Questions and Answers - Solicitation 15A00025R00000053.pdf

NUMBER QUESTIONS ANSWERS

1 Are in room safes still required? In-room safes are preferred but not required.

2 Please advise the specific street address for Redstone Arsenal’s Gate #9. 10-mile radius of Redstone Arsenal’s Gate #9

Gate 9, Rideout Road, Main Gate.

3 Are you seeking agreements directly with hotels or would a 3rd party be considered?

3rd party can respond to this requirement.

4 Do we have to be a small business to be considered for the contract?

No.

5 To confirm third-party travel management companies are permitted to respond to this requirement?

3rd party can respond to this requirement.

6 Does the lodging facility need to meet a minimum AAA Diamond rating or similar quality standard?

As these ratings are governed by private organizations and not by law, they are not taken into consideration.

7 Are you looking to award this request to one source or multiple awardees?

Multiple awards.

8 Are we able to submit multiple hotels for this requirement?

Yes.

9 Will there be a tiered list or ranking of approved hotels to determine priority order for lodging requests?

No.

10 Is this a new requirement or a follow-on to an existing contract? If this is a recompete, who is the incumbent contractor, and what is the current award number?

It is a recompete of existing contracts.

There are numerous contractors who currently have an award.

Will invoicing be handled through a GPC, WAWF, IPP, or another source?

The vendor will submit an invoice to the Government which will be paid via direct deposit to the banking account that is setup under the awarded vendors SAM.gov. IPP will be the preference.

12 Is complimentary breakfast required? No 13 Given that most hotels are only willing to commit to rates one to two years in advance, would it be acceptable to leave the remaining option years on the pricing sheet blank, or mark them as 'To Be Determined'? Or do all CLINS need

It is understood that per diem is unknown past the current year. Simply stating “Federal Per Diem as set by the FTR” will suffice in the pricing.

to be filled out, including the extended option CLIN?

14 Do you happen to have a ‘tentative’ training schedule?

Training schedules are not available at this time. The purpose of this solicitation is not to secure lodging for specific dates.

Only to secure potential hotels for future trainings.

15 This solicitation is posted as a 50% small business set-aside.

• Does this mean that 50% of the business in this contract will only be awarded to small businesses?

• Will you recognize a hotel company with multiple hotels making more than 40 million a year as a small business if they register each hotel individually in SAM?

In the current solicitation you state you are going to make multiple awards. Based on the current contract, it appears that you are using 6-8 different hotels.

• How are you going to make sure, that small businesses get 50% of the business?

• Is there a maximum number of hotels you will award this contract to?

• How do you determine which hotel gets which class?

No, award can still be issued to Large Business

Yes, we will recognize the company, and No each Hotel does not have to be in SAM, just the awarded prime contractor like a 3rd party submittal

The Government will assess all proposals and awards will be given to those companies that are technically acceptable.

NOTE: ATF reserves the right to award as many or as few as it deems appropriate.

No

Lodging for each class is chosen based on the availability of hotel rooms at the time.

Our preference is to not split a single class

With regard to the classes.

• Do you want one hotel per class?

The solicitation states that there are multiple programs with classes varying in size.

• Can you provide a copy of the current schedule with all classes from 10/1/24 to 9/30/25?

• If not, can you offer a schedule from previous years as an example?

• How far in advance would we receive the rooming list for each class?

For the conference room

• The solicitation states the conference room would need to accommodate 36 individuals. Can you state the desired set p. For example, desks, classroom, theater style etc.

among multiple hotels for transportation purposes.

If a contractor cannot provide enough rooms at a single hotel for a class, a different contractor may be chosen.

No.

Unable to provide because classes change constantly.

ATF POC will work closely with the hotel beginning six weeks out from class start date to ensure hotel has rooming lists.

There may be exigent circumstances where a same-day request to cancel or add a room may occur. If it is not possible to add a room, ATF will understand and will secure a room at another hotel. However, if a room needs to be canceled last minute due to exigent circumstances, the vendor will not charge ATF for that room.

Each set up may be different per class. The government will provide notice of set up as soon as possible.

16 Following the August 5th deadline, is there an anticipated award date?

No.

17 Once an award is made, will the selected hotel undergo an onsite inspection? If so, will it be scheduled in advance or conducted unannounced?

Prior to award the Government will do an onsite inspection of the hotel. Inspection will be scheduled.

