What Optimal Solutions Group does

Optimal Solutions Group, LLC is a privately held, nonpartisan public policy research and analytics firm founded in 2000 by Dr. Mark Turner (President & CEO) and Tracye Turner (EVP & COO), headquartered at the University of Maryland Discovery District in College Park, Maryland. The firm operates four specialized research centers covering health policy, education, workforce development and social policy, and housing/economic development/transportation, staffed by 60+ multidisciplinary researchers with backgrounds in economics, education, health, housing, sociology, statistics, and information management. Core service offerings include program evaluation, policy research, technical assistance, and analytics for U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies, alongside nonprofit organizations and foundations.

The firm's technical platform is built on the proprietary Real-Time Framework, which automates data collection, analysis, and reporting through standards-based processes and continuous feedback loops, operationalized through the Revelo Software product suite. Product portfolio spans accessibility solutions (iAccessible for WCAG 2.1/2.2 and Section 508 compliance scanning and remediation tracking, ACR Evaluator, e-508, eReviewer), AI-enabled tools (AcquisitionAI for agentic federal procurement intelligence, OptiBot.AI for natural language querying of federal statistical data via ChatGPT API, and a Comments Processing Tool), and specialized data collection modules (Real-Time Surveyor). The Revelo software line was spun off into a separate entity, Revelo Software, in January 2025 with TEDCO seed funding, while Optimal retains authorized reseller and implementation partner status.

Optimal generates revenue primarily through competitive federal contracts awarded via GSA Multiple Award Schedule, GSA OASIS+ (as subcontractor to Vinsys IT), ED IES PRESTO IDIQ, DOL Program Evaluation IDIQ, and SBA Evaluation Services BPA. Major anchor clients include CMS (Medicare/Medicaid ombudsman support, CMMI Learning System, Reports to Congress), Department of Education (charter school research, NAEP analysis, special education), USAID (LEAP project in 22 countries), SBA (HUBZone, 8(a), Boots to Business, Microloan evaluations), DOL, HUD, Washington State Department of Enterprise Services, and Chicago Public Schools. The firm holds CMMI Level 3 appraisals for both Services and Development (2017), CMS and USAID Authority to Operate approvals, and operates DMARS data systems in a FedRAMP FISMA Moderate environment on AWS.

Name

Optimal Solutions Group

Legal name

Optimal Solutions Group, LLC

Website

https://optimalsolutionsgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Optimal Solutions Group is a nonpartisan public policy research and analytics firm serving U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies with program evaluation, policy research, accessibility compliance, and AI-enabled analytics tools built on its proprietary Real-Time Framework and Revelo Software platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research and Government Consulting

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

IT Governance, Risk & Compliance (IT GRC) Platforms (HDAEALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII) (HDAEANAG)

Keywords

• Public policy research
• Program evaluation services
• Digital accessibility compliance
• Federal government consulting
• Data analytics software

Headquarters

HQ city

College Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts - Federal: Optimal derives the majority of its revenue from federal government contracts, including GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), GSA OASIS+, and agency-specificIDIQ contracts. Work includes program evaluation, research, analytics, and technical assistance for agencies such as CMS, USAID, SBA, ED, and DOL.
2. Government Contracts - State/Local: Contracts with state and local government agencies for accessibility services, digital transformation, and policy research. Recent examples include Washington State document accessibility contract ($5.5M) and Ramsey County digital accessibility work.
3. Software Products and Licensing: Revenue from Revelo Software products including iAccessible, ACR Evaluator, e-508, AcquisitionAI, and eReviewer. Company is an authorized reseller and services provider for Revelo products.
4. Nonprofit and Foundation Contracts: Research and evaluation services for nonprofit organizations and foundations, including Ford Foundation grants and international development work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Optimal Solutions Group is a nonpartisan public policy research, technical assistance, and analytics firm that delivers program evaluation, economic impact analysis, and policy research for government agencies. The firm also develops and sells accessibility and AI-powered software products through its Revelo Software platform, supporting federal, state, and local government clients in education, health, workforce development, and housing/economic policy domains.

Product overview

Optimal Solutions Group offers a unified product portfolio centered on the Revelo platform, which operationalizes their Real-Time Framework for real-time data-driven public policy decision-making. The portfolio includes accessibility solutions (iAccessible, ACR Evaluator, e-508, eReviewer) developed through their Revelo Software subsidiary, AI-powered tools (AcquisitionAI, Comments Processing Tool, OptiBot.AI), and specialized data collection modules (Real-Time Surveyor). These products serve federal government, state/local government, and nonprofit clients across education, health, workforce development, and economic policy domains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Real-Time Framework: A framework enabling real-time public policy evidence-based decision-making through automated data collection, analysis and reporting using standards-based streamlined processes, rigorous methods and proven technologies
• Health Policy Research Center (HPRC)
• Education Research Center (ERC)
• Workforce Development and Social Policy Research Center
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research Center
• Revelo Software

