• Contracts & Acquisitions Management - An overview of the purchasing division at the U.S. Department of Education (ED), including a list of the various groups in the division and the ED components they serve.

• Forecast of Upcoming Contract Activity - A list of possible upcoming ED acquisitions. The list is updated periodically as funding and Departmental plans change. The list provides special instructions for acquisitions that have been set-aside for 8(a)eligible contractors.

• Acquisition Notices and Contract Solicitations on FedBizOpps - Acquisition synopses, contract solicitations and other information, including draft work statements, special notices, sources sought notices, etc., available for download on FedBizOpps. ED posts solicitations on FedBizOpps, which is the single point on the internet where vendors can access information needed to bid on government contracts. Vendors may view a synopsis, download a solicitation, and register to receive notification of modifications to postings. Also, ED uses FedBizOpps as an electronic means of posting notices of intent to purchase for proposed contract actions expected to exceed $15,000, but not expected to exceed $25,000 - per FAR 5.101(a)(2).

• Public Disclosure of Justifications – In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.305, Department of Education Contracting Officers post justifications at the Government Point of Entry, FedBizOpps. Interested parties may search for and retrieve posted justifications according to specific criteria, such as statutory authority, posted date range, and contract award date (via advanced search). Instructions on how to search for documents are located at www.FedBizOpps.gov as part of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

• ED Policy on Non-Retaliation Against Small Entities [MS Word 26K] - This document contains the U.S. Department of Education's policy on non-retaliation against small entities. The Department is committed to maintaining an environment in which small entities are free to raise questions or concerns about Department actions or policies.

• Archived Contract Solicitations - This archive contains closed contract solicitations. Solicitations are available from Fiscal Year 1997 through the present. Generally, everything needed to prepare a proposal, including statement of work, request for proposal, past performance form, etc., is available. The archive contains final, closed solicitations only. Draft work statements are not included.

• Active Contracts - A file of active U.S. Department of Education contracts over $100,000.00. The file contains lists of active contracts administered by the Contracts and Acquisitions Management (CAM) contracting activity and the Federal Student Aid (FSA) contracting activity. Each list identifies the Principal Office and, for each contract listed, provides the Contract Number, Vendor Name, Award and Current End Dates, Current Value, Responsible ED Principal Office, and Contract Description or Title.

• Contractor/Vendor Registration - Organizations wishing to do business with ED are required to register in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). The CCR is used for market research by government buyers and program personnel searching for potential providers of specific goods and services.

• Doing Business with the U.S. Department of Education - This guide provides general information about the contracting process at the Department of Education and would be of special interest to prospective contractors new to the Department. Each Principal Operating Component within ED has staff authorized to make purchases with the Government Purchase Card. On February 23, 2004, the Department held a Small Business Outreach Conference in Washington, DC.

• Education Contract Reference Library - An online library of ED contract reference documents. An online library of Federal acquisition reference documents can be found in The Federal Acquisition Virtual Library.

• Vendor Communication Plan- On February 2, 2011, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memorandum titled “Myth-Busting”: Addressing Misconceptions to Improve Communication with Industry During the Acquisition Process.  This memorandum required agencies to develop a plan to reduce barriers to vendor engagement.  In accordance with this requirement, the Department of Education developed this Vendor Communication Plan describing efforts to reduce barriers and increase engagement with industry.  

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