18 The price attachment does not allow for seasonal/monthly rates. In Huntsville, AL the per diem rates are $134 and $141. Should I submit an average rate instead, or a monthly/seasonal rate?

It is understood that per diem is unknown past the current year. Simply stating “Federal Per Diem as set by the FTR” will suffice in the pricing.

19 The group contact will submit a rooming list weekly for every training group. How far in advance is this running list submitted? The hotel will need time to release any unused rooms or add rooms if needed.

ATF POC will work closely with the hotel beginning six weeks out from class start date to ensure hotel has rooming lists.

20 Will the rooming list include tax exemption certificates for each guest or a blanket certificate for the department?

Federal Tax Exemption forms.

21 Should the weekly room blocks be entered for 1, 2 or 3 weeks per training group.

ATF POC: will coordinate room blocks with as much advance notice as possible.

ATF POC will work closely with the hotel beginning six weeks out from class start date to ensure hotel has rooming lists.

22 At the departure of every training group, an invoice is submitted for payment. Should the invoice be submitted weekly or monthly?

A task order will be issued when a hotel is chosen. This document sets the period of performance and obligates the funding for that class. An invoice should be submitted upon completion of the task order once the period of performance has ended.

23 Vendor will invoice ATF and pay the hotel accordingly. How is Vendor compensated?

If the contract is with a 3rd party vendor and not directly with a hotel, the 3rd party vendor will be paid by ATF.

24 Room Capacity:

May a single proposal include multiple FEMA-approved properties to satisfy the 50-room total, or must one facility accommodate the full requirement?

It is preferred that all parties from one class be lodged at the same facility due to transportation issues.

25 Small Business Teaming:

Will ATF consider a small business prime vendor teaming with FEMA-approved hotel subcontractors, where the small business handles administration, compliance, and government coordination?

Everything will be worked directly with the Prime contractor.

26 Billing Structure:

Could you clarify the preferred billing structure for this contract?

Should vendors plan for centralized invoicing per task order, or will invoicing be handled per traveler or group?

Invoice should be per task order. With IPP the preferred method.

27 Are the preferred amenities a mandatory requirement?

28 Will laundry service fees be covered by the guest?

Yes.

29 How far in advance will we receive the roster? Should we expect same-day requests?

date to ensure hotel has rooming lists.

There may be exigent circumstances where a same-day request to cancel or add a room may occur. If it is not possible to add a room, ATF will understand and will secure a room at another hotel. However, if a room needs to be canceled last minute due to exigent circumstances, the vendor will not charge ATF for that room.

30 If multiple hotels can be proposed, does each class have to lodge under a single property?

It is preferred that all members of a single class be lodged at the same hotel due to transportation issues.

31 Will a tax-exempt document be provided from the state of Alabama?

If contractor is aware of an Alabama Exemption the Government will complete the form.

32 If classes are running concurrently, what is the minimum and maximum anticipated room nights that should be expected?

Unknown: That is determined by class.

33 Many hotel properties do not provide in-room safes. Is the requirement for the proposed hotel to provide safes in each room negotiable?

In-room safes are preferred but not required.

34 Would it be possible for each guest to provide their own credit card at check-in to cover any potential incidentals? If that's not possible, could you please clarify how incidentals will be covered?

Guests can provide their own credit card to cover incidentals. This should be included in the proposal.

35 What current hotel(s) are being used for accommodations and are you satisfied with the services offered?

It is a recompete of existing contracts.

There are numerous contractors who currently have an award.

36 Are you looking for one hotel or several hotels to provide the rooms?

ATF is looking to award multiple contracts from this solicitation.

37 Do you prefer hotels within walking distance of restaurants, such as Providence Village or near Trash Panda's stadium?

That is not required but would be a consideration when choosing a hotel.

38 How do you value proximity? There are a few hotels at Gateway and also on Redstone.

Proximity is a consideration, but not a top priority.

39 Is this solicitation a new requirement or a recompete of an existing contract?

It is a recompete of existing contracts.

There are numerous contractors who currently have an award.

40 If it is a recompete, who is the incumbent contractor(s), and what was the total award value?

It is a recompete of existing contracts.

There are numerous contractors who currently have an award. NTE $7M.

41 How much has been paid out under the current contract during the most recent full fiscal year?

There are numerous contractors who currently have an award and funding is not being provided as to what contractor received per their award.

