SECOND SET OF QUESTIONS RECEIVED AS OF OCTOBER 4.pdf

SBU - CONTRACTING AND ACQUISITIONS

SECOND SET OF QUESTIONS RECEIVED AS OF OCTOBER 4, 2022

RFQ No. 19RP3822Q0105 Travel Management Services for U.S. Embassy Manila

Q1: 3.5. 4 Visas

(1) “The contractor is required to provide at no cost to the Government daily visa deliveries, pick-ups, not to exceed five delivery/pick up points per day.’

With regards to the “no cost” mentioned, is that pertaining only to the delivery/pick-up transaction fees of Contractor?

(2) Will you be able to give the number of visa transactions that the Contractor will handle?

A1: (1) Kindly refer to amendment 0005.

(2) Please refer to Section 4- Evaluation Factors, Transaction Description.

Q2: 3.5.5 Seminars and Meetings

(1) What is meant by the statement “The Contractor shall not charge the Government a transaction fee or any other fee for this service.” The Pricing Schedule (2.3) has a portion for “Assistance with Seminars, Meetings and Workshops”.

(2) What would be the scope of services for Assistance with Seminars, Meetings and Workshops?

(3) Can we get the number of groups held annually and the event size (number of persons) per group?

(4) What is included in the meeting services which you expect the Contractor to manage?

(5) If available, please share any data overview. Are these seminars and meetings in hotels?

If so, what is the form of payment of the Embassy to the hotels?

(6) How often in a year is this being requested? Are these locally in the Philippines and/or international?

A2: (1) Kindly refer to amendment 0005, continuation to SF1449, under 3.5.5 Seminars and Meetings.

(2) Please refer to Continuation to SF1449, under 3.5.5. Seminars and Meetings.

(3) Please refer to Section 4 Evaluation Factors, paragraph 3.0. The no. of headcount/persons for each seminar will be determined per requirement.

(4) Please refer to Continuation to SF1449, under 3.5.5. Seminars and Meetings.

(5) Please refer to Continuation to SF1449, subparagraphs 3.5.5 Seminars and Meetings and

14.5 Advance Deposit.

(6) Please refer to Section 4 Evaluation Factors- Annual estimated number for 14 Local Seminars and Meetings.

Q3: 3.9.4 Telephone Is the Contractor supposed to provide their own telephone system with call accounting?

A3: Please refer to Section 1, paragraphs 3.9.1 and 3.9.2.

Q4: Is the Government inclined into an Online Booking Tool (OBT) in the next couple years?

A4: Yes, please refer to Continuation to SF-1449, paragraph 3.12 eTravel Services (eTS).

Q5: What is the timeline of bid decision, award and implementation?

A5: Estimated start date is around Second Quarter of 2023.

Q6: 1.1 Scope of Work

For advance boarding passes, these can be generated only when online check-in is done.

There are personal/sensitive information that may be required to be entered at time of online check-in, as well as personal declaration as to health/baggage. Does this mean that the Embassy expects the PH Contractor to fulfill the online check-in on behalf of its employees?

A6: No, online check in will be handled by the Embassy employee/traveler.

Q7: 3.5.6.1 Information Pamphlets

Is the Embassy open to an electronic version of travel document guide i.e. as a form of email attachment? Or is this strictly a paper/printed document?

A7: Please refer to amendment 0005.

Q8: 3.5.6.3 Travel Insurance

Does the Embassy have any preferred / contracted insurance service provider that the PH Contractor needs to consider in the quotation process? If so, please specify the company if possible.

A8: No suggested travel insurance provider.

Q9: 3.9.8.2 For of Payment

Please advise type of bank to be used, is it a local or an international payment remittance? If international remittance, please confirm that the Embassy cannot be charged for any possible bank charges collected by the bank at time of remittance to PH Contractor.

A9: The type of bank used is a local bank and payment remittance is done by Bangkok Finance Center. For International payment remittance, local banks may charge a certain amount for transaction/processing fee. Please note that these bank charges for the funds transfer shall not be paid by the U.S. Government.

Q10: 3.12 Online Booking Tool

(1) To whose Pseudo City Code (PCC) and IATA # is the OBT linked? If CWT Sato, what is the involvement of the PH Contractor?

(2) Are there any subcontracting agreements needed to be pursued by the PH Contractor with CWT Sato?

A10:

(1) Please refer to 3.12 eTravel Services (eTS)

(2) Please refer to amendment 0005, under Attachment 1.

Q11: 2.0 Refunds

Does this mean that the transaction fee pricing should already bundle any possible refund requests? No other auxiliary fee can be collected later on? Please confirm.

A11: Transaction fees are firm-fixed price and are not subject to any adjustments for the entire contract period.

Q12: 2.0 Transaction Fee

Does this mean that the transaction fee pricing should already bundle any possible rebookings?

No other auxiliary fee can be collected later on? Please confirm.

A12: Transaction fees are firm-fixed price and are not subject to any adjustments for the entire contract period.

Q13: 3.3.2 Lodging

(1) What are “FedRooms Government Rates”, can these be loaded in the GDS?

Will the PH Contractor be provided a reference, i.e. matrix of per diem to know the applicable amount per traveler?

A13: Please refer to amendment 0005.

Q14. 3.7.1 Ticket Delivery

Does the e-ticket need to be printed and delivered physically to the traveler? Or is this process doable via email?

A14: Please refer to amendment 0005 .

Q15: 3.8.3.1 Reconciliation

(1) Will there be an automated enhanced data feed to Citibank VISA so that all supporting information will be reconciled in each CBA charge

(2) What is referred by "fiscal data"? Please specify.

(3) Does the report need to be printed and delivered physically to the Embassy? Or is this process doable via email?

(4) For physical reports, is the receiving department of the Embassy located in the same building at the Annex 2, Chancery Compound, or is it located somewhere else? Please clarify.

A15:

(1) CBA reconciliation is not included in the solicitation. This is a Government function and will be handled by the Government.

(2) Please refer to amendment 0005. 2.0 Definitions and Acronyms.

(3) Please refer to amendment 0005, under paragraph 10.2.2 item no. 2.

Customer Care Center Director, SGSO- Customer Care Center Office U.S. Embassy Manila 1201 Roxas Blvd., Ermita, Manila

Email address: manilac3live@state.gov

(4) Please refer to amendment 0005, under paragraph 10.2.2 item no. 2

Q16: 6.2 Telephone

Does the Embassy have any preferred / contracted telephone/internet service provider that the PH Contractor needs to consider in the planning/setup? If so, please specify the company if possible.

A16: No the Embassy does not have a preference. Please see Section 1, paragraphs 3.9.1 and

3.9.2 for information on the required services

Q17. Under 52.212-3 OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATION-

COMMERCIAL ITEMS (MAY 2022)

(1) We would like to ask what we are supposed to respond to in the above items under Section 5 as there are no indications which FAR clauses are incorporated in the contract, there being no check marks from the Contracting Officer “as appropriate”.

(2) Are we supposed to confine our response to pages 78-79, 81, 88-90 only, which pages you noted in Item 7 page 4 of the Minutes from Pre-Quotation Conference you emailed on 18 October?

A17:

(1) Please refer to amendment 0005 for the updated provision and this is where the offeror fills in their information.

(2) Please refer to the Cover Letter and Section 3 Solicitation Provisions. It is recommended to read and complete your response under Section 5 Representations and Certifications.