Regional Educational Laboratory Program: 2027 – 2031 Cycle

The U.S. Department of Education seeks to award up to ten Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) IDIQ contracts, one per geographic region, with Phase I quotes due September 18, 2026. This procurement is a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) set-aside with a $24.5 million size standard.

Maximum contract values per region over the 60-month IDIQ period range from $22.5 million to $28.72 million, with first-year funding totaling approximately $50.983 million across all ten regions. Task Order #001, awarded at IDIQ execution, runs January 3, 2027 through January 2, 2028 and is subject to availability of funds. REL regions are Appalachia, Central, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast and Islands, Northwest, Pacific, Southeast, Southwest, and West. Place of performance is Washington, DC.

The NAICS code is 541611, Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services. Offerors may propose for multiple regions but must submit separate proposals for each. The procurement employs a two-phase evaluation: Phase I (Offeror Capabilities, due September 18) limits advancement to approximately three offerors per region; Phase II (Technical Approach, Past Performance, and Price, due on or around October 30) determines award to the highest technically rated offeror with fair and reasonable price. Award is anticipated by December 31, 2026.

Work encompasses six tasks: REL management and reporting; coordination with Comprehensive Centers and federal technical assistance providers; partnership and needs-sensing activities; training, coaching, and technical support (time-and-materials); applied research and toolkit development (time-and-materials); and dissemination. A mandatory 25 percent of annual budgets must support rural work. Tasks 1–3 and regular dissemination (Subtasks 6.1, 6.4–6.6) are firm fixed price; Tasks 4–5 and specialized dissemination (Subtasks 6.2–6.3, 6.7) are time-and-materials. Key personnel must include a Director and Deputy Director (minimum 1.0 FTE combined) and a What Works Clearinghouse-certified Task 5 Lead. All deliverables must comply with Section 508 accessibility standards. Non-small business offerors must submit small business subcontracting plans. Phase II submissions are limited to 60 pages. A revised SF1449 was posted September 14, 2026, clarifying title page formatting and font/spacing standards for tables and graphics.