SF30 19TC1225Q0016 Questions and Answers Sheet.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITAION 1. CONTRACT ID CODE PAGE OF PAGES

1 6

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO.

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

12 September 2025

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

PR15562153

5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

6. ISSUED BY CODE 19TC12 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

U.S. Consulate, DUBAI United Arab Emirates

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (NO., street,city,county,State,and ZIP Code) 9a. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

19TC1225Q0016

9b. DATED (SEE ITEM 11) 29 August 2025

10a. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10b. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICTATIONS

[ X] The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers [ ] is extended, [ X] is not extended Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods: (a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning 1copies of the amendment;(b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or(c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers.

FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE

CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b)

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

X D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor [] is not, [X] is required to sign this document and return _soft__ copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

The purpose of this amendment is to reflect two changes: 1. To provide responses to the questions received (see attachment on Q&A);

and 2. To allow proposals from offerors who are in the process of SAM registration to be considered for evaluation. An award shall only be made upon contingent active status in SAM.

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print) 16A. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

Danielle Aldawood

15B. NAME OF CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

BY

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

15C.DATE

SIGNED

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

BY

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

16C.DATE SIGNED

U.S. Consulate General

Dubai - UAE

Date: September 12, 2025

Subject: Combined Questions and Answers Sheet for RFQ(s) # 19TC1225Q0015 |

19TC1225Q0016 250th Anniversary Engagements, U.S Consulate, Dubai – UAE

This document provides answers to questions received regarding the solicitation #

19TC1225Q0015 and 19TC1225Q0016. The responses are intended to clarify the solicitations requirements and provide additional information to potential offerors.

1. For clarification, are you only looking for vendors to submit a quotation AND a technical proposal? The CONTRACTDATA documents alludes to only a quotation at the beginning of the document (and further down where it is mentioned that ‘no quotations will be accepted after this time…) but mentions a technical proposal. Can you clarify please?

Response: In order for a quotation to be considered, you must also complete and submit the following:

1. SF-1449

2. Section 1, Pricing

3. Section 5, Representations and Certifications

4. Submit additional information as required in Section 3

5. Proof of SAM Registration and in active status will be required prior award.

6. NDAA 889 compliance certification

2. If it is confirmed that a technical proposal is required, what is the minimum that the

Contractor/vendor should include in this proposal?

Response: Please see response above (response to question 1)

3. Are you open to the vendor bringing in an execution Contractor or does any consortium need prior approval from your side?

Response: Perhaps a few services within the SOW may need to be sub-contracted and this is acceptable. Should you choose to use a sub-contractor, the prime contractor shall indicate in the proposal approximately what percentage of the services shall be subcontracted.

4. Are there any formatting requirements (file type, file size, and so forth) for the document(s)?

Response: Submissions are required in pdf format.

5. Could you clarify the overarching goal of the engagement under America 250? Is the emphasis cultural diplomacy, broad public outreach, or targeted stakeholder engagement?

Response

The overarching goal of the America 250 campaign is to do the following key targets:

• Showcase the pivotal role of American diplomacy from 1776 to today.

• Illustrate how diplomacy has protected national interests and shaped global peace, security, and prosperity.

• Inspire global audiences with stories of American resilience, innovation, and the ongoing pursuit of a more perfect union.

• Share historical and contemporary diplomatic milestones that exemplify freedom, liberty, and democratic values.

• Use America 250 to deepen global ties in trade, education, science, and culture.

• Reinforce that the U.S. remains a trusted, dynamic Contractor ready to lead in the next 250 years.

6. Is the Embassy looking for a single signature event or a series of activations?

Response: We are looking for a series of signature activations, as described in the RFQ.

7. Will the Embassy define the creative theme and key messages, or do you expect the

Contractor to propose them within the America 250 framework?

Response: We have given general guidance on the themes of the engagements for Dubai and the Northern Emirates. The Contractor will then propose the HOW (working with the COR) on the event itself.

8. Who are the specific audiences you want to prioritize?

Response: UAE nationals are our primary audience; UAE residents are our audience as well.

International non-residents to the UAE are not our intended audience.

