SECOND SF-30 19AS2026Q0031 PAS U.S Studies Conference Program Services.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION 1. CONTRACT ID CODE PAGE OF PAGES

1 4

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO.

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

August 28th, 202

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

PR16160525

5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

6. ISSUED BY CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)

CODE

U.S. Embassy Canberra GSO Procurement Office 21 Moonah Place Yarralumla ACT 2600 Australia

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (NO., street, city, county, State, and ZIP Code) 9a. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

19AS2026Q0031

9b. DATED (SEE ITEM 11) August 28th, 202

10a. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10b. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

[ X ] The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers.

[ ] is extended, [X ] is not extended.

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods: (a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning _1_ copies of the amendment;(b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or(c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers.

FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE

CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b)

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor [ ] is not, [ ] is required to sign this document and return ___ copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDThis amendment is issued to:

Amend Section 3 – Solicitation Provisions, paragraph A.2.3.

Amendment to provide additional Questions & Answers received for solicitation number 19AS2026Q0031;

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print) 16A. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. NAME OF CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

BY

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

15C.DATE

SIGNED

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

BY

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

16C.DATE SIGNED

NSN 7540-01-152-8070 Standard Form 30 (revised 10/83) Previous edition unusable Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Continuation Page to Amendment

Amend Section 3 – Solicitation Provisions, paragraph A.2.3.

Original wording:

The offerer shall provide evidence that it operates an established business with a permanent address within Australia or provide a plan to establish a presence within thirty (30) days of contract award. This local presence must be maintained for the full duration of the contract and shall be capable of supporting day-to-day contract coordination, reporting, and liaison with U.S. Embassy/Consulate staff.

Revised wording:

The offerer shall provide evidence that it operates an established business with a permanent address. This presence must be maintained for the full duration of the contract and shall be capable of supporting day-to-day contract coordination, reporting, and liaison with U.S.

Embassy/Consulate staff.

Questions and Answers

Question 1. Approximately how many participants are expected to attend each one-day conference? This information is critical for venue selection, catering planning, room configuration, and accurate cost modeling. Could the Embassy provide an approximate target number per city — Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne?

Answer: There is no required target audience size for the conferences, but a balance between maximizing the instruction opportunity and maintaining a comfortable cohort size for exchange is important.

Question 2. Approximately how many additional invitees — beyond the primary conference participants — are expected to attend the end-of-day networking reception at each location? Understanding the expected reception size will assist in venue capacity planning and catering requirements.

Answer: There is no required target audience size for the end-of-day reception, but the guest list suggested by the contractor should include supporters of the US-Australian alliance and principally non-American citizens.

Question 3. To ensure our participant outreach strategy is precisely targeted, we respectfully request clarification on the scope of the target audience. Specifically:

a.Is the program open to officials across all Australian Government departments, or is it focused on specific policy areas such as international affairs, defense or trade

Answer: Officials do not need to be representatives of any particular Australian government department, but the selection of participants should reflect their role in the conduct of international affairs on behalf of the Australian government.

b. What seniority levels are being targeted for example, Deputy Secretary, First Assistant Secretary, Division Heads, or officials working in specific.

Answer: There is no target seniority level, but as the instruction is intended for individuals with little formal training in the United States, we envision that representation could skew toward more junior employees of the Australian government.

c. Are Australian State and Territory Government officials included within the definition of Australian Government Officials for this program, or is the focus limited to Federal Government officials only?

Answer: Yes, the purpose of the conferences outside of Canberra is to include subnational level leadership, representing state or municipal governments. Though, they can attend the Canberra session and Canberra-based personnel could attend other sessions as well.

Question 4. Us as contractors and our delivery partner propose the use of a single, qualified lead moderator across all three conferences

— Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne. This approach ensures consistency of presentation style, quality of engagement, and a unified audience experience across all three cities. Would the Embassy support this approach, or does it have a preference for city-specific moderators?

Answer: There is no requirement for a single or multiple moderator-approach. The priority is identifying a moderator who is qualified to lead an overview of the United States and its Foreign Policy to support positive relationships between the U.S. and Australia.

Question 5. Speaker Continuity:We also propose the use of a consistent slate of subject-matter experts across all three conferences, with in-person attendance where practicable and remote participation where necessary to ensure expert availability. This approach ensures continuity of content, depth of knowledge, and a coherent program narrative across all three locations. We note this aligns with the Embassy's Q&A response confirming remote expert participation is acceptable. Does the Embassy have any comment or preference on this approach?

Answer: This sounds like a reasonable approach.

policy?

policy functions?

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Question 6. In consultation with our delivery partner, we propose the following approximate conference schedule designed to maximize participant availability and avoid key Australian holiday, parliamentary, and government calendar conflicts:

• Conference 1 — Canberra: June 2027

• Conference 2 — Sydney: July 2027

• Conference 3 — Melbourne: August 2027

This sequencing allows adequate lead time between each conference for program refinement and lessons learned. Does this proposed timing align with the Embassy's calendar and strategic priorities?

Answer: This timing is acceptable to the Embassy, but the submission should demonstrate the factors behind the selected dates/ time frames for awareness.

Question 7. How many pre-conference planning meetings or coordination calls with the Embassy are anticipated at each location ahead of each conference? Understanding the Embassy's expected level of engagement in pre conference planning will assist us in accurately scoping the project management requirements under CLIN 001.

