DANTES Online College and Career Planning Tool

The Defense Human Resources Activity is soliciting a firm fixed-price contract for the DANTES Online College and Career Planning Tool, a commercially available subscription-based service designed to provide unrestricted web-based access to military personnel for college and career planning. The contract, identified by solicitation number H9821026QA002, is a 100% small business set-aside under NAICS code 611710 with a size standard of $24 million, requiring proposers to be registered in SAM.gov and meet strict socioeconomic eligibility criteria. The base performance period spans one year beginning August 29, 2026, with four optional one-year periods extending the contract through August 2031, and an additional six-month extension option under FAR 52.217-8 priced at 50% of Option Period Four’s cost. The service must be fully operational upon contract award, supporting unlimited users via a dedicated URL with user registration, account management, monthly webinars, marketing material distribution, and quarterly usage reporting. Performance is required at contractor facilities or designated military bases, with all personnel handling sensitive information, including personally identifiable information and Controlled Unclassified Information, required to be U.S. citizens and undergo Tier 3 background investigations if they aggregate over 100,000 records. Security compliance includes adherence to DoDI 5200.48 for CUI marking, Section 508 accessibility standards, and adherence to the Privacy Act of 1974, all while maintaining a minimum 98% system availability and responding to technical inquiries within 24 business hours. All deliverables must be submitted in DMDC-compliant Microsoft electronic formats, with strict formatting rules applying to proposal volumes: Volume I (Business Information) has no page limit, Volume II (Technical) is capped at 25 pages, Volume III (Past Performance) at six pages, and Volume IV (Pricing) has no limit. Proposals must be submitted via email in letter-sized, portrait, single-spaced format with 11-point font, one-inch margins, and individual email attachments under 25 MB. Evaluation is based on technical capability, past performance, and price, with technical capability weighted as the most critical factor; a marginal or unacceptable technical risk rating eliminates a proposal from consideration. Past performance evaluations consider up to three relevant contracts within the last five years, while price reasonableness is assessed holistically, with the