Open federal opportunities

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE PROGRAM (LEP)

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION.NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION.NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER · Response deadline: Wed, 28 Oct 2026

What the government is buying

NASA's Shared Services Center is soliciting for the Leadership Experience Program (LEP), a training and professional development services requirement. Based on the NAICS code, this falls under professional and management development training—services designed to develop leadership capabilities, typically through structured programs that may include coursework, coaching, assessments, and experiential learning components.

Leadership development programs for federal agencies commonly cover areas such as executive coaching, strategic thinking, team building, change management, and succession planning. The specific curriculum, target participant levels, and delivery format (in-person, virtual, or blended) are not specified in the available metadata; see the solicitation for these details.

Key facts

Who can bid

This is a full and open competition with no small-business set-aside, meaning businesses of any size may submit proposals. However, small businesses—including 8(a), HUBZone, service-disabled veteran-owned, women-owned, and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses—are still eligible to compete.

To bid, a company must be registered in SAM.gov with active status, have the applicable NAICS code (611430) in its profile, and possess relevant experience delivering leadership development or executive training programs. Contractors should verify their size standard for NAICS 61143—which is 1,000 employees for training services—to determine if they qualify as a small business for other opportunities.

How to put together a competitive bid

For professional training services, NASA typically evaluates based on technical approach, past performance, and price. Focus your proposal on:

• Demonstrated expertise in federal leadership development: Highlight contracts with civilian agencies, DOD, or other federal entities. NASA-specific experience is particularly valuable.
• Qualified instructional staff: Identify proposed facilitators' credentials, certifications (e.g., International Coach Federation, Center for Creative Leadership), and federal-sector experience.
• Customized curriculum design: Emphasize ability to tailor content to NASA's organizational culture, mission-driven environment, and multi-generational workforce rather than offering generic off-the-shelf programs.
• Measurable outcomes and evaluation methodology: Describe how you will assess program effectiveness, including Kirkpatrick-level evaluations, 360-degree feedback integration, and longitudinal tracking of participant advancement.
• Competitive pricing strategy: With no set-aside, expect competition from large training firms. Price realistically while demonstrating value; consider subcontracting arrangements or teaming if you lack scale for nationwide delivery.
• Past performance references: Secure CPARS or PPIRS-ready references from federal contracts within the last three years for similar scope and complexity.

Note: The compressed timeline—posted October 22 with response due October 28—suggests this may be a simplified acquisition or has limited proposal requirements; confirm in the solicitation.

Next steps

1. Download the full solicitation immediately from SAM.gov using number 80NSSC27947456Q to obtain the statement of work, evaluation criteria, and proposal instructions.
2. Note the firm deadline of October 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM Central Time—late submissions are inadmissible.
3. Verify SAM.gov registration status and NAICS code alignment before preparing your response.
4. If documentation reveals restrictive requirements or incumbent advantages, evaluate whether a bid protest pre-proposal inquiry is warranted given the abbreviated response window.

View the official notice on SAM.gov →