2026 Winter Federal Student Aid Training Conference (FSATC)

The 2026 Winter Federal Student Aid Training Conference (FSATC), solicited under number 91003126Q0030, seeks a full-service venue provider to host a multi-day event accommodating 5,000 to 7,000 financial professionals, higher education partners, and federal staff. The contract requires comprehensive event management services, including facility coordination, lodging, food and beverage, advanced audiovisual and IT infrastructure, security, and accessibility compliance, all delivered under a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) structure. The performance period extends from award through December 31, 2026, with the main conference scheduled for November 30 to December 4, 2026, and an alternate timeframe of December 8 to 10. The venue must be located in the continental United States, with preference given to major metropolitan areas near airports and public transit, including Washington, DC, where the administrative office is located. All deliverables—ranging from floor plans and run-of-show schedules to post-event reports—must adhere to federal accessibility standards under ADA and Section 508, as well as Department of Education-specific requirements on information security, privacy, and ethical conduct. The solicitation emphasizes a best-value tradeoff award methodology, prioritizing technical merit over price, with evaluation factors ranked in order of importance: Technical Approach, Management Plan, Past Performance, Concessions and Value-Added Enhancements, and Price. Offerors must demonstrate proven experience managing large-scale conferences with similar scale and complexity, including robust AV systems, high-capacity Wi-Fi (minimum 15 Gbps aggregate, 3–5 Mbps per device), and comprehensive accessibility measures. Additional value is gained through concessions such as complimentary meeting space, discounted guest rooms, waived resort fees, dedicated hardwired internet, charging stations, and significant AV discounts. Proposals must be submitted electronically in three volumes—Cover/Executive Summary (no page limit), Technical Quotation (max 20 pages), and Price (max 5 pages in Excel format)—using 11-point Times New Roman font, and must include a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) registered in SAM.gov. All offerors are subject to stringent security requirements, including U.S. citizenship for key personnel, adherence to PIV identity verification, and flowdown of security obligations to subcontractors. No set-aside is used, but small business utilization is encouraged through required representations and rerepresentation