TMC - Questions & Answers.pdf

Questions and Answers:

1. Please advise total number of transaction and actual travel spend for last year.

Year Tickets Issued Total Air Spend

2018 1196 1,419,992.71

2019 1389 1,607,069.20

*Please note that the transaction history in response to any question is provided for informational purposes and under no circumstances should it be construed to change any terms or conditions or requirements within the actual solicitation.

2. Does Embassy has any Preferred Airlines for travel apart from US flagship carriers (Fly

America Act)?

Most destinations to the U.S. from Singapore have varied contracted carriers as determined by the General Service Administration’s (GSA) Airline City Pair Fare Program:

https://cpsearch.fas.gsa.gov/cpsearch/search.do

3. Does embassy have any Special agreements/contracts with Airlines, if so, please advise names of the Airlines.

Other than the GSA’s City Pair program, we do not have any special agreements with airlines.

4. Please advise Airlines wise Spend for previous year.

The government does not track this information.

5. Is it mandatory to provide Toll free Number or can TMC arrange/provide call back facility?

Per the solicitation, the TMC must provide a toll-free number.

Yes, it is. Refer to Section 1, Para 13.0 Hours of Service in the solicitation.

6. Please advise if all transactions would be on CBA, in the event of GTR please advise number of transactions/volume.

For the past 2 years, all transactions have been on the Centrally Billed Account card or a personal travel card. However, a GTR is an accepted means of payment if need be.

https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcpsearch.fas.gsa.gov%2Fcpsearch%2Fsearch.do&data=02%7C01%7CPalanisamM%40state.gov%7C44e0a853c0204158992e08d7a9da6a0b%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637164627855468188&sdata=AO9hg8bi6te7FTQx%2Fsvok9YooXZZpH%2FX3PV97B0AWmY%3D&reserved=0

7. Please confirm if the current payment mode is on CBA platform.

Yes, it is. Please refer to Section 1, Para 15, 15.0 Billing and Payment Procedures.

8. Please advise Embassy’s payment settlement process for Airlines that do not participate in UATP & Non air services (Car rental/hotel etc.)

Please refer to Section 1, Para 15, 15.0 Billing and Payment Procedures.

9. With our experience we have been issuing tickets thru BSP –UATP on CBA Cards for

Embassy/Consulate in other regions. Would Embassy follow the same in Singapore?

Trips are issued through BSP on CBA cards. Yes, it is. Please refer to Section 1 , Para 15,

15.0 Billing and Payment Procedures.

10. Please confirm if the process would be as below: (Questions 11-12)

11. UATP transactions- Airlines would be the merchant and TMC service fee would be paid thru bank transfer

Please refer to Section 1, Para 15, 15.0 Billing and Payment Procedures.

12. Non-UATP transactions- TMC would be the merchant (Air Fare + Merchant fee 2.5% would be charged by TMC) & service fee would be paid thru bank transfer.

The Government cannot answer this question because it is up to the offeror how their transaction fees are priced.

13. Please advise CBA card currency USD/SGD.

USD.

14. Does TMC is required to have local presence & Bank account in Singapore?

The US government is not aware of any laws that require banking in Singapore.

15. Can Embassy remit payment to TMC in USD bank account outside Singapore?

See the answer to question 14

16. Advise if Embassy can make payment to USD account of TMC outside Singapore?

See the answer to question 14

17. Does the TMC would require to provide replacement of Onsite staff on emergency/sick leave

Yes, there must be coverage every workday. Refer to Section 1, , paragraph 7.3 Travel Counselors/Reservationists.

18. Does Embassy has specific type of vehicle requirement for car transfer

No, we follow the policies in Federal Travel Regulations, Chapter 301.

19. Please advise scope for personal travel for Embassy staff & families.

The Embassy does not track this information.

20. Can TMC submit one single proposal or it needs to be in two different envelope (Technical

& Commercial) two copies each?

Refer to SECTION 3 – Solicitation Provision, 1.2.9.

21. Please advise if Embassy is interested for online booking tool.

There is no requirement in the solicitation for an on-line booking tool.

22. That the total official transaction is approximately 800-900 tickets per a year?

Please see Amendment 0001 for this information.

23. Is it correct to assume that online does not refer to using an online booking tool? Instead, it refers to initiating contact with the TMC through an online method (i.e. e-mail) and the ticket is subsequently booked offline by the travel assistant?

Please see Amendment 0001 for this information.

24. We’d like to request the total transactional value for the previous years. (attachment #2 is empty on our version, is that accurate?

Please refer to answer from Question 1 on the total spend for 2018 and 2019.

Attachment 2 is a sample template of the quarterly sales activity report that the Government expects as a deliverable. Please refer to Section 3.9.2 (Management Reports and Deliverables – Quarterly Sales Activity Report).

25. Item 7.2 on page 20 – Site Managers: Q: Does the site manager has to be based onsite for an onsite servicing?

The site manager does not have to be onsite.

26. Page 46 52.232-19 Availability of Funds for the Next Fiscal Year. Q: Is this applicable to contractor who is not participating in the Government Travel Card Program? If it is also applicable to contractor who is participating in the Government Travel Card program, then we would like to ask When will contractor be informed by the COR about availability of funds? What are the remedies available to Contractor if there are no funds available?

Each contract period is financed by annual appropriations and there is no guarantee that funds will be available for the next contract period, meaning the option year. If funds are available, the government will award the next option year. If funds are not available, then the government will exercise the option year but not issue a task order and the contractor will not perform these services until such time as funds are available.