STARBASE Academy

The contract seeks a contractor to manage and operate the Department of Defense STARBASE Program at Patrick Space Force Base in Florida, delivering STEM education to at-risk fifth-grade students in alignment with DoD Instruction 1025.7. The contractor is responsible for hiring and supervising instructional staff, delivering 30 classes annually totaling 750 classroom contact hours, maintaining strict curriculum compliance with DoD standards, conducting community outreach, and ensuring operational readiness within 15 days of contract award. All personnel, including the Director and Office Manager, must undergo and pass DoD security and background checks before engaging with minors, with immediate removal required if clearance is denied. The Director must hold a bachelor’s degree in STEM or education with at least five years of relevant experience and serve as the primary liaison with schools, military personnel, and local stakeholders. The contractor must develop and submit an operational plan within seven days of award, maintain detailed records of training and quality control, and ensure 90% alignment with the approved STARBASE curriculum. Performance will be evaluated on-site at Building 3655 in Satellite Beach, Florida, with the Government retaining authority to increase oversight based on performance issues or complaints. The contractor is required to use only government-issued equipment and keys, report any loss or duplication immediately, and bear all costs for replacements. Teleworking may be authorized by the Contracting Officer’s Representative but only under strict conditions, with no use of personal devices permitted. The program operates on the federal fiscal year schedule, with monthly and annual reporting mandated, and all materials, software, and records developed under the contract become Government property. The solicitation number is FA252126QB073, with responses due by August 10, 2026, and the NAICS code is 611710, indicating this is an educational services procurement without any set-aside. A Draft Performance Work Statement is provided for reference, but the contract itself remains in the planning phase, with no pricing or line-item data available as this is currently a market research request. The contractor must be registered in SAM.gov, provide a current unique entity identifier and CAGE code, and disclose business size and socioeconomic status, including whether they qualify as a small business under the $24 million revenue threshold. All submissions must be electronic, not exceed five pages, and include the RFQ number, sent to specified Space Force email addresses.