INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE - Continuing Education Provider Registration

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) hereby submits a notice of intent to award a sole source firm fixed price purchase order to Advocation Strategies (AS). Advocation Strategies was verified via Eligible NAICS for the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting program U.S. Small Business Administration. The NAICS code for this procurement is 541611. This procurement is for an educational website host service for the IRS. This vendor website is available only to authorized users. The website is as follows: http://www.ceprovider.us. The current website host charges a subscription fee to contractors who offer training. In turn these contractors post and conduct training for a fee. CEProvider.us is the official online system used by the IRS to manage continuing-education (CE) providers. Organizations use it to register, submit course information, and maintain their status as an IRS-approved CE provider for courses offered to tax professionals (such as enrolled agents and tax return preparers). The subscribers are organizations, educational institutions, professional associations, or businesses that wish to offer IRS-approved continuing education. All IRS-approved courses and programs must be registered in this system. Each provider receives a unique provider number, and each course receives a program number. The platform ensures compliance with IRS standards for course content, reporting, and recordkeeping. Registered CE providers also use the site to renew their approval, add or update programs, and upload participant records via PTIN uploads. Advocation Strategies does not charge the government a fee to run the website, they get fee from contractor subscriptions. The vendor provides various reports to the IRS on a routine basis. The provider must comply with federal government regulations. Because regulations are subject to change the provider must make changes to stay complaint. In addition, the vendor must meet all applicable security requirements. The authority permitting this sole source procurement without full and open competition is prescribed by FAR 6.302-5 “Authorized or required by statute” under (b)(7) Sole source awards under the WOSB Program– 15 U.S.C. 637(m) (see 19.1506). Therefore, in accordance FAR 19.1506, Women Owned Small Business specifically underrepresented WOSB under certain NAICS codes are permitted to be awarded as a sole source. This notice serves as a Notice of Intent to award a purchase order and is NOT a request for quotes (RFQs). Requests for capability briefings will not be considered. A RFQ will not be publicly posted and requests for copies of an RFQ shall not be honored or acknowledged. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether conducting a competitive procurement is in the best interest of the Government. The Government will not be responsible for any costs incurred by responding to this notice. Those responsible sources that believe they can perform these services in their entirety must submit a written notification of interest and capability statement by 03/04/2026. All information submitted shall support your firm’s capabilities to provide all the required services and shall be furnished at no cost or obligation to the Government. Responses shall be submitted via email to the following address: [email protected]. Telephone requests or inquiries will not be accepted.