who donate free time and space to ensure the messaging reaches the American Public.

The anticipated total value of the award does not exceed the Simplified Acquisition Threshold. The contract action is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one sole source under the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR 13, soliciting from a single source, only one source reasonably available. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract action, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Any responses to this notice of contract action shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer no later than 12:00 P.M. E.S.T. on August 17, 2015. Responses shall include a brief description of previously performed contracts providing public service campaigns and experience with national education issues, to include customer/end-use points of contact.