Pre-Proposal Conference Minutes.pdf

SBU - CONTRACTING AND ACQUISITIONS

June 12, 2026

Embassy of the United States of America Mexico City.

Subject: Minutes from Pre-Proposal Conference held on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at 12:00 hours, local time.

Attendees:

• Fifteen (24) people from seven (11) different companies attended the Pre-Proposal Conference.

• The following staff from the Requiring Office and the Contracting Office attended the Pre-Proposal Conference.

• Christian Alvarez-Maciel, Requiring Office

• Renata Loza, Requiring Office

• James Martin, Finance Management Office

• Morgan Osborne, Contracting Officer

• Veronica Tecuatl, Contracts Supervisor

• Jesus Gonzalez, Contracts Assistant

• Luisanatalia Salceda, Contracts Assistant

Introduction

The Contracts Team welcomed all participants to the Pre-Proposal Conference and introduced themselves. The team outlined the purpose of the meeting, which was to provide an overview of the Group Life Insurance Services Solicitation.

• Purpose:

The conference aimed to clarify the requirements, address any questions, and ensure that all prospective offerors understood the solicitation process and expectations.

• Minutes disclosure:

Attendees were notified that Pre-Proposal Conference minutes would be posted on sam.gov Contracts Opportunities in order that other vendors are not disadvantaged for not being able to attend the conference.

The Pre-Proposal Conference was conducted online.

The meeting link and instructions were provided to all prospective offerors in both English and Spanish.

The conference was held in both English and Spanish to ensure all attendees had a thorough understanding.

The contracting team compiled all questions received during the conference, as well as those submitted via email in accordance with the RFP instructions.

All questions and answers are included in a comprehensive Q&A document, which will also be posted on SAM.gov.

Prospective offerors were reminded that doing business with the U.S. Government differs from commercial practice, as the solicitation and award processes are governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).

Key Reminders for Attendants:

• Statements:

The statements made during the site visit do NOT change the solicitation. All changes would be made by written amendment to the solicitation.

• Amendments:

Amendments are intended to clarify or modify the solicitation. They may originate from:

Issues raised by suppliers during the pre-proposal stage, at the conference, site visit, or at any time;

To modify the dates on which proposals are received from suppliers;

To clarify ambiguities, or;

To change dates, dates of delivery, or specifications.

All amendments will be posted on Contracts Opportunities on sam.gov. The U.S.

Government implements the Fair Release of information, in other words, what you tell one, you must tell all.

• Questions

Prospective Offerors were requested to enter their questions in the chat during the meeting and were encouraged to submit additional questions via email to be compiled and included in the Q&A file.

The Q&A will be posted on Contracts Opportunities on sam.gov

Pre-Proposal Conference

• Prospective Offerors were reminded that:

The contracting team provided an overview of the solicitation’s Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) and explained how to submit proposals, including the proper inclusion of IVA (Value Added Tax) and VAT.

The contracting team specifically highlighted and clarified the meaning of Retention Amounts, provided detailed instructions on how to complete Section B.5.3, "Retention Amounts per Premium," and supplied an illustrative example to ensure full understanding.

The structure of the solicitation was clarified, covering the base year and option years.

The requiring office thoroughly explained the requirements outlined in Section C of the RFP, which specifies the minimum coverages necessary for the Group Life insurance contract.

The requiring office emphasized the importance of submitting a clear proposal confirming that all the coverages requests are going to be provided.

Both the contracting team and the requiring office emphasized that Section C establishes the minimum benefits that must be included in the insurance policy. To be considered technically acceptable, the offeror must confirm that these minimum benefits are provided. Any company that does not comply with these minimum requirements will be deemed technically unacceptable.

The contracting team stated that the evaluation of this solicitation will be based on a Comparative process and not a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable process, which will be conducted in accordance with Section M, Evaluation Factors. These evaluation criteria were reviewed during the Pre-Proposal Conference.

It was also stated that offerors may submit proposals that include additional benefits or higher coverage levels than the required minimums.

The contracting team explained that the RFP is requesting two different pricing structures: Age-Based and Salary-Based. The Contracting Officer will determine which structure will provide the best value to the U.S. Government.

The role of the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and the responsibilities of the Contractor were discussed.

The contracting team reviewed the contents of the various volumes required to be submitted with the proposal, as outlined in Section L of the RFP.

The W-14 form and its relevance to the solicitation process were explained.

The contracting team emphasized that prospective offerors must not contact the Requiring Office regarding any issues or questions related to this process. All inquiries should be directed through the appropriate channels as specified in the solicitation.

The contracting team reiterated that, to be acceptable and eligible for evaluation, proposals must comply with the minimum benefits included in Section C; be prepared in accordance with Sections L and M, and meet all requirements specified in the other sections of the solicitation.

Offerors were reminded of the mandatory requirement that all contractors must register in the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov prior to submitting an offer as stipulated by FAR provision 52.204-7. Registration in SAM is a prerequisite for consideration in the procurement process.

Finally, the contracting team stated that the U.S. Government intends to evaluate offers and award a contract without discussions with offerors. Therefore, each offeror’s initial proposal should include its best terms regarding both price and technical factors. However, the U.S. Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if the Contracting Officer later determines that they are necessary.

Q&A File:

All questions received via e-mail were added to the Q&A Group Life Insurance file and posted on sam.gov

Conclusion

The Pre-Proposal Conference concluded, and attendees were thanked for their presence and expression of interest in serving the U.S. Government. The meeting was adjourned.

Sincerely, Morgan Osborne Contracting Officer

06/12/2026 19:12 GMT

Osborne, Morgan (OsborneML@state.gov) https://www.sam.gov/