PEP Celebrates 20 Years of Achievement

Performance Excellence Partners (PEP), an award-winning federal contractor and woman-owned small business (WOSB) with expertise in project management, grants management, human capital, and program support services, launches its 20th year serving federal and state agencies as well as private sector businesses and non-profit organizations. Under the leadership of CEO and President Rachel E. Ramirez, PEP has grown into a widely respected organization with a large and expanding clientele.

PEP’s high level of service and customer-first approach has twice been recognized by the Department of Energy (DOE), which named PEP Protégé of the Year and later Woman Owned Small Business of the Year. A number of individual PEP staff members have also been honored for their exceptional performance, receiving citations from DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy (NE); the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); the Department of Labor (DOL); and the Maxwell Air Force Base, Eaker Center Commanders’ ProfessionalDevelopment School.

PEP ended 2019 with three new prime federal contract awards, two of which were awarded under the GSA Best-in-Class Human Capital and Training Solutions (HCaTS) contract vehicle. PEP was selected to provide Front Office Support and Strategic Human Capital Planning Support to the National Science Foundation (NSF) and will also be serving the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), with human resources solutions. In addition, PEP is assisting DOL’s Women’s Bureau (WB) with celebratory events, programs, and marketing to commemorate the Bureau’s 100 years of service to America’s working women.

PEP was founded in 1999 by Rachel E. Ramirez and was incorporated in 2000. That year it was awarded its first prime contract from DOL to support the Workforce Excellence Network and lead organizational change among the local, state, and federal entities that comprised the workforce system. In 2003, PEP was granted 8(a) status by the Small Business Administration, which enabled the new company to develop and flourish. Building relationships with prime contractors and federal agencies helped PEP manage its 2012 transition to a competitive environment. PEP is now a successful WOSB graduate of the 8a program, bidding on and winning competitive prime contracts.

Prime contract clients throughout the years have included DOL/Employment Training Administration (ETA); DOL Regional Offices; Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy and Strategic Petroleum Reserve; the Department of Education (ED); HHS’s Office of Family Assistance; DHS’s Office of Cyber Security and Communications (CS&C); the U.S. Coast Guard; the U.S. Marshalls Service; along with new clients NSF and DOJ/OJP.

PEP was awarded two highly-coveted Government Services Administration (GSA) Best-in-Class Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs). For the OASIS Small Business, Pool 1 contract (2014), PEP exceeded the minimum score by 500 points to become one of 43 awardees out of 300 applicants. The Human Capital and Training Solutions (HCaTS) Small Business, Pool 2 contract (2016) was awarded to only 35 out of 75 applicants.

In 2018, PEP was awarded the DOL/ETA Blanket Purchase Agreement Contract for Technical Assistance and Education/Outreach Services, one of five contractors on this multi-award BPA. In that same year, PEP earned its ISO 9001 Certification.

PEP has full- and part-time employees working at its offices in California and the Washington, D.C. area and at client sites and home offices across the United States. Since its inception, the company has been a proponent of progressive workplace practices, retaining a diverse workforce and fostering a supportive corporate culture and flexible work environment.

Gratitude for the support and opportunities extended by clients and partners fuels PEP’s passion for helping and mentoring other small businesses and professionals looking to advance their careers or enter new fields. In this and other ways, PEP strives to be a light that creates a lasting impact on people, projects and initiatives.

As PEP prepares for the next 20 years, and beyond, the focus remains on providing exceptional services to clients and partners through outstanding team members that exemplify PEP’s core values of applying uncommon integrity, seeking inspired solutions, creating a lasting impact, and attracting and building enduring partnerships.

“What a privilege to serve such a range of clients and work with such gifted and committed staff, partners and contractors – all of whom share the credit for our 20 years of excellence.”

– Rachel E. Ramirez, CEO & President