Summary of May 24 Marine Cook Contract Vendors Meeting.pdf

Summary of May 24 Meeting for Embassy Bern Marine Cooking Contract

To provide all interested parties with information shared at the vendor meeting (including answers to questions submitted) please see the information below:

1) What are the expected work hours and food preparation for the cooking vendor?

Hours of operation as follows:

Breakfast: Meal ready at 09:00 (number of Marines eating will be indicated when cook arrives in morning)

Lunch: Ready at 13:00 (number of Marines eating will be indicated by 11am)

Dinner: Ready at 16:00 or before in individual storage containers (usually 7 Marines eating)

- All meals will be served from a pre-planned menu prepared the week previously and agreed to by the Contracting Officer’s Representative and/or Marine contact person.

- Breakfast and lunch meals are intended to be less elaborate and can be repeated multiple times a month.

- Dinner should be prepared before 4pm daily and placed into tupperwares (or similar plastic containers for later consumption). Dinners are intended to be more elaborate and have a greater variety throughout the month. These will be planned in consultation with the COR and/or Marine contact person.

Saturday – Sunday, and official Embassy holidays (roughly 18 weekdays per year) the

Contractor will only be responsible for preparing dinners and these can be prepared and stored during the workweek so no Contractor presence is usually required during the weekend and holidays.

Organization of VIP meals with advanced notice for guests including U.S. Ambassador, visiting

Marine Commanders, etc. These will likely occur less than 10 times per year.

2) Is parking at the work location provided to the Contractor?

One parking space at the work location is provided to the Contractor if needed.

3) Will there be renovations to the kitchen during the contract period?

Some renovation might occur during the contract period but those would be coordinated well in advance with the contractor and other relevant stakeholders. Food preparation is expected to only occur at the work site.

4) Are there dietary requirements/restrictions/allergies?

The seven Marines regularly rotate throughout the year so if any Marines have dietary restrictions/requirements those will be clearly communicated to the Contractor and adjustments to the menu and types of food prepared can be jointly decided.

5) How is the food purchased for the Marines and who funds the purchases?

The Contractor will not fund any of the food purchases as funding these are solely the responsibility of the Marines. The Marines provide a budget of roughly 250 CHF month per

Marine to purchase food (1500+ CHF total per month). The Contractor will be responsible for buying local produce, other basic ingredients to be used in food preparation, and other necessary food/drinks with the money provided by the Marines. A credit/debit card will be provided to the

Contractor for use with these purchases and receipts must be kept and given to the Marines. The

Marines will separately buy meat and other specialized items from American military bases in

Germany and provide these to the Contractor.

6) What are the other work responsibilities of the Contractor?

In addition to buying and preparing the food the Contractor is also responsible for preparing a weekly menu for Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and Marine review. The Contractor is also responsible to clean the kitchen daily, and maintain regular communication with the COR and Marines. If the Contractor intends to take a vacation or not be at the worksite on a workday as normal, it must provide a backup cook and communicate in advance with the COR/Marines.

Other Friendly Reminders

1) Bids are due Sunday, June 2 at 11:59pm local time in Bern, Switzerland.

2) Bids must be submitted in English, identify who will be the main cook/food preparer, and show proof of cook/Contractor personnel ability to work in Switzerland.

3) Bids must be submitted in the proper format as outlined in the solicitation with prices in

CHF. The contract is structured with a six-month base period and two following one-year options the U.S. government can exercise at its discretion.

4) The Contractor will need to obtain a SAM.gov account to be awarded the Contract.

5) Contractor personnel working at the Marine Security Guard residence will need to pass an embassy security background check.