Questions and Answers RFQ.docx

QUESTION & ANSWERS – Q&As

RFQ NO. 19EC75-24-Q-0011

The Embassy of the United States of America in Quito, Ecuador requires to contract a provider of Language Training Services for teaching Spanish and English to Embassy employees and to family members of U.S. Direct-Hire personnel. Some firms are interested on submitting quotations.

The questions and answers below are responsive to the inquiries received. Prospective offerors had the opportunity to submit questions to the Embassy regarding this solicitation, until July 12, 2024.

Questions and answers will be available in the following link:

https://sam.gov/opp/f3b17584f0024d0db334841cc96cfff8/view

QUESTION NO. 1

Could you please let me know If you will provide a place to teach the languages?

ANSWER.

Yes, the Embassy provides a classroom in the Embassy’s compound.

QUESTION NO. 2

To offer continuous service with many schedule options and substitute teachers, we have tutors around the world, including the USA, Spain, and Latin America. Reading the general terms of the contract, I see that both virtual and in-person classes are required. Are these options, or is it necessary to provide tutors in Quito for in-person classes? Can I provide only virtual classes?

Yes, it is necessary to provide tutors for in-person classes in Quito. Offerors must be able to offer both in-person classes and virtual classes.

QUESTION NO. 3

Regarding the following requirement: "Only legally established institutions or language schools will be considered as potential providers. Submit a copy of the Ministry of Education certificate." Spanish Millennium LLC is legally incorporated, but since we operate online or at the student’s location (office, home), we don't have a physical school and thus do not have a Ministry of Education Certificate. Would this be 100% necessary to apply for this contract, or can we still apply without it?

ANSWER. The certification of the Ministry of Education is a must.

QUESTION NO. 4.

We would be interested in applying to this contract for teaching both Spanish and English to the embassy employees and families. Is the requirement for in person classes only? Or we can offer online classes?

ANSWER. The requirement is for both in-person classes and virtual classes. The offerors must be able to provide in-person and virtual classes.

QUESTION NO. 5

Are there any particular outcomes or objectives that the Embassy prioritizes for the language training program?

ANSWER.

1. Teaching and practicing to communicate through interaction in the target language;

2. Introducing authentic texts into the learning situation from the very beginning (e.g., supermarket fliers, business cards etc. for the very beginners; editorials for advanced learners);

3. Enhancing/Including the student’s own personal experiences as important contributing elements to classroom learning (e.g. teaching and talking about embassy-typical situations);

4. Linking classroom language learning with language activities outside the classroom, e.g. going to the deli counter in the supermarket and ordering cuts of meat or fish after learning about shopping in the classroom; going to an open market and bargaining; visiting a historical site or museum after reading an article about Ecuadorian history with intermediate or advanced students.

QUESTION NO. 6

Is it possible to conduct the training sessions online or is it required to be in-person at the Embassy? If online, are there any preferred platforms or technological requirements?

ANSWER. The requirement is for both in-person classes and virtual classes. The offerors must be able to provide in-person and virtual classes. For the virtual classes, the offerors must have reliable internet services and use a platform like Zoom, for example.

QUESTION NO. 7

Is there an estimated budget or cost range that the Embassy has allocated for this project? Are there any cost elements that should be specifically itemized in the quote?

ANSWER

1.No, when contract is awarded, funds will be allocated.

2.Please complete Section 1.2-Pricing, of the Request for quotations (RFQ); and, please include it as a separate document when you send your quotations.

QUESTION NO. 8

Are there any specific certifications or qualifications required for the instructors? Are there any compliance requirements or regulations that the contractor needs to adhere to?

The instructors must be qualified teachers. Please refer to the Scope of Work, sections: Provider’s Obligations, Methodology and Evaluation Factors”.

QUESTION NO. 9

Do the below disqualify Skill Up Junction from bidding?

Skill Up Junction (business name – Lingo Mundo Academy is the brand name for the online foreign languages learning) is registered both in the US (LLC) and in Panama (Corporation).

1. The RFP, in the section provider’s Obligations mentions: Only legally established institutions or language schools will be considered as potential providers. Submit a copy of the Ministry of Education certificate.

Skill Up Junction was created in October 2023 in Panama and January 4, 2024 in the US. Not in Ecuador.

