SSA - National Postsecondary Education records data

The Idaho Department of Administration, Division of Purchasing, has issued a sole source authorization notice for the Office of the State Board of Education to procure National Postsecondary Education Records Data from the National Student Clearinghouse. This procurement is being conducted under Idaho Code section 67-9221, with the Division of Purchasing Administrator determining that National Student Clearinghouse is the only qualified vendor for this specific service. The contract involves obtaining comprehensive postsecondary education records data, which will likely be used for educational planning, tracking, or research purposes by the state board of education. The solicitation was posted on January 31, 2025, with a response deadline of February 4, 2025, providing a narrow five-business-day window for potential challenges to the sole source procurement. Interested vendors who wish to challenge the sole source authorization must submit their objections via email to purchasing@adm.idaho.gov within the specified timeframe.

The procurement appears to be a direct, non-competitive acquisition with no explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on vendor types. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the current notice. The sole source nature of the procurement suggests that National Student Clearinghouse has unique capabilities or proprietary data that cannot be replicated by other vendors in the educational records data market. No incumbent vendors are mentioned beyond the proposed contractor, and there are no details provided about existing technological infrastructure or integration requirements. The procurement seems focused solely on acquiring specialized postsecondary education records data from a single, presumably unique data provider. Vendors interested in challenging the sole source determination must provide substantive evidence to the Idaho Department of Administration that questions the exclusive qualification of the National Student Clearinghouse.