Products and services

• Revelo Software Platform Comprehensive real-time data collection, analysis, and reporting platform operationalizing Optimal's Real-Time Framework for public policy decision-making; includes accessibility and analytics modules.
• iAccessible Digital accessibility platform that scans websites for Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance, providing webpage-level data for identifying, prioritizing, and remediating compliance issues with longitudinal tracking.
• AcquisitionAI AI-powered procurement intelligence tool using agentic AI and natural language analysis to support federal market research and acquisition decision-making.
• ACR Evaluator Accessibility conformance review evaluation tool for assessing digital products and content against Section 508 standards.
• e-508 Document accessibility remediation tool for converting PDFs and documents into Section 508 compliant formats.
• eReviewer Accessibility review workflow tool for managing and tracking remediation activities across accessibility programs.
• OptiBot.AI AI chatbot that enables users to query federal statistical data tables by asking questions in plain language and receive accurate answers, summaries, highlights, and drafted content.
• Comments Processing Tool AI-enabled tool that analyzes public comments using natural language processing and machine learning to support policy analysis.
• Real-Time Surveyor Real-time survey data collection and analysis tool for program evaluation and policy research.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,333,679 jobs created or retained; $310.7B output; $184.9B GDP; $97.7B personal income from FY2021 small business procurement programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Revelo SoftwarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 January 2024Revelo Software is a co-founding of Optimal Solutions Group leadership. Revelo develops accessibility and analytics software including iAccessible, ACR Evaluator, e-508, AcquisitionAI, and eReviewer. Optimal is an authorized reseller and implementation partner for Revelo products.
• Vinsys IT, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOptimal operates as a subcontractor to Vinsys IT, Inc. on the GSA OASIS+ SB Pool 1 contract vehicle, providing professional services to federal agencies through this channel partnership.
• University of MarylandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated at UMD Discovery District in College Park. Partnership includes collaboration on research, talent recruitment from UMD programs, and joint initiatives with UMD iSchool. Company leadership maintains connections with UMD Economics Leadership Council and Board of Regents.
• Abt Associates Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubcontractor partner on Office of Vocational and Adult Education project with U.S. Department of Education.
• Mathematica Policy ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubcontractor partner on multiple ED projects including Moving High-Performing Teachers to Low-Performing Schools and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System study.
• American Institutes for Research (AIR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubcontractor partner on Evaluation of Graduate Nurse Education Demonstration project with CMS.
• Robey Analytics, LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint contractor partner with Optimal Solutions Group on MEP National-Level Economic Impact study for NIST.
• The Conference Board of CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubcontractor partner on Office of Vocational and Adult Education project.
• DTI Associates, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubcontractor partner on Office of Vocational and Adult Education project.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Abt Associates: Large federal research and evaluation firm serving HHS, ED, USAID, and other agencies on health, education, and international development programs. Optimal is a documented subcontractor to Abt on ED OVAE work, indicating both partnership and head-to-head competition for the same federal evaluation IDIQs.
• Mathematica: Premier policy research and data analytics firm with deep federal evaluation practice across ED, CMS, DOL, and HHS. Optimal has partnered with Mathematica on ED Moving High-Performing Teachers and IPEDS studies, but they also compete directly on the same evaluation recompetes.
• American Institutes for Research (AIR): Major nonprofit research organization with large federal evaluation practice spanning education, health, and workforce. AIR and Optimal are both subcontractors on the CMS Graduate Nurse Education Demonstration and compete for overlapping ED and HHS evaluation work.
• Westat: Employee-owned research firm providing statistical survey, evaluation, and technical assistance to federal agencies including ED, HHS, and DOL. Comparable scale and direct competition for federal evaluation and statistical analysis contracts.
• NORC at the University of Chicago: University-affiliated independent research institution with strong federal survey, evaluation, and policy analysis practice serving HHS, ED, and statistical agencies. Similar university-district positioning and comparable research center structure.
• RTI International: Independent nonprofit research institute delivering federal research and analytics across health, education, energy, and international development. Comparable multidisciplinary research-center structure and direct competition on USAID and HHS IDIQs.

Broad incumbents

• ICF International: Large publicly traded consulting firm with substantial federal analytics, health, and energy practices. Overlaps with Optimal in federal research and evaluation but operates at significantly greater scale across many additional verticals.
• Booz Allen Hamilton: Top-tier federal contractor with extensive AI/analytics practice serving civilian and defense agencies. Overlaps with Optimal on AI-for-government and federal evaluation, but operates at much larger scale across a far broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Level Access: Specialized digital accessibility software and services firm serving enterprise and government buyers on Section 508 and WCAG compliance. Direct competitor to OSG/Revelo's iAccessible, ACR Evaluator, and e-508 product lines.
• AudioEye: Public digital accessibility SaaS provider offering automated WCAG remediation and monitoring. Competes in the same Section 508/WCAG federal and state accessibility market as OSG's Revelo accessibility suite, though at a smaller specialized scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OptimalSG

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Optimal Solutions Group