AOE Vocational Training Services

This is a sources sought announcement for AOE Vocational Training Services under solicitation number 15BFAO26N00000022, issued by the Federal Bureau of Prisons under the Department of Justice to gather market intelligence ahead of a future solicitation. The requirement seeks providers to deliver advanced occupational vocational training to inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Safford, Arizona, with a focus on Carpentry Technology, General Business Vocational Technology, Personal Trainer, and Air Conditioning/Refrigeration Vocational Training Technology. The goal is to equip inmates with skills leading to entry-level employment upon release, requiring that at least 20 to 40 percent of curriculum competencies be delivered through hands-on, live work experiences—not simulations—and that students earn college credits for completed courses. The contractor must be accredited by a nationally recognized agency such as the Higher Learning Commission, and all personnel must undergo a comprehensive security investigation including fingerprinting, NCIC and FBI background checks, drug testing, and vouchering, with clearance taking at least 30 days. Access to the facility is strictly controlled, requiring escorted movement unless the individual is approved as unescorted and only for mission-related tasks. The contract structure will be an indefinite delivery/requirements type with one base year and four optional one-year extension periods, all with firm fixed pricing. Payment will be tied to the delivery of defined outcomes or end products, not input-based metrics, and for non-incorporated individuals, the Bureau of Prisons will withhold taxes and pay the 7.65 percent FICA portion. Contractors must comply with FAR 52.204-7, requiring active SAM registration, and may be subject to FAR 52.219-14 regarding small business subcontracting. Respondents to this market research must complete a questionnaire providing business information including UEI and CAGE codes, SAM registration status, size certification under NAICS code 611210 with a $32.5 million size standard, and eligibility for small business programs such as 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, VOSB, and SDVOSB. The response deadline is June 12, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. CT, and submissions must be emailed to ldthomas@bop.gov. The resulting solicitation will be issued exclusively via SAM.gov, and no hard copies will be distributed. Privacy Act compliance is mandatory