ACES Team

The ACES Team operates as a specialized procurement unit within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), under agency code 7200AA, responsible for managing technical assistance and institutional capacity-building contracts aligned with the agency’s global development mission. They oversee the acquisition of professional, scientific, and technical services that support governance reform, democratic engagement, and public sector strengthening in partner nations. Their portfolio centers on performance-based contracting for advisory services, policy analysis, and institutional diagnostics, ensuring alignment with USAID’s strategic objectives in international development and emergency response coordination. The team maintains a primary working relationship with AMD INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC, a trusted contractor delivering high-impact technical services in governance, institutional assessment, and program evaluation. Their contracting patterns reflect a preference for long-term, performance-driven partnerships with firms possessing deep sectoral expertise in public administration and development policy. Vendor engagements are typically structured as indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts or task orders under broad agency-wide mechanisms, emphasizing technical rigor and measurable outcomes over commodity procurement. The ACES Team does not utilize socioeconomic set-asides, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic focus on selecting the most technically qualified providers regardless of business size or certification status, prioritizing mission-critical expertise over socioeconomic preferences. While small business participation is not formally targeted, the team’s open competition model remains accessible to all eligible vendors, including those with 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB certifications, provided they meet stringent technical qualifications. Their procurement activity is exclusively focused on NAICS 541990—All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services—encompassing policy advisory, institutional diagnostics, capacity-building assessments, and technical training design. The team specializes in procuring services that enhance public sector effectiveness, including electoral system support, anti-corruption frameworks, and public financial management reforms, demonstrating deep domain expertise in governance and development programming.