SOURCES SOUGHT
V -- INL/Pakistan and INL/AP Travel Contract
- Notice Date
- 2/12/2020 12:06:07 PM
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 561510
— Travel Agencies
- Contracting Office
- ACQUISITIONS - AQM MOMENTUM WASHINGTON DC 20520 USA
- ZIP Code
- 20520
- Solicitation Number
- 19AQMM20N0031
- Response Due
- 3/10/2020 7:00:00 AM
- Archive Date
- 03/25/2020
- Point of Contact
- Jo-Ann Stewart, Phone: 7038756646, Fax: 7038756699, Ms. Reaver Clements, Phone: 7038755077, Fax: 7038756699
- E-Mail Address
-
stewartj@state.gov, ClementsRL@state.gov
(stewartj@state.gov, ClementsRL@state.gov)
- Description
- THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION AND DOES NOT ASSUME THE GOVERNMENT WILL AWARD A CONTRACT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.� THIS NOTICE IS ONLY FOR MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES. This is a Sources Sought notice to determine the availability of potential small businesses.� The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding:� (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relate to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition.� Responses will NOT be accepted from any other source(s).� Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible.� An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) is 561510.� The submission of this information is for planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to procure any items/services. GENERAL This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) and is NOT a Request for Proposals (RFP), nor is this a Request for Quotations (RFQ).� The purpose of this RFI is to identify potential sources that are interested and capable of providing the services herein.� Participation in this effort is strictly voluntary.� It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor the sambeta.gov site for additional information pertaining to this RFI.� Please be advised that all submissions become U.S. Government property.� Response to this RFI will not be returned.� The RFI does not commit the government to procure or contract for said services.� The contracting officer is the only individual who can commit the government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with the proposed procurement.� Proprietary/competition sensitive information will be protected from disclosure to the greatest extent practical, however, it is preferred that respondents do not provide proprietary or otherwise restricted responses.� Each page considered by a submitting organization to contain proprietary information should be clearly marked.� The requested information is for planning and market research purposes only and WILL NOT be publicly released.� Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Quote (RFQ), if any is issued. �Any information submitted by respondents to this RFI is strictly voluntary. RESPONSE PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS Responses must be submitted via email to Jo-Ann Stewart at stewartj@state.gov.� The deadline for the submission of responses to this RFI is 10:00 a.m. EST, March 10, 2020.�� All questions concerning this RFI must be submitted by sending an email to stewartj@state.gov no later than 2:00 p.m. EST February 27, 2020. [NCR1]�[SJ2]� Questions received after that date would not be answered, unless the Government determines the answer to the question imparts information material to Industry�s ability to respond to this RFI.� Government response to questions will be posted.� All Government responses to questions will be made available on www.sambeta.gov.� No phone calls will be accepted.� Do not submit any pricing information in response to this RFI. DISCLAIMER Replies to this RFI are not mandatory.� This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation.� The use of information received from industry to complete final work specifications and resulting solicitation documents will be at the discretion of the Government.� Eligibility in participating in a future acquisition does not depend upon a response to this notice.� The Government will not critique a potential offeror�s information and the RFI should not be used by offerors to market their services.� In accordance with FAR 15.202(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.� Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.� In addition, as stated previously, responders should not submit proprietary information as part of the response.� Responses to the RFI will not be returned.� The capability package must be complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the firm's qualifications to perform the defined work. �Responses should be as complete and informative as possible. �Generic capability statements will not be accepted or reviewed. DESCRIPTION OF INFORMATION REQUESTED Responses to this RFI should include the organization�s full name, headquarters locations, and location of an office in the Washington, DC area, if any.� They should also include the name of a point-of-contact and his/her email and conventional mailing addresses.� Firms are invited to indicate their interests and capabilities by providing the following: Must submit their responses using not more than 25 pages in length.� The total page count of 25 pages does not include the cover letter.� The total page count does include all other information provided (i.e., graphs, technical, etc.).� Font size should be 12 point, Times New Roman, single sided and prepared in Microsoft Word.� Fold out charts for tables or graphics are allowed with a limited size of 11�x17� and each foldout count as a single page and counts toward the total page limit.� Charts and graphics must be in Microsoft Excel, or PDF format.� Other specific and pertinent information as it pertains to this service Identification on the available contract vehicles to include vehicle by agency and contract number: Federal Supply Schedule (FSS)/Government Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) The response should include these elements in this format: Introduction ����������� Provide a brief description of existing capability to perform the requirement or provide proposed Performance Work Statement (PWS) language for the service and/or any proposed solution.