SAM #70FA2027Q00000002

FEMA intends a sole-source contract with ACE for NDEMU curriculum review and college-credit evaluation services

FEMA’s National Disaster and Emergency Management University (NDEMU) plans a sole-source procurement for academic curriculum review and college-credit evaluation services. - Agency: Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), NDEMU. - Intended provider: American Council on Education (ACE), specifically ACE Learning Evaluations. - Services: Review curricula, provide academic quality assurance, and evaluate courses for college credit across residential, virtual, and distance-learning formats. - Associated capabilities: Standardized credit recommendations, ACE National Guide entries, learner transcript advocacy, and automated digital badges through Credly. - Procurement approach: Notice of intent to negotiate a sole-source contract; this is not a request for competitive proposals. Interested parties may submit technical capability statements for Government consideration. - Classification: Simplified acquisition procedures; NAICS 611710, Educational Support Services; stated small-business size standard is $24 million.

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 james.suerdieck@fema.dhs.gov and Katie Brown at Kathryn.Brown@fema.dhs.gov.  Statements are due by 4:00 PM Eastern, 11/03/2026.  No phone calls accepted.

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