19BE2026Q0731 - Question and Answer Form.pdf

Nbr. Q&As

Q01 Section 3, Addendum to 52.212-1, Item 2(b) – European Presence: May an offeror satisfy this requirement through a proposed subcontractor with an established office in Europe? If relying instead on the 30-day option under DOSAR 652.242-73, what documentation must accompany the quotation?

A01 Section 3, Item 2(b) applies to the offeror/prime contractor and requires evidence that the offeror operates an established business with a permanent address and telephone listing in Europe, or plans to establish an office within 30 days of contract award. A subcontractor's European office does not, by itself, satisfy this requirement for the prime contractor. If relying on the 30-day option, the offeror shall include in its quotation a statement describing its intention and plan to establish the required presence within 30 days of award. DOSAR 652.242-73 separately requires the party performing the work, including an applicable subcontractor or joint venture partner, to obtain the authorization, licenses, and permits required to perform in the applicable country.

Q02 Section 3, Item 3 – Past Performance: May an offeror submit a proposed subcontractor's past performance for the fieldwork, and will those references be evaluated in assessing the offeror's capability? Will experience performed outside Europe be treated as equally relevant?

A02 Please refer to Section 3, Item 3. The RFQ requests relevant past performance and states that, if the offeror has not performed comparable services in Europe, international experience may be provided.

Proposed subcontractor experience may be included as supporting information where relevant to the proposed performance approach. The Government will evaluate the quotation as a whole in accordance with Section 4.

Q03 Section 1, Paragraph 2.1 – VAT: For a U.S. offeror with no permanent establishment in Belgium, should

Belgian VAT be included in the price, or quoted at zero on the basis of reverse charge or Embassy exemption? Will an exemption certificate be provided to the awardee?

A03 Offerors shall price in accordance with Section 1, Paragraph 2.1 of the RFQ, which states that VAT is applicable and must be included as a separate line item. Offerors remain responsible for determining their applicable tax treatment. The RFQ does not provide for issuance of a VAT exemption certificate for this requirement.

QUESTION & ANSWER FORM

Solicitation Number: 19BE2026Q0731

Project: Audience Analysis Services

Questions submission deadline: September 11, 2026

Q04 SOW Paragraph 3.2 – Focus Group Format: May an offeror propose all four focus groups online, or does the Government require at least one session in person in Brussels?

A04 The Government requires a minimum of two (2) focus groups to be conducted in person in Brussels.

The remaining focus groups may be conducted online or in person, subject to coordination with the PD

Section. This requirement will be reflected in the solicitation amendment.

Q05 SOW Paragraph 3.4(d) – Participant Incentives: Please identify the applicable U.S. Government limitation or per-participant incentive ceiling.

A05 The RFQ does not establish a specific per-participant incentive ceiling. The Contractor shall propose an appropriate incentive structure consistent with normal market practices and applicable U.S.

Government limitations. All participant incentives shall be included in the firm-fixed-price quotation.

Q06 SOW Paragraph 3.1 – Policy Topics: Will the Government identify the priority policy topics, and the number of distinct topics, before quotations are due, or after award?

A06 The specific priority policy topics and associated research themes will be identified by the PD Section following award and developed with the Contractor in accordance with the SOW.

Q07 SOW Paragraph 3.7 – Language: Must all focus groups be conducted in English, or should offerors plan for sessions in other EU languages with interpretation?

A07 The Government expects the focus groups to be conducted in English. Interpretation is not currently anticipated. If interpretation becomes necessary during performance, it shall be coordinated with the

PD Section in accordance with the contract.

Q08 Is an estimated value, budget range, or prior contract value available for this requirement?

A08 The Government is not providing an estimated value, budget range, or prior contract value for this requirement. The U.S. Mission to the European Union has not previously contracted for this specific requirement.

Q09 Section 5 – Third Country Nationals: This provision defines a Third Country National by reference to

Ghana and the United States. Please confirm whether the intended reference is Belgium, and whether the provision applies to this acquisition.

