BACKGROUND The National Assessment Governing Board (hereafter the Governing Board), U.S. Department of Education is conducting market research to identify potential sources that can meet our requirements to provide focused reporting services using National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data as detailed below. More information on the Governing Board and its work can be found at www.nagb.gov. This announcement is issued for market research and planning purposes only, and shall not be considered as an obligation by the Government to acquire any products or services. This is not a solicitation, request for proposals, or invitation to bid. The sole purpose of this notice is to determine the availability of potential small businesses with capability and expertise using large scale data sets, specifically the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Data Explorer available at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/. Pursuant to Department of Education Acquisition Plan number NAGB160005AP, which can be found at http://www2.ed.gov/fund/contract/find/forecast.html, this procurement is planned as full and open competition; however, the Government is issuing a sources sought notice to determine the availability of qualified small businesses to meet this requirement. Results of this market research will inform the Governing Board's decision to set aside the procurement for small businesses or issue it under full and open completion. This announcement is issued in accordance with the requirements of FAR Part 10. Large businesses need not respond to this notice. Only potential small businesses that have capability and experience to meet our requirements may respond to this announcement. REQUIREMENTS Title III-National Assessment of Educational Progress, §301 and 302(5)(1), P.L. 107-279 provides a legislative mandate to the Governing Board to develop guidelines for reporting and disseminating results and to take appropriate actions to improve the form, content, use, and reporting of results of NAEP) data. The Governing Board has a requirement to conduct analyses with the NAEP Data Explorer and produce artifacts based on these analyses. The products shall be designed to present substantive findings from technically sound analyses of NAEP data in visually appealing and meaningful ways to a diverse set of stakeholders. The requested analyses shall be conducted by expert staff who are experienced in using the NAEP Data Explorer to conduct technically correct analyses of relevance and interest to external audiences. The expert staff must be able to distinguish what is feasible and what is not feasible in analyses with the NAEP Data Explorer, and to make suggested conclusions from these analyses. The staff must have applicable education and demonstrated experience in this expertise to meet the technical demands of the work. Experience using the NAEP Data Explorer is paramount to this acquisition. While corporations may have experience in analyzing other large scale data sets, the procurement requires specific NAEP Data Explorer expertise in order to maximize efficiency, eliminate the learning curve and achieve time and cost savings. The applicable NAICS code is 611710 with a size standard of $15 million. DUE DATE FOR SUBMISSION Interested small businesses with the requisite capabilities and experience may submit capability statements and complete the attached vendor survey via EMAIL ONLY to Anthony White,
[email protected] by 4:00 p.m. ET on March 30, 2016. The information you provide will not be returned, receipt of your submission will be acknowledged. Responses submitted after the due date and time will not be accepted. FOLLOW UP ACTIONS Results of the market research will be utilized to make a decision on issuing the procurement as a small business set aside, or issue the procurement under full and open completion no later than April 30, 2016. Proposals will be due approximately 30-45 days after the RFP is released. The contract period of performance is anticipated to be 24 months. This is a new procurement; there is no incumbent. The opportunity to submit questions will be provided only when the RFP is issued. DISCLAIMER The sole purpose of this Sources Sought notice is to conduct market research for procurement planning purposes. This Sources Sought notice is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract nor does the Government intend to directly pay for any costs associated with or resulting from responses submitted for this Notice.