How many lodging nights were utilized during that same period?

There are numerous contractors who currently have an award and nights is not being provided as to what contractor received per their award.

43 On average, how many lodging nights were utilized per month?

There are numerous contractors who currently have an award and months is not being provided as to what contractor received per their award.

44 On average, how many task orders were issued per month or quarter?

There are numerous contractors who currently have an award and task orders awarded is not being provided as to what contractor received per their award.

45 If the current contract is being recompeted rather than extended with the existing contractor, could you share the reason for that decision?

Current contracts are in Option Period Four (4) and need to be recompeted.

46 Are there any specific pain points or areas for improvement you would like to see addressed under the new contract award?

No.

47 Up to 50 single rooms required. Will rooms be needed on weekday or weekend?

Both.

48 Will tax exemption form be provided after award?

Federal Tax Exemption forms.

49 Is there a minimum hotel class required, i.e. 3 Star, 3 AAA Diamond Rating, etc.?

As these ratings are governed by private organizations and not by law, they are not taken into consideration.

50 The pricing table requires that rates are provided for all 4 years, however we are not aware of the per diem rate thresholds for years after FY25, will we be able to adjust rates on a yearly basis?

It is understood that per diem is unknown past the current year. Simply stating “Federal Per Diem as set by the FTR” will suffice in the pricing.

51 Will you provide a tax exemption certificate to the awarded vendors?

Federal Tax Exemption forms.

52 The Statement of Work (SOW) lists a few preferred amenities, such as Conference room for use nightly from 6pm to 11pm at no additional cost, programmable in room safes, etc. If a vendor does not offer any of the preferred amenities how will it impact consideration for a possible award?

This would depend on how many proposals are received that do provide the preferred amenities.

53 Is this a new project or is there an incumbent contractor, if so, can you please provide the contractor and award amount?

It is a recompete of existing contracts.

There are numerous contractors who currently have an award.

54 Will you allow a vendor to submit more than one Hotel for consideration?

Yes.

55 This solicitation is listed as a partial small business set-aside, can you explain what makes it a partial set-aside?

The Government will assess all proposals and awards will be given to those companies that are technically acceptable.

NOTE: ATF reserves the right to award as many or as few as it deems appropriate.

56 It is stated that a Letter of Intent must be included in the Technical

As long as it is demonstrated somewhere in the proposal that the actual hotel meets

Capability section for third party vendors, in addition to the name and address of the Hotel, is there any other information needed in the Letter?

all of the requirements of the Statement of Work, the Letter of Intent only needs to be signed and dated by the hotel stating that they agree to work with the 3rd party vendor.

57 Would the government consider allowing a 24-hour cancellation policy that includes a one-night charge for no-shows or same-day cancellations, in order to support hotel operational planning and mitigate last-minute vacancy losses?

Due to the nature of our work, ATF can have last minute cancelations due to exigent circumstances (i.e., law enforcement emergencies, NRT Callouts, etc.) Except for cancelations under exigent circumstances, a 24-hour cancellation policy would be acceptable.

58 The solicitation states that ATF will not be liable for damages caused by students or instructors and that the contractor is responsible for obtaining payment directly from the guest. To help us comply with this requirement, would the government permit the hotel to require guests to present a valid personal form of payment at check-in to cover incidental charges or damage to the room?

Yes.

59 Can the government confirm that prime contractors may submit proposals utilizing compliant hotel subcontractors under existing commercial agreements?

Letter of Intent will suffice for hotels that are being submitted.

60 If subcontracting is allowed, will you consider awarding to a contractor that can offer a network of multiple compliant hotels to ensure availability for concurrent or overlapping class schedules?

Yes.

61 Will NCETR or ATF provide historical room-night usage data or class schedules to help contractors with capacity planning and resource alignment?

62 Will the government provide the roster of student and instructor names in advance of each class? If so, how far in advance will the guest list typically be made available to the contractor or hotel staff for check-in coordination and planning?

date to ensure hotel has rooming lists.

63 The pest control clause references the presence of canines in lodging rooms. Can the government confirm whether any students or instructors will be accompanied by working dogs (e.g., K9 units), and if so, how many rooms per class should be prepared to accommodate them under pet-friendly or handler-specific policies?

Some classes will have K9 handlers and their working dog(s). It is not known when or how many rooms are needed currently.