Establishing a Roster of Pre-Qualified Research Entities for SMD

District of Columbia Courts
Administrative Services Division
Procurement and Contracts Branch
REQUEST FOR PRE-QUALIFICATION
FOR
ESTABLISHING A ROSTER OF PRE-QUALIFIED RESEARCH ENTITIES FOR
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT DIVISION, GRANTS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Solicitation Number: DCSC-26-RFPQ-1
Date Issued: August 20, 2026
Questions Due Date: No later than 1:00 p.m. EDT on August 28, 2026
Response Due Date & Time: No later than 1:00 p.m. EDT on September 18, 2026
Solicitation No.: DCSC-26-RFPQ-1 - Establishing a Roster of Pre-Qualified Research Entities for SMD Page 1 of 13

Executive Summary
The District of Columbia Courts ("Courts" or "DCC") on behalf of the Strategic Management
Division, Grants Management Program ("SMD) is issuing this Request for Pre-Qualification
("RFPQ") to solicit Statements of Qualifications ("SOQs") from those entities ("Offerors")
interested in performing grant funded research opportunities as specified in Section C
(Description/Specifications/Work Statement).
SMD seeks to establish a roster of pre-qualified research entities interested in and available to
engage in grant-funded research opportunities.
A.1. GOAL & DELIVERY METHOD
A.1.1 The goal of this RFPQ is to pre-qualify contractors with the experience necessary to
perform the grant funded research projects listed in Section B.1 and establish a roster of
pre-qualified research entities that can quickly compete for grant funded research
opportunities as they arise. The Courts will evaluate SOQs in accordance with the
evaluation criteria (Section D) and those offerors that their SOQs meet the RFPQ
requirements and will be most advantageous to the Courts, considering; Experience &
Qualifications; Past Performance and Customer Service; and Organizational Capacity
and Operational Readiness will be pre-qualified and issued a Pre-qualification Letter.
A.1.2 Offerors should note; however, no award will be made from this RFPQ, and the Pre-
qualification Letter will not authorize any specific work or constitute a guarantee that
any research work will be assigned to an offeror. All grant funded research opportunities
will be competed and awarded accordingly.
A.1.3 The pre-qualification remains valid for a period of two (2) years from the date of the
notice with the possibility of an additional year extension at the discretion of the
Contracting Officer.
A.2. OPEN MARKETS
This RFPQ is issued on an unrestricted / open market basis.
A.3. SAM REGISTRATION
The prospective contractor/offeror must be registered through the Federal System For
Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov. SAM.gov is an official U.S.
government website. There is no cost to use SAM. You can use SAM.gov for FREE to:
* Register to do business with the U.S. government.
* Update or renew your entity registration.
* Check status of an entity registration.
* Search for entity registration and exclusion records.
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A.4. COMMUNICATIONS AND QUESTIONS FROM PROSPECTIVE OFFERORS
All written communication regarding this RFPQ should be submitted by email to Mr.
Ahmad Stanekzai, Senior Contract Specialist, at ahmad.stanekzai@dccsystem.gov.
Questions from prospective offerors must be submitted no later than 1:00 p.m. EST on
August 28, 2026. The Courts will not consider any questions received after that time.
A.5. SOQ IDNETIFIATION AND SUBMISSSION:
A.5.1 The Offerors must submit an electronic PDF copy of its SOQ via email to
ahmad.stanekzai@dccsystem.gov no later than September 18, 2026, 1:00 p.m., EST
with the following subject line:
RFPQ No. DCSC-26-RFPQ-1: Establishing a Roster of Pre-Qualified Research
Entities for SMD
A.6. RFPQ AMENDMENTS
The Courts will post all amendments, addenda, and responses to offeror questions on the
DC Courts website https://www.dccourts.gov/dc-courts/solicitations and the Federal
Government website at https://sam.gov/content/opportunities. Oral explanations or
instructions given by Courts officials or staff before the pre-qualification process,
selection, and award of the contract will not be binding.
NOTE: Offeror may acknowledge RFPQ amendments and addenda on the addendum
itself and include in their submissions.
A.7. DEFINITIONS
A.7.1 Grants Management Program - Coordinates and administers grants to support the
Courts' development and operations. Serving as a liaison between the Courts and
funding agencies, the program helps secure grants and ensure compliance with grant
requirements and policies.
A.7.2 Strategic Management Division (SMD)- The division performs strategic planning,
grant administration, analysis, research, and performance measurement functions to
enhance strategic management of the DC Courts.
