The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) is hosting a Vendor Collaboration Webinar Event to provide pertinent details regarding a new Fiscal Year 2013 procurement: Evaluation of Investing in Innovation (i3) Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Cohort; on behalf of the Departments' Institute for Education Sciences (IES), National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE).

The intent of this webinar is to allow interested parties and potential offerors to obtain key information on the i3 requirement, to allow for a robust understanding of the respective requirement in its entirety, and to obtain valuable feedback from industry.

A brief overview of the requirement is provided below, but interested parties are strongly encouraged to review i3 Synopsis # ED-IES-13-R-0061 posted August 19, 2013, to obtain a copy of the DRAFT Performance Work Statement (PWS).

Please read the following attachments to this notice:

Attachment A titled "i3 Webinar Logistics Details", contains logistical information regarding this vendor collaboration webinar event.

Attachment B titled "i3 Capability Statement Instructions" provides guidance on the protocol for Capability Statement Submissions.

Attachment C - i3 Webinar PowerPoint slides.

Requirements Overview

Solicitation Number ED-IES-13-R-0061 - Evaluation of Investing in Innovation (i3) Fiscal Year 2013 Cohort

NAICS Code: 541720
(Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities)

Anticipated Acquisition Strategy: Full and Open Competition in accordance with FAR Part 15 Contracting by Negotiation.

Anticipated Contract Type: Hybrid (containing both Fixed Price and Cost Reimbursement tasks)

Period of Performance: 14-month Base Period and five 14-month Option Periods that would ultimately result in a 74month period of performance (if all Option Periods are exercised)

Purpose of the Requirement: The purpose of the anticipated contract is to provide technical assistance on the design and conduct of rigorous evaluations to the independent local evaluators of the Investing in Innovation (i3) 2013 grantees. The purpose of i3 is to expand the implementation of, and investment in, evidence-based practices and to serve as models. Another purpose of i3 is to identify and document best practices that can be shared and taken to scale based on demonstrated success. All i3 grantees are required to fund an independent local evaluation. Scale-up and Validation grantees are expected to conduct an experimental or quasi-experimental study that meets What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards with or without reservations.

The Department is interested in maximizing the strength of the local evaluations and summarizing their results through the award of the anticipated contract. The anticipated contract will include a 14-month Base Period; and five successive, 14-month Option Periods to extend the technical assistance and reporting work through the completion of the FY 2013 cohort of i3 grants (and produce a final report for the FY 2012 cohort). Each of these option periods will overlap with the previous and following period by 2 months. If all five option periods are exercised, the total length of the anticipated contract will be 74 months.