RECOVERY - Computer-Based Grants Training and Hosting Services

(RECOVERY) THIS NOTICE IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. The United States Department of Education (the Department) anticipates issuing a solicitation to a pool of small business vendors under the General Services Administration's (GSA), Federal Supply Schedule (FSS), Mission Oriented Business Integrated Services (MOBIS) Schedule 874 SIN 4. Issuance of the solicitation is planned for mid-August 2010, with contract award scheduled before September 30, 2010. GSA FSS MOBIS 874-4 small businesses who possess the requisite knowledge, skills, and past performance shall make up the vendor pool. It is anticipated that the resulting contract award (one, blanket purchase agreement with the provision to issue task orders), shall be issued on a fixed price basis to support a period of performance of one, twelve-month base period and four, twelve-month (possible) option periods. There is no incumbent for anticipated requirement. The Department's Risk Management Service (RMS) is charged with developing policy guidance and general oversight of the Department's grants process for both discretionary and formula programs. This oversight, among other efforts, takes the form of providing training and technical assistance to the Department's grantees, sub-grantees, and others charged with implementing these assistance programs in the field. However, due to the ever increasing number of grantees and sub-grantees across the United States, coupled with the normal turnover in their respective staffs, it is not feasible to only offer traditional classroom or live distance-learning opportunities to prepare these individuals to administer their federally funded programs. With the passing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), which has seen an unprecedented commitment on the part of the Federal Government to address public concerns, the demand for training from grantees is an even more pressing issue today. The significant financial investment of the Recovery Act requires a greater level of accountability and stewardship on the part of all parties involved. Therefore, it is critical to implement the most effective and far reaching training and technical assistance program possible, comprised of a curriculum of relevant courses, to ensure that the Department's grantees, sub-grantees, and other grants management and oversight staff understand and are able to execute their administrative and financial responsibilities consistent with applicable Federal laws, regulations and directives. The purpose of the Education Department Computer-Based Grants Training (CGT) BPA is to provide programmatic, analytical, engineering, and technical support services for the Department's Risk Management Service (RMS). The overall objective is to develop a contractor-hosted, computer-based training system for the Department's grantees, sub-grantees, and other external staff who have management and oversight responsibilities for ED grant funds. Course content shall be developed by the contractor, for specific computer-based training (CGT) modules to be hosted by the contractor. Thus, the secondary objective is to provide direct technical and maintenance support for the developed grants training content, and to ensure continuity and accessibility of this hosting site.