A09 This is a typo, the amendment will reflect Belgum and not Ghana

Q10 SAM.gov Registration: Is an active SAM.gov registration strictly required at the exact moment of proposal submission on September 18, 2026, or will the Contracting Officer consider quotations from a

UK-based foreign entity whose NCAGE / SAM.gov registration is actively in progress at the time of submission, provided full registration is active prior to contract award?

A10 For quotations valued over USD 40,000, the offeror must have an active SAM registration at the time of quotation submission. A SAM registration that is still in process does not satisfy this requirement.

For quotations valued at or below USD 40,000, where the applicable foreign-vendor SAM registration exception applies, the offeror shall complete, sign, and submit the required NDAA Express Form with its quotation. The solicitation will be amended to clarify this requirement.

Q11 Section 1 – Purpose and Summary – Message Testing Content: Could you provide additional information regarding the messages, narratives, themes, or communication materials that will be tested as part of the research?

A11 The specific messages, narratives, themes, and communication materials to be tested will be identified by the PD Section following award and developed or refined in consultation with the Contractor in accordance with the SOW.

Q12 Section 3.7 – Fieldwork – Post-Session Questionnaire: Could you please confirm the expected completion time of the post-focus group questionnaire, including the approximate number of questions?

A12 The post-session questionnaire is expected to contain approximately 8 to 12 questions and should be designed as a brief follow-up questionnaire. The RFQ does not prescribe a specific completion time.

Q13 Section 2 – Background and Section 3.5 – Technical Requirements – Transparency, Consent, Observation and Data Transfer Requirements: The Statement of Work indicates that the research should be conducted in the Contractor's name rather than explicitly identifying the U.S. Government as the commissioning entity, while also requiring Mission personnel to observe focus groups and receive complete audio/video recordings of the sessions. Under ESOMAR and GDPR requirements, participants would normally need to be informed about the identity of the commissioning client, the observation of sessions, the recipients of any identifiable personal data, and the intended use of recordings. Could the

Mission clarify its expectations regarding participant disclosure and consent under this model? In particular, what information does the Mission expect participants to receive regarding the U.S.

Government's role, access to recordings, and subsequent use of the data, and what safeguards or limitations would apply to ensure that participants' individual statements are not used or attributed in a manner that could affect them personally?

A13 The Mission does not require the names or other direct identifying information of individual participants. The Contractor remains responsible for compliance with applicable privacy, data protection, informed consent, and professional research requirements. The Mission requires sufficient information to verify that recruitment was conducted in accordance with the approved methodology and that participants meet the identified target audience criteria. This may be demonstrated through anonymized participant information, recruitment methodology, screening criteria, participant demographics, and other appropriate supporting information without disclosing participant identities.

Where Mission personnel observe sessions or receive recordings, the Contractor shall ensure that all applicable disclosure and consent requirements are satisfied. Research findings and individual participant statements are intended for internal Government use and shall not be publicly attributed to identified participants.

Q14 SOW Paragraph 3.1 – Target Audience Composition: Research firms are generally unable to recruit actively serving officials, politicians, or civil servants as paid focus group participants, consistent with the incentive limitations referenced at SOW Paragraph 3.4(d). Please confirm that a proposed audience composed of policy-adjacent professionals, including think tank analysts, EU-focused journalists, corporate and association public affairs representatives, civil society representatives, and advisors and consultants working on EU policy, satisfies the requirement at Paragraph 3.1, with final group composition agreed with the Public Diplomacy Section under Paragraph 3.2(c). If the

Government instead requires that a specified number or proportion of participants be actively serving

EU institutional officials, please clarify the requirement.

A14 The objective of the research is to obtain direct insight into the views of Brussels-based EU policy audiences. The RFQ does not establish a fixed number or percentage of actively serving EU institutional officials or MEPs. Participation by EU institutional officials, including MEPs, is desirable where feasible but is not subject to a mandatory quota. Offerors should propose a participant composition that appropriately represents the target audiences identified in the SOW, with final group composition developed in consultation with the PD Section. Other policy-relevant professionals may be proposed where their inclusion supports the research objectives.