A.7.3 Statements of Qualification (SOQ(s)) - The SOQs are formal documents submitted by
the offerors or contractors to prove their capability, financial stability, and past
performance for the Courts' review, assessment, and evaluation before being allowed to
bid on specific grant funded research projects. It serves as a screening tool to ensure
only pre-qualified firms and entities are shortlisted and included in the roster of pre-
qualified research entities.
End of Section A
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SECTION B - DESCRIPTION / SPECIFICATIONS / SCOPE
B.1 The selected, pre-qualified contractors shall perform grant-funded research projects
through a competitive award process. Pre-qualified contractors will be notified of
opportunities as the need arises, and the Courts will issue solicitations for specific grant-
funded research opportunities. Sample research project types include, but are not limited
to, the following non-exhaustive list.
a. Juvenile justice
b. Eviction
c. Adult and juvenile specialty courts (mental
health, drug, etc.)
d. Diversion programs
e. Domestic violence
f. Recidivism
g. Second look/chance laws
h. Family mediation
i. Technology in courts
j. Alternative dispute resolution
k. Debt collection cases
l. Court management innovation, i.e.:
(organizational design and staffing, financial management and budgeting, case
processing costs)
m. Clean slate laws
n. Appellate practice and procedure
o. Access to Justice initiatives
Specific grant-funded research projects will be detailed in the applicable solicitations.
B.2 Overview of District of Columbia Court System (DCCS)
B.2.1 The DC Courts is the judicial branch of the District of Columbia and comprises
Three entities: the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the Superior Court of the
District of Columbia, and the District of Columbia Court System ("DCCS"). DCCS
includes the Executive Office and administrative offices that support both courts. The
DC Courts is a fully unified large urban court system with over 95 judicial officers and
approximately 1,200 employees.
B.2.2 The Courts include the Court of Appeals, the District of Columbia's highest
court, the Superior Court, a trial court of general jurisdiction, and the Court System,
which provides administrative functions for both courts. Because the District of
Columbia has no intermediate appellate court, the Court of Appeals hears all cases
appealed from the trial court. The Court of Appeals also reviews decisions and orders
of D.C. Government administrative agencies. Final judgments of the Court of Appeals
are reviewable by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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B.2.3 The Superior Court has five major operating divisions which process civil,
criminal, domestic violence, family, probate, and tax cases. The Court also operates the
juvenile probation function for the District of Columbia, mediation programs and a
Crime Victims Compensation Program which provides financial assistance to victims of
violent crime and their families.
B.2.4 The Court System provides business support services, including, but not limited
to, capital projects, facility management, budget and finance, administrative services,
human resources, legal counsel, training, planning, research and development, court
reporting, and information technology.
B.2.5 The Strategic Management Division's Grants Management Program is
responsible for the grant seeking and management for nearly all grants at the DC Courts.
The Division primarily manages awards from federal funding agencies including the
Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services and local District
government agencies.
B.3 Requirements - Establishing a Roster of Qualified Research Entities for SMD
B.3.1 SMD has identified a need for research and data collection across various
divisions. In SMD's investigation into potential funding opportunities, SMD has
identified a gap in terms of application requirements. Many grant opportunities,
specifically those from the National Institute of Justice, require applicants to identify a
Primary Investigator (PI) at the time of the initial grant application. Because of the DC
Courts procurement guidelines, a PI cannot be identified upfront, preventing the Courts
from being able to submit a complete application.
B.3.2 To resolve this bottleneck, SMD is exploring the development of a
list of pre-qualified research entities. This repository will allow the Courts to efficiently
identify, vet, and reference qualified research entities during the application phase, while
maintaining full alignment with procurement requirements. All grant-funded research
opportunities are subject to a competitive award process.
B.3.3 Research questions and guidelines will be based on the needs identified by the
Courts.
End of Section B
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SECTION C - STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATION FORM, ORGANIZATION,
AND CONTENT
C.1 SOQs must be submitted electronically in PDF file titled:
Volume 1 - SOQ Response
C.2 The Offeror must conspicuously mark the first page of the SOQ with the name and
address of the Offeror and the following:
Solicitation Number: DCSC-26-RFPQ-1
Caption: Establishing a Roster of Pre-Qualified Research Entities for SMD
Proposal Due Date & Time: September 18, 2026, 1:00 p.m., EST
C.3 SOQs must be typed in Times New Roman 12-point font size with 1-inch margins.
