Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source Contract to College Options Foundation for the JROTC Academic Bowl

This is a Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source Firm Fixed Price contract in accordance with the procedures outlined in Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services) under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold.

Description of Requirement

The United States Marine Corps, Training and Education Command (TECOM), has a requirement to implement and support the competitive Academic Bowl program for the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) for School Year 2026-2027. In support of the MCJROTC citizenship and leadership-building program, this specialized initiative aims to engage over 29,000 cadets across approximately 270 high school units worldwide, helping to improve college entry ACT/SAT and military ASVAB scores through an interactive, multi-level academic competition.

The scope of work requires complete online operations and logistical support for online preliminary academic competition rounds, followed by full travel, lodging, meals, awards, and moderators for the final, live national championship round in Washington, DC, for eight (8) qualifying teams. It also requires the provision of academic resources, such as practice tests and test-prep guides designed to prepare cadets for standard exams.

Intended Sole Source Vendor

The Government intends to award this contract on a sole-source basis to:

College Options Foundation, Inc

128 Willow Creek Dr

Peachtree City, GA 30269-1695

Justification for Sole Source:

College Options Foundation (COF) is the sole developer and proprietary provider of this highly specialized, three-level academic competition which culminates in a Joint Service Championship in Washington, DC. COF possesses the proprietary software, competition platforms, and cross-walked test-prep materials (specifically designed to align with JROTC curriculum and standard tests like the ASVAB, ACT, and SAT) required to execute the program. Because COF is the only organization that conducts and hosts this multi-level event across all JROTC service branches, awarding a sole-source contract is the only viable mechanism that enables Marine Corps JROTC cadets to participate alongside and compete directly against their sister services in this joint-service environment. Utilizing an unauthorized third-party vendor would disrupt program continuity, prevent integration into the national JLAB platform, and fail to provide the specialized educational resources required by the Marine Corps.

Capability Statement Submission

This notice is not a request for competitive proposals or quotations. However, all interested and responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which the agency will consider if received by the response deadline.

Submissions must explicitly demonstrate the vendor's ability to provide a fully compatible Academic Bowl program that:

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  Can host and manage a three-level competitive Academic Bowl program utilizing an online testing platform capable of supporting up to two teams per unit across approximately 270 worldwide MCJROTC units.

  
  


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  Can provide comprehensive, cross-walked academic resources, practice tests, and study guides tailored specifically to standard exams (ASVAB, SAT/ACT, and state exit exams) and integrated with the MCJROTC curriculum.

  
  


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  Can provide complete on-site event management and logistical coordination for a live, national-level championship in Washington, DC, including organizing professional moderators, competition materials (e.g., buzzer systems, awards), and arranging lodging, local transportation, and meals for 8 qualifying teams (comprised of 4 cadets, 1 instructor, and alternates/chaperones per team).