Sole Source Notification

The Oregon Department of Education is entering into a sole source contract with Community System Solutions for program management and federal grant administration services supporting Budget Period 2 of the U.S. Department of Energy Renew America's Schools Cooperative Agreement, with protest deadline September 30, 2026.

This is not an open competitive procurement. The sole source determination rests on Community System Solutions' incumbency since project inception and its possession of project-specific institutional knowledge, established relationships with ODE, the Department of Energy, and seven participating school districts, and documented grant administration processes. ODE determined that transferring these capabilities to another contractor would create operational disruption, implementation delays, and potential federal compliance risks that outweigh competitive advantage.

The scope covers program management and federal grant administration for energy-efficiency improvements across 11 school facilities. Deliverables include proposal development, budget justification preparation, continuation application support, federal reporting, cost-share documentation, coordination with participating districts, and compliance activities required by the federal award. The contract term runs from October 1, 2026 through December 31, 2030, pending Department of Energy approval.

The estimated contract value is $75,000, compared to $10,000 for Budget Period 1. Any entity intending to protest must submit a written protest before 9:00 a.m. on September 30, 2026 to michelle.choate@ode.oregon.gov, citing Sole Source Number S-58100-00018014 and including a detailed statement of legal and factual grounds, description of resulting harm, relief requested, and authorized signature. The sole source determination is authorized under Oregon Revised Statute 279B.075(2)(d) and Oregon Administrative Rule 125-247-0275(2)(d).