Sole Source Justification for Early Career Talent Recruitment Platform
Awarded Limited / Sole Source Justification Posted
- Solicitation number
- 47QACA26C0036
- Agency
- Not on record
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- Contract number
- 47QACA26C0036 Federal contract award
- Awardee
- Stryder Corp
- NAICS code
- 519290 Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services
- Place of performance
- Washington, District of Columbia 20415, United States
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, through the General Services Administration's Office of Centralized Acquisition Services, has awarded a sole-source contract (47QACA26C0036) to Stryder Corp dba Handshake for an Early Career Talent Recruitment Platform on May 6, 2026.
The justification cites 41 U.S.C. § 3304(a)(1) and RFO Subpart 6.103-1. OPM determined that Handshake is the only vendor capable of meeting critical non-negotiable requirements: immediate access to a verified network of 1,500+ partner colleges and universities (including HBCUs and community colleges) representing over 20 million enrolled students; precise candidate targeting using verified institutional academic data; multi-channel engagement tools; AI-powered job matching with direct USAJOBS integration; virtual job fair capabilities; real-time analytics; and full mobile accessibility with Section 508 compliance. Market research conducted March through April 2026 included a six-day Sources Sought Notice (RFI-OCAS-2026-001) generating ten vendor responses. Competing vendors proposed custom builds incapable of delivery within the required timeline, enterprise platforms lacking pre-existing student user bases, unverified data sources, or pricing exceeding budget. GSA identified additional validation through prior sole-source awards to Handshake by DEA, CFPB, Peace Corps, DHS, DOI, DoD, and GSA for early career recruitment.
The contract period is four months (May 6, 2026 through September 3, 2026) with two one-year options extending through September 3, 2028. The pilot objective is to engage a minimum of 50,000 students and support 1,000 hires within the base period. The justification emphasizes urgent, time-sensitive execution tied to Executive Order 14170 and Administration workforce modernization objectives; platform buildout would result in loss of graduating students during peak hiring season. Contract value is redacted.
Notice text
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), Office of Centralized Acquisition Services (OCAS) provides this public notice of a sole source contract award (contract No. 47QACA26C0036), pursuant to RFO Part 6.301, to Stryder Corp dba Handshake for an Early Career Talent Recruitment Platform. See attached Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (JOFOC) document.
Awarded contract 47QACA26C0036 to unknown vendor for unknown amount on 2026-05-06.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| JOFOC_OPM - Early Career Talent Recruitment Platform_Redacted.pdf |
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