1. Lingo Mundo Academy offers exclusively online classes. I have been teaching French and English myself for the last 6 years (in another school of languages)

1. I am an American and French citizen and a Panamanian resident.

1. Skill Up Junction is a small woman owned business with more than 10 contractors (legally authorized to work in the US or in the country where they live). In addition to our highly experienced Spanish and English instructors (mainly bi-nationals, all native speakers or very near native speakers, mainly of the original and target languages) , I am also teaching those (in addition to French), if I needed to step in, in case of unforeseeable event.

1. Lingo Mundo Academy is delivering private lessons and group classes, including to corporations (including in Spanish to one of the top 3 law firms in the US).

The offerors must submit the Ministry of Education certificate.

QUESTION NO. 10

If I am authorized to bid then I have the following questions / comments:

· The RFP refers to one single price including the material (books).

However, the books (does the Embassy prefer paperback or e-books?) if physical or digital are not the same price and the cost of the books for children, teenagers and adults are not the same either, and may not be the same cost for a beginner and for an advanced learner. How do you want the bidders to address this?

ANSWER:

For in-person classes, provider will need to have a set of paperback books to be kept in the classroom and copies of the lessons will be taken in an Embassy’s copying machine to use in each class. For virtual classes, provider will need to have e-books.

· The RFP, in the section provider’s Obligations part d/, mentions “Each level will last for 60 hours, until students are no longer attending or until class sizes are considered too small to justify funding, whichever occurs first in each instance.”

And the Embassy mentions 3 levels in point c/ of the same section: “The provider will teach groups or individuals of people classified under three levels: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced.”

However, according to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) as the required languages are European or according to ACTFL (its equivalent in the US), and confirmed by my own experience, it takes about 200 to 250 hours to complete the A1-A2 (beginner and high beginner level) or called Novice for ACTFL. To go from High Beginners via Intermediate to the end of the High Intermediate level (B1-B2 Level for CEFR and Intermediate low / medium / high for ACTFL) it takes another 250-300 hours.

60 hours will take the adults about to complete 75%-80% of the beginner A1 level and the teenagers and children will be about midway through it.

To set transparent expectations, I thought I would mention that 60 hours will not take a beginner, who never learnt Spanish or English, to an Intermediate level.

Usually, our students have some knowledge of the language. Not all students complete the levels due to different reasons (they move to other positions or leave the country). We teach only to adults and not to teenagers or children. We try to accommodate the needs of the variety of students, and the 60 hours is the minimum time for a level. Additionally, we can not exceed a certain number of teaching hours per year.

QUESTION NO. 11

I am writing to seek clarification on the RFQ for Language Training Services. As per the document, it states that virtual classes will be held on Saturdays only, and both in-person and virtual classes will be conducted from Monday to Friday. Given that My Language Link is an entirely online language school, I wanted to inquire if our company would qualify for this bid announcement.

The requirement is for both in-person classes and virtual classes from Monday thru Friday and virtual classes only on Saturdays. The offerors must be able to provide in-person and virtual classes. For the virtual classes, the offerors must use a platform like Zoom, for example.

QUESTION NO. 12

Could you please confirm if an entirely online language school would be eligible to participate in this bid? We are certain that our services will meet and exceed the requirements of your announcement.

The requirement is for both in-person classes and virtual classes. The offerors must be able to provide in-person and virtual classes. For the virtual classes, the offerors must use a platform like Zoom, for example.

QUESTION NO. 13

In attempts to support the " Embassy of the United States of America in Quito, Ecuador requires to contract a provider of Language Training Services for teaching Spanish and English to Embassy employees and to family members of U.S. Direct-Hire personnel? Can we subcontract one of our many schools and academies with their USA certifications?

Yes, you can subcontract, provided that the subcontractor has the Ministry of Education Certification.

QUESTION NO. 14

“Please confirm that the offeror/bidder must have the teaching certificate from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education. Can offerors provide the certificate through a subcontractor?”

Yes, offeror/bidder must have the teaching certificate from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education. Yes, you can subcontract.

QUESTION NO. 15

Are the classes one-on-one, or for groups at a time?

There are some classes one-on-one and group classes in different schedules.

QUESTION NO. 16

Is one teacher being requested, or is there a need for more than one teacher?

The requirement is for one teacher for the Spanish language and one teacher for the English language and two teachers as backups.

QUESTION NO. 17

Will the lessons be held at the embassy, in the homes of the students, or at a predetermined location set up by the teacher(s) and student(s)?

ANSWER.

The in-person classes will be held at the Embassy’s premises.

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED