Jao-Sheppard Grace

Jao-Sheppard Grace, a minority-owned, woman-owned, and Asian-Pacific American-owned sole proprietorship based in Bethesda, Maryland, is a federal prime contractor providing translation, interpretation, and transcription services exclusively to the Department of State on a full-and-open competitive basis—no set-asides are used across its federal footprint.

The vendor operates exclusively under Blanket Purchase Agreements with the Department of State's Bureau of Administration for language services supporting diplomatic initiatives, foreign policy engagements, and administrative operations performed in Washington, D.C. All 140 recent awards (99% coverage) flow through two customer entities: the Bureau of Administration (121 awards, $946 thousand combined potential value) and the wider Department of State (17 awards, $64 thousand combined potential value). Combined potential value across the entire footprint is approximately $1 million, with $363 thousand obligated to date—a 36% utilization rate reflecting the discrete, task-order-based nature of the work. Individual BPA calls range from $400 to $8,800 in ceiling value, with firm fixed pricing on all awards.

Jao-Sheppard Grace holds five successive annual Department of State BPA vehicle positions. The current active vehicle (BPA 190PRL25A0254, awarded October 1, 2024, running through September 30, 2026) carries a $250,000 ceiling and has generated 49 task orders worth $148 thousand combined potential value since award. The prior fiscal-year vehicle (BPA 190PRL24A0254, through September 30, 2025) supported 31 task orders for $74 thousand; the preceding vehicle for FY 2023 (through September 30, 2024) generated 23 task orders for $39 thousand. The pattern extends back to October 2021, demonstrating sustained annual renewal across multiple budget cycles.

Activity grew steadily from 2021 (12 awards) through 2024 (33 awards), with 17 awards recorded in 2025. Within the next twenty-four months, only one award (combined potential value $5 thousand) reaches ultimate completion and faces recompete—the bulk of the portfolio runs through mid-to-late 2026. The vendor operates exclusively as prime contractor (100% of awards); no subcontract activity appears in the footprint. All work is categorized under Translation and Interpretation Services (NAICS) and Support—Administrative: Translation and Interpreting (PSC).