C.4 Offerors are directed to the SOQs evaluation criteria in Section D of the solicitation
(Evaluation Factors for Pre-qualification). The Offeror must address each factor in a
way that will allow the Courts to evaluate the Offeror's SOQ. The Offeror must submit
information in a clear, concise, factual, and logical manner providing a comprehensive
description of services and delivery thereof.
C.5 Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other presentations beyond those sufficient to
present a complete and effective response to this solicitation are not desired.
Elaborate artwork, expensive paper and bindings, and expensive visual and other
presentation aids are neither necessary nor desired.
C.6 Offerors' SOQs must be organized by tabs as follows:
Tab Section Page limit
20
Contractor Information and Disclosure
A (excluding Section E
Attachments)
Experience and Qualifications
B 15
Past Performance and Customer Service
C 15
D Organizational Capacity and Operational Readiness 3
TAB A - CONTRACTOR INFORMATION AND DISCLOSURES
The following information and disclosures must be provided in Tab A:
(i) A transmittal letter briefly summarizing the Offeror's interest and ability to
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provide the requested research services that meet RFPQ requirements. The letter
must contain a statement indicating the Offeror's willingness to provide the
requested services subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the RFPQ. The
letter must be signed by a person legally authorized to commit the Offeror to its
representations and who can certify that the information offered meets all general
conditions.
(ii) Name, address, website, current phone number, and DUNS and Federal
ID Number of the Offeror.
(iii) Name, address, email, and current phone number of Offeror's contact
person for this proposal.
(iv) Brief history of the Company.
(v) Copy of any current license, permit, registration, or certification to
transact business in the District of Columbia ("license"), if required by
law to obtain such license. If the Offeror does not provide a copy of a
required license(s) to transact business in the District of Columbia, the
offer must certify its intent to obtain such license(s) prior to contract
award or provide its exemption from such requirements.
(vi) Completed Certifications, Representations, Statements, Affidavits, and all other
disclosures required under Section E.
(vii) A list, including descriptions of all legal actions and litigation within the past 5
years (including pending actions and litigation) against the Offeror resulting
from its performance of: (a) government or commercial contract for the
required or proposed services.
(viii) A statement that the Offeror knows of no conflict between its interests and those
of the District of Columbia Courts; and further that the Offeror knows of no facts
or circumstances that might create the appearance of a conflict between its
interests and those of the District of Columbia Courts.
TAB B - EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
The information in Tab C will facilitate the Courts' evaluation of the Offeror's experience and
qualifications to provide the required research opportunities detailed in Section B.1.
(i) Experience in providing research Services. Offerors must describe, in no more than five
(5) pages, their experience providing grant funded research services as described in Section
B. The SOQ must include a list of at least three (3), but no more than five (5),
projects/contracts of a similar scope, size, and complexity to the requirements, delivered
within the last three (3) years. The Offeror must provide sufficient details such as contract
dates, contract amount, goods and services provided, indicate academic, contract or grant
funded or project dates, current contact information, documented experience navigating
human subjects protections, drafting IRB protocols, and managing ethical considerations
involving vulnerable populations, familiarity with federal grant programmatic reporting
requirements and any additional relevant information needed to substantiate the Offeror's
performance of the contract.
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(ii) Key Personnel. Offerors must include resumes of key personnel and describe the
qualifications of key personnel to perform the specified work as described in Section B.
Include, at a minimum, the following:
a) Name and job title
b) Resume (not included in page limits)
c) Qualified researchers would, at minimum, have the following requirements:
1) Advanced Degree: Proposed Principal Investigators (PIs) and senior research staff
must hold a Ph.D., or an equivalent terminal degree from an accredited institution
in Criminology, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Public Policy, Behavioral Psychology,
or a closely related social science discipline. Candidates holding a Master's degree
(e.g., J.D., M.A., M.S., M.P.P., M.P.A.) will be considered, provided they
demonstrate an extensive, documented track record of executing large-scale,
independent empirical research within the criminal justice sectors.
2) Research Experience: Key personnel must possess hands-on experience conducting
applied mixed methods of research. Qualifying experience may include academic
appointments, completed post-doctoral fellowships, extensive graduate-level
independent research initiatives, or applied research conducted with a private
research firm or organization.