Answer: There is no required number, but the U.S. Embassy anticipates making personnel available as necessary to coordinate the sessions as necessary. Likely this will include an initial briefing; availability to discuss drafts of reports; logistics calls to review plans for conference delivery.

Question 8. Regarding the strategic messaging campaign referenced in the solicitation — which may draw on social media, blog posts, op-ed submissions, or media interviews — could the Embassy please advise:

a. What is the primary target audience for the campaign — Australian general public, government stakeholders, or both?

Answer: The project should conclude with a messaging campaign that reports on the outcome of the project. The purpose would be to communicate to Australians that their officials are well-versed in U.S. policy and understand the opportunities that come through a deepening relationship between the two countries.

b. Are there any Embassy-specific communication guidelines, branding requirements, or approval processes that the contractor must adhere to?

Answer: Conference programs and communication with participants should indicate that the project is a U.S. government-funded initiative. The Embassy has logo material to pass. The communications efforts do not require branding in tweets/posts.

c. Is the campaign expected to run concurrently with the conference series, or primarily following the delivery of the final impact report?

Answer: The final report should demonstrate the impact and reach of communication efforts.

Question 9. The solicitation requires a return-on-investment (ROI) analysis as part of the Final Comprehensive Impact Report.

Could the Embassy advise whether it has a preferred ROI methodology or framework, or whether the contractor is expected to propose its own evaluation approach?

Answer: There is no prescribed framework.

Question 10. Could you kindly provide the following details to assist us in our preparation: the expected value of this tender, the estimated number of guests for the conference and whether this is a new tender or if previous contracts have been awarded to other companies.

Answer: The Embassy will not provide an expected contract value. Offerers are responsible for developing and submitting their proposed pricing based on the requirements and deliverables outlined in the solicitation. The number of conference participants should be proposed and supported by the Contractor based on the solicitation requirements and the Contractor’s proposed approach. This is a new requirement, and there is no incumbent contract for these services.

RosasSarmientoMF Cross-Out

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Question 11. What does the Embassy want the audience to take away? What is the composition of the audience?

Answer: The Embassy’s objective is to provide a primer on the United States to Australian government officials who may be newer in their careers or have had limited exposure to the United States through formal education, bilateral, or multilateral engagement. The intended audience includes Australian Government officials at both the federal and sub-national levels. While the program is particularly relevant to officials working in international affairs or on matters related to the United States, participation is not intended to be limited to officials from a particular agency. The Embassy is also interested in reaching officials across the broader Australian Government who may work on international issues or portfolios that intersect with U.S. interests and engagement.

Question 12. In terms of attendance, how many attendees are you anticipating having? and would whoever contractor is awarded this contract, would they be responsible for driving attendance to the event as well?

Answer: The Embassy does not intend to prescribe a specific number of attendees. Offerers are encouraged to recommend an appropriate attendance level that will support the objectives and desired impact of the program. The intent is not to conduct a large-scale event for 100 people, nor an event with very limited participation; rather, the focus is on reaching the appropriate participants and achieving meaningful engagement. As part of the Initial Report, the Contractor will be expected to provide a proposed road map for the overall project, including recommendations regarding the appropriate audience size and approach to participant engagement and attendance.

Question 13. How Many state and territory government officials included in the target audience or only federal?

Answer: The target audience is not limited to Australian Government officials at the federal level. Sub-national government officials, including officials at the state, territory, and municipal/local government levels, are also included in the target audience for this project.

Question 14: Are there seniority levels that are targeted or that should be part of these meetings?

Answer: The program is intended primarily to reach officials who may have had less formal training or exposure to the United States, including those who may be newer in their positions or careers. The Embassy does not intend to prescribe a specific seniority level; rather, the focus is on identifying participants for whom the program would provide meaningful exposure to and understanding of the United States.

Question 15: Given the hierarchical structure of the Australian public sector, how does the Embassy see the program reaching the intended audience, particularly officials who may be newer in their careers or have less exposure to the United States, while recognizing that more senior officials may also be interested in attending?

Answer: The Embassy recognizes that there may be interest in the program across different levels of seniority. The composition of the audience will depend, in part, on how the program and invitations are worded and targeted from the contractor . The Contractor should focus its outreach and invitation strategy on attracting officials who would benefit from baseline education and greater exposure to the United States. The Final Report will help assess the level of interest, participation, and impact and provide insights into what Australian officials want to better understand about the United States, including potential knowledge gaps or misconceptions.

Question 16: Could the Embassy clarify the respective financial responsibilities of the Contractor and the Embassy for the conferences? Specifically, will the Contractor be responsible for securing and paying for the conference venues, any networking/ reception activities following the conferences, and any applicable speaker fees? Should these costs be included in the Contractor’s proposed firm-fixed price?

Answer: The Contractor is responsible for providing and covering the costs associated with the requirements necessary to perform the conferences, including venue arrangements and associated event requirements. Offerers should develop their quotations based on the full requirements identified in the solicitation.

Question 17: For an offerer based outside Australia, is the Contractor responsible for determining and obtaining any licenses, permits, insurance, or other local requirements necessary to perform the contract in Australia? Could the Government clarify what licensing and permit requirements may apply?

Answer: The Contractor is responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable licensing, permit, insurance, and other requirements necessary for contract performance. Where conference space is provided through a hotel or other venue, the venue would generally maintain the applicable insurance and other coverage required to hold events at that location. Offerors should identify their proposed conference venues in their quotations and provide relevant details demonstrating that the proposed venues can provide the required coverage.