��� Technical Approach �������� The respondent shall describe its technical competencies, approach and solutions that define how you will address and manage application operation and maintenance with the required technical skills outlined in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) for global federal government business systems.� The respondent shall describe how it will work in close partnership with DoS and its supporting entities to derive the maximum efficiencies from its approach and solutions while mitigating risks.� The respondent shall describe how their proposed approach handles changes to include decommissioning of existing systems in support of modernization efforts and how you plan to handle changes including cost. Management Approach �������� The respondent shall describe its successful implementation of a comprehensive contract management approach.� The respondent shall describe its ability to hire and maintain qualified staff, handle personnel issues, assemble high quality staff and provide staff with the necessary support and oversight.� The respondent shall describe the effectiveness and soundness of its draft Quality Control Plan (OCP) and how effectively the QCP demonstrates how quality, as outlined in the performance summary requirements, will be met.� Transition Approach ����������� The respondent shall describe the draft Transition Plan that demonstrates how the transition will be successfully accomplished in the designated transition period.� The respondent shall describe the completeness and accuracy of the Plan and demonstrated ability to successfully execute and complete the transition by the end of the transition period. Past Performance ����������� The respondent shall describe how their and its subcontractors� past performance validates expected performance and customer satisfaction based on the information provided.� It may include input by the respondent�s references and other Government sources.� The respondent shall describe their and subcontractors� Past Performance Profiles and the respondent�s actual performance in business applications operations support.� The respondent shall describe the dollar value, scope, and complexity of the efforts; and the actual results achieved during performance.� The Socioeconomic Classification chart is listed below, please identify which one pertains to your company: HUBZone SDVO WOSB 8(a) Small Business Sale brochures, videos, and other marketing information materials are not solicited and will not be reviewed. No phone calls related to this RFI will be accepted. All correspondence shall be sent via email only. For this requirement, the successful firm shall be required to provide the following services titled: Draft Statement of Work (SOW) INL/Pakistan and INL/AP Travel Contract BACKGROUND The U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has a requirement to send multiple groups from multiple locations to various locations for conferences, training, study tours, and other purposes.� The participant numbers, per event, will vary from five to 100.� INL intends to send more than 500 but fewer than 2000 people per year, though numbers may fluctuate in either direction. LOCATIONS The travel will be requested by the INL Team located in Washington, DC, Kabul, Afghanistan or Islamabad, Pakistan.� INL-Pakistan (INL-P) will manage the process and interact with the contractor for their travelers; INL-Kabul (INL-K) will manage the process and interact with the contractor for their travelers; and INL/AP will manage the process and interact with the contractor for their travelers.� The respective office (INL-P, INL-K, or INL/AP) will submit all the names and travel information to the contractor before the travel.� If the regular point of contact from the respective office is out, the Contracting Officer�s Representative (COR) or a Program Officer will handle these details.� INL will submit all travel related information via email. REQUIRED ITEMS Flights and Travel Fees The Contractor shall provide flight-booking services.� The United States government (USG) may not have the finalized list of names until 10 days before departure for the initial travel dates, thus the Contractor should reserve flexible fares. �The Contractor will book all flights for all travelers in accordance with the Fly America Act, unless otherwise approved by the Contracting Officer.� The Contractor will work in conjunction with INL-P, INL-K, or INL/AP to determine the best flights and will work directly with the travelers for any requested itinerary changes and/or upgrades at the travelers� own expense.� The Contractor will pay all costs associated with the flights, hotels, conference facilities, per diem, visas, transportation, travel insurance, registration, and travel escort services.� These costs will be reimbursed by the USG.� Many Afghanistan-based participants will be traveling from outer provinces to Kabul before flying with the group to various locations. �For travel inside Afghanistan, students/travelers will purchase their flights, and then be reimbursed by the contractor. �INL will provide the amounts for each flight reimbursement to the contractor. �The reimbursement money may be added to the per diem amount received by the participant or in another way that is approved by the COR.� Many Pakistan-based participants will travel from cities outside of the capital.� The contractor will provide flight-booking services for domestic flights within Pakistan, and for international flights originating from various cities within Pakistan (e.g. Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore). INL will determine the specific dates that the participants will arrive and depart based on the event they will attend.� The flights departing from the various locations may leave any time after the conclusion of the training or other event. The USG will give authorization to purchase the flights before each training or other event. The Contractor will also provide a 24-hour contact number for travelers to call in case they encounter issues during travel.� Additionally, the Contractor will provide full customer support, and booking services within three hours during the Afghanistan and/or Pakistan time zones� business hours of 0900 and 1600.� Furthermore, the Contractor will have the ability to purchase local airline tickets in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.� The Contractor is to communicate and interact with all travelers, including through personnel language fluency or translator services, if necessary.