Curriculum review, academic quality assurance, and college credit evaluation services
Updated
Special Notice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for work in Maryland. Due Nov 3, 2026, 4:00 PM (UTC-5), 14 days left.
| Solicitation number | 70FA2027Q00000002 |
|---|---|
| Agency | Federal Emergency Management Agency |
| Office | Federal Emergency Management Agency |
| Notice type | Special Notice |
| Set-aside | None |
| Trade (NAICS) | Educational Support Services (611710) |
| Product or service code | U010 |
| Place of performance | Maryland |
| Posted | Oct 19, 2026 |
| Response deadline | Nov 3, 2026, 4:00 PM (UTC-5) (14 days left) |
| Add the deadline to | Google Calendar · Apple / Outlook (.ics) |
Official notice and attachments
Description
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) / Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) / National Disaster and Emergency Management University (NDEMU) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis (IAW RFO FAR 12) with American Council on Education (ACE), One Dupont Circle NW, Washington, DC 20036, as the only responsible source that capable of providing comprehensive higher-education curriculum review, academic quality assurance, and college credit evaluation services for NDEMU’s residential, virtual, and distance-learning course offerings.
Market evaluation confirmed that American Council on Education (ACE) Learning Evaluations remains uniquely positioned as the sole established industry standard for evaluating non-formal workplace training and assigning standardized college credit recommendations. ACE recommendations are recognized and integrated across both federal agencies and post-secondary higher education institutions.
Furthermore, ACE provides an integrated ecosystem including entry in the ACE National Guide, direct learner transcript advocacy, and automated digital badge issuance via Credly, which independent regional or institutional accreditors do not offer for non-collegiate course providers. Therefore, ACE is the only source that can provide comprehensive higher-education curriculum review, academic quality assurance, and college credit evaluation services for NDEMU’s residential, virtual, and distance-learning course offerings.
This acquisition is being conducted under simplified acquisition procedures (IAW RFO FAR 12). The intended procurement will be classified under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 611710-Educational Support Services with a Small Business Size Standard of $24M. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation document exists for this requirement.
However, parties interested in responding to this notice will need to submit technical data, sufficient to determine capability in providing the same product. All capability statements received within 15 days after publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.
Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Capability statements shall be submitted by email only as a MS Word or Adobe PDF attachment to James Suerdieck at [email protected] and Katie Brown at [email protected]. Statements are due by 4:00 PM Eastern, 11/03/2026.
No phone calls accepted.
Contracting contact
- Kathryn Brown · [email protected]
- James D. Suerdieck · [email protected]
As published on the official notice. Ask questions in writing and before any questions deadline the notice sets.
Is your business small enough?
For NAICS 611710, a business counts as small if it has no more than $24.0 million in average annual receipts (SBA size standard). This notice is set aside, so only businesses under that size, or in the named program, can bid. SBA table, current as of Oct 15, 2026.
Companies that win this kind of work
Federal contractors paid for educational support services work, who also hold DHS contracts (last 12 months): possible competitors, or partners to team with.
- Human Resources Research Organization (Humrro) $39.9 million in this trade
- HII Mission Technologies Corp $2.3 million in this trade
- Personnel Decisions Research Institutes, LLC $1.9 million in this trade
- The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation $1.4 million in this trade
- Chugach Dynamic Solutions LLC $1.4 million in this trade
About the buyer
The Department of Homeland Security awarded $73.1 billion in contracts in the last 12 months; its biggest suppliers were Fisher Sand & Gravel Co, Barnard Construction Company, Incorporated and Davie Defense Inc.. See what DHS is buying now.
Educational Support Services contracts right now
There are 7 open government contract opportunities in this trade (NAICS 611710), 4 posted in the last 7 days; 57% are set aside for small businesses. The agencies buying the most are Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) and Department of the Army. Most of the work with a stated place is in Maryland, Kentucky and North Carolina. A notice in this trade gives a median of 15 days from posting to deadline; this one gives 15 days.
All open educational support services contracts
Coming up in this trade
Planned contracts from the agencies' procurement forecasts, often months before a solicitation. Plans can change.