3) Priority consideration will be assigned to researchers with a demonstrated history of
research in one or more of the focal areas listed in Section B.1 on page 4. Additional
requirements are:
o A deep understanding of quantitative and qualitative data collection and
study design
o Data analysis: proficiency in interpreting data and using relevant statistical
software
o Familiarity with research databases and citation tools
o Documented experience navigating human subject protections, drafting IRB
protocols, and managing ethical considerations involving vulnerable
populations (e.g., minors, incarcerated individuals, victims of trauma) is
highly preferred.
o Familiarity with federal grant programmatic and reporting requirements.
The ability to produce scholarly products. For example: published, peer-
reviewed, scientific journal articles, and/or (if appropriate) law review
journal articles, book chapters or books in the academic press, or similar
scientific products.
TAB C - PAST PERFORMANCE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
The information in Tab C will facilitate the Courts' evaluation of the quality of the Offeror's
customer service and recent history delivering and performing the requirements in Section B.
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Offerors must illustrate their reputation for reasonable and cooperative behavior and
commitment to high quality customer satisfaction. The Offeror must provide the following:
(i) Past Performance Evaluation Form. A past performance evaluation form (Attachment
I) for each project/contract identified in Section (i) of Tab C. The forms will be used to
query prior and/or current customers regarding the Offeror's performance, customer
service, and related factors. It is the offeror's responsibility to ensure that each evaluation
form is thoroughly completed, including required remarks and comments, and signed by
the evaluator.
(ii) Terminated Contracts. The Offeror must list any government contracts lost, terminated,
or not renewed in the last five (5) years, including by any District of Columbia agency.
Thoroughly describe the circumstances and reasons for the loss or termination and
contact information for the client.
TAB D - ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY AND OPERATIONAL READINESS
The information in Tab D will facilitate the Courts' evaluation of the quality of the Offeror's
organizational capacity and operational readiness. The Offeror must provide documentation
demonstrating they have the capacity, infrastructure, analytical tools, data security procedures, and
administrative systems necessary to begin work quickly and execute research projects effectively.
Provide the following:
Description of Technical Infrastructure outlining analytic tools, software, data platforms, and
other technical resources used for research, data management, and deliverable production.
* Percentage of grant funds retained for administrative/overhead purposes
* Financial and administrative systems for managing compliance, reporting, and grant
financial management
Disclosure of Minimum Award Thresholds indicating any minimum or maximum grant amounts
the organization will accept, including internal policies governing project size, funding levels, or
resource allocation.
Description of Internal Approval Timelines detailing workflow and typical turnaround times
for obtaining internal approval to participate as a grant applicant, obtain IRB approval, and
required reviews or authorizations.
C.7 CONFIDENTIALITY OF SUBMITTED INFORMATION
(a) If a SOQ contains trade secrets, proprietary information, or other data that an Offeror
does not wish to be disclosed to the public or used by the District of Columbia Courts
except for use in the procurement process, the Offeror must mark the title page of each
proposal volume with the following legend:
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"This SOQ includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Courts and shall not
be duplicated, used or disclosed in whole or in part for any purpose except for use in
the procurement process."
If, however, a contract is awarded to this Offeror as a result of or in connection with the
submission of this data, the Courts will have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to
the extent consistent with the Courts' needs in the procurement process. This restriction does
not limit the Courts' rights to use, without restriction, information contained in this proposal if
it is obtained from another source. The data subject to this restriction are contained in sheets
(insert page numbers or
other identification of sheets).
Mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend:
"Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the
title page of this SOQ."
(b) The District of Columbia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is not applicable to the D.C.
Courts. Therefore, proposals or any submission by an offeror in connection with procurement
shall not be subject to public disclosure pursuant to FOIA. However, the offeror must invoke
the protection of this section prior to or upon submission of the data or other materials; must
identify the specific area or scope of data or other materials to be protected; and state the
reasons why protection is necessary. A blanket proscription that the offeror's entire proposal
is proprietary will have no effect whatsoever.
(c) Note that the District of Columbia Courts shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the
data to the extent consistent with the Court's internal needs in the procurement process. The
Courts may, without permission of the offeror, use, without restriction, information contained
in this proposal package if it is obtained from another source.
An Offeror who does not have recent and relevant past performance to submit should
affirmatively state that.
C.8 LATE SOQS SUBMISSIONS
Any SOQ Submission after the exact time specified for receipt shall not be considered.
C.9 SOQ PREPARATION COSTS
The Courts is not liable for any costs incurred by the Offerors in submitting SOQs in
response to this RFPQ.
End of Section C
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