� In the event of long flight layover, the Contractor shall provide secure accommodations for the participants within the airport.� Offeror shall provide a cost per person for booking flights. Hotels If any of the flights require more than six hours at the layover destinations, hotel rooms at or near the airport shall be provided. The participants may or may not have visas, thus the hotel must be in the airport and not require the participants to go through immigration. Hotel and/or lodging may be required for participants during the duration of the training, study tour, or other activity. If hotel accommodations are required, the Contractor shall reserve and pay for such hotel costs. The Contractor may also be required to reserve the hotel conference spaces for use. Specific hotels may be required by INL to minimize local transportation and logistics needs.� If specific hotels are required, INL will communicate this to the Contractor.� Daily hotel costs should not exceed the U.S. government rate for the relevant destination.� Offeror shall provide a cost per person for booking the hotel rooms.� INL will give authorization to purchase hotel rooms and space prior to each training. Conference/Workshop Facilities The Contractor will reserve and pay for conference/workshop rooms or facilities, and related services when required and requested by INL.� Per Diem (M&IE) Contractor will distribute per diem to all participants using the USG-determined per diem rate for the entire length of the trip.� Should a stipend be authorized as well, the Contractor will provide it to the travelers in conjunction with the per diem.� Unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer, the Contractor will need to provide all participants with the U.S. government per diem for the entire trip in USD. If the delivery is made by the Contractor to the participants, the Contractor shall confirm that all participants sign for the money upon receipt.� Money will be distributed using pre-paid debit cards and must be ATM-accessible so remaining funds may be cashed out at the conclusion of the trip. �The contractor will provide instructions to the group on how to cash out the debit cards.� The debit cards shall be mailed via FEDEX or other certified mail to the designated location(s) as needed, with enough time to arrive at the designated location at least one (1) business day before the trip begins.� The per diem cards may also be hand-delivered to the group by the person escorting them through air travel.� If ATM accessible cards are not able to be procured, the contractor should suggest another method of providing per diem to be approved by the COR.� If escorting service is requested, the travel escort will hand-carry the prepaid Visa cards to the travelers.� Offeror shall submit a cost per person to provide this service.� INL will have to approve all per diem before it is sent, as some conferences will include food as part of the package.� Visas and Fees When requested by INL, the Contractor will provide visa services. �The Contractor will be responsible for assisting INL sponsored travelers with applying for all relevant visas for travel, as determined by INL. �The Contractor will work directly with the travelers and with INL representatives to ensure submission of proper documentation and schedule visa interviews when necessary. �The Contractor will also keep INL informed of the status of visa applications and communicate any issues as they arise. When needed, the Contractor will pay the visa fees and seek reimbursement. �In cases where travelers must pay the visa fees themselves, the Contractor will reimburse them by including the cost on their per diem prepaid Visa cards.� The offeror shall submit a cost per person to provide this service. Interpretation Services Unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer, the Contractor must be able to procure interpretation services on an as-needed basis.� The contractor should be able to provide interpreters who are fluent in English, Pashto, Urdu, Dari, and/or other relevant languages as directed. Local Airport and Ground Transportation In some instances, the Contractor will be required to arrange for local, daily ground transportation at the location of travel, to include airport transfers and daily transportation to and from events, meetings, trainings, and/or conferences.� The Contractor shall submit a cost per person to provide this service.� INL will give authorization to purchase local ground transportation prior to each training. Medical Insurance The Contractor shall acquire medical insurance for all participants traveling internationally. This insurance should cover all emergency medical expenses travelers might incur during their time in the INL sponsored program.� Medical insurance should be acquired at the lowest possible cost to the U.S. government and should provide, at minimum, $250,000 in accident and sickness benefits. Travel Insurance The Contractor will pay for travel insurance for travelers.� Conference/Registration Fees When required, the Contractor will register travelers and/or pay all conference or registration fees required for travelers. Travel Escorts As requested by INL, on both the inbound and outbound flights, the Contractor will need to provide the appropriate number of staff at the layover airport to facilitate transportation through the airport and ensure the participants make their connection.� For travel to the Continental United States, the Contractor shall also provide an escort at the point of entry and exit to assist with the customs process and ensure that all participants make their connecting flight.� The escort will need to coordinate with airport officials to reserve the use of the �in-transit lounge� or similar if the layover is longer than four hours in either direction. The escorts shall have nameplates with participant�s names in both their native language and English.
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
(https://beta.sam.gov/opp/637dcbe931b04e9fa7c1155ea22e1ddf/view)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Washington, DC 20520, USA
- Zip Code: 20520
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 20520
- Record
- SN05561381-F 20200214/200212230159 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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