9. Beyond event execution, should the Contractor also plan for concept development, branding, and creative assets?

Response: The Contractor will work with the COR on branding and creative assets as branding guidelines have already been developed by the Department of State. The

Contractor will work on concepts for executing the avenues described in the RFQ.

10. Does the scope include media relations, influencer outreach, and social media campaigns, or will those be handled internally?

Response: The COR will work with the Contractor on this aspect. The Consulate has social media platforms that will be used in spreading event information, and the COR will work with the Contractor on guestlists, influence outreach, and media relations.

11. Will English and Arabic content both be required across deliverables?

Response: Yes, as appropriate.

12. . Do you require post-event impact reports, and if so, what metrics matter most?

Response: The metrics that matter to us is reach and demographics. Who attended which event, what channel was utilized to reach them, did their expectations and understanding of the USA change pre-post event.

13. Are there preferred venues identified by the Embassy, or should Contractors propose options?

Response: Contractors should propose options.

14. . Who will lead on security clearances, permits, and local authority coordination, the

Embassy or the Contractor?

Response: The Contractor will lead on these, working with the COR on functions that can only be handled by the Consulate (diplomatic notes for example).

15. Are Embassy or U.S. government branding/visual identity guidelines available for us to align with?

Response: Yes, these have already been developed, and can be found here:

https://brand.america.gov/d/WrAFnKrhEEfk/overseas-branding#/-/overseas-branding-guidelines

16. Could you share an indicative budget range to guide the scale of proposals?

Response: A price range/budget cannot be disclosed.

17. Could you share the evaluation weighting across the requested elements?

Response: The evaluation is based on the submissions listed in Section 3 and evaluation parameters outlined in Section 4.

18. Will shortlisted vendors have the chance to present concepts live, or will evaluation be strictly on written submissions?

Response: Shortlisted vendors may have an opportunity to clarify the proposal as a part of pre-award discussions.

19.In the pre-bid meeting, it was noted that the COR (Contracting Officer’s representative) may assist with the coordination of brands and performers for the events. However, obtaining confirmations at this early stage is difficult, which makes it challenging to finalize pricing.

Would it be acceptable to submit indicative pricing now and provide updated/final pricing upon confirmation of brands/performers?

Response: The solicitation requires proposals to be final pricing, and the contract awarded shall be a firm fixed priced contract. Any future changes by the Government that impact the pricing shall be negotiated with the contractor and finalized through the modification process.

20. May we propose recommended dates for the events based on venue availability? This would assist us in identifying and securing suitable venues in advance.

Response: Yes, Contractors can propose dates for events.

https://brand.america.gov/d/WrAFnKrhEEfk/overseas-branding#/-/overseas-branding-guidelines https://brand.america.gov/d/WrAFnKrhEEfk/overseas-branding#/-/overseas-branding-guidelines

21. Security Requirements: Could you please specify if there are particular security measures, screening protocols, or venue requirements (e.g., space allocation for scanners) that must be included in the technical proposal?

Response: This is a security question that PAS would have to work with RSO (Regional

Security Officer) on. We will work with the Contractor on security per event.

22. Please clarify the method of audience invitation. Do contractors need to validate a minimum attendance of 250 persons per event, and if so, should we plan to maintain a formal signup/registration process to support the capped capacity of 250–350 participants?

Response: There should be a sign up/registration mechanism. Does not need to be high tech, it could be paper and pen, or tech-based check-in. PAS has that mechanism through existing tech (CRM software). A new App does NOT need to be developed.

23. If specific U.S. speakers/entertainment/brands are to be flown in, would the Government prefer a budget allocation line item in lieu of fixed costs (given the uncertainty of exact participants at this stage)?

Response: A line item should be there. We understand that it is a fluctuating cost depending on who the guest is.

24. For each event, are there any spatial requirements or allocated areas we should reserve for preferred U.S. brands or Contractors identified by the U.S. Mission?

Response: The space should be large enough to hold the targeted number of guests (250-350 guests) per event.

We would work with the vendor once we have the event identified, but we do not have brands that we would highlight yet.

25. If proposing multiple venue options per emirate, would it be acceptable to submit the core event concepts at this stage and finalize venue selection (with budget allocation) upon contract award and COR approval?

Response: Yes