RFQ-NAGB Mtgs-Final.docx

Request for Quotations: 91995924Q0001 Quarterly Board Meetings June 14, 2024

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. The solicitation for commercial services is being conducted in conjunction with FAR Part 13. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Solicitation 91995924Q0001 is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2024-05, which has an effective date of 05/22/2024. The NAICS Code is 721110, Hotels (Not Casino) and Motels, and small business size standard is $40.0M.

The National Assessment Governing Board (hereafter Governing Board, or NAGB) has a requirement to provide lodging and meeting services for its Quarterly Board meetings. The Governing Board is an independent, bipartisan board that sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly known as “The Nation’s Report Card”.

The Governing Board convenes four times per year to carry out its legislatively mandated responsibilities. Information on the Board and its work can be found at www.nagb.gov. Detailed information on the quarterly meetings can be found at https://www.nagb.gov/about-us/quarterly-board-meetings.html.

The entity selected to receive an offer from ED is required to register in the System for Award Management (SAM) and to maintain active registration during the life of the purchase order. SAM can be accessed at https://www.sam.gov. Quoters shall include their SAM Unique Entity ID (UEI) number in their quote. If the quoter does not have a UEI, it should contact the entity designated at https://www.sam.gov for UEI establishment directly to obtain one. The quoter should indicate that it is an offeror for a government contract when contacting the entity designated at https://www.sam.gov for establishing the UEI. The quoter selected for an offer from the Department will need to provide Offeror Representations and Certifications prior to any award.

All interested, responsible sources may submit a quote directly to the U.S. Department of Education. Any quote from a source other than the hotel or lodging venue itself must include written evidence that the quoter is currently authorized to submit binding quotes on behalf of the venue whose accommodations and/or facility(s) are being offered. Evidence shall include a signed agreement between the vendor and the quoter. Quotes that fail to provide such evidence shall be deemed technically unacceptable and will not be considered for award. See additional subcontract-related requirements and instructions below.

QUARTERLY BOARD MEETING DATES

Meeting dates are posted on the Governing Board’s website at https://www.nagb.gov/about-us/quarterly-board-meetings.html. Two meetings will be convened in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, and two meetings are tentatively set to take place outside the Washington, DC area. Offerors shall submit proposals for three cities outside the Washington, DC Metropolitan area - Oklahoma City, OK, Houston, TX, and Providence, RI. However, see Quote Instructions section; the Department is open to issuing multiple orders, purchasing various items or groups of items from different quoters.

Governing Board meeting dates are as follows:

(a) November 13, 14, and 15, 2024 (Washington, DC Metropolitan area)

(b) March 6-7, 2025 (Washington, DC Metropolitan area)

(c) May 15-16, 2025 (Washington, DC, Oklahoma City, OK, Houston, TX, Providence, RI)

(d) July 31 – August 1, 2025 (Washington, DC Metropolitan area)

It shall be noted that the meeting dates cannot be changed. The locations for March, May, and August 2025 shall be determined as soon as possible. November 2024 shall take place in the Washington, DC area.

Guest Rooms must be quoted at per diem rates for Washington, DC area meetings:

# Guest Rooms (King rooms preferred)

Guest Rooms at per diem rates for meetings outside the Washington, DC area:

# Guest Rooms (King rooms preferred)

MEETING LOCATION/AREA OF CONSIDERATION

· The Washington, DC Metropolitan area, including Maryland (Bethesda) and Virginia (Alexandria and Arlington) hotels with ready access to public transportation options offered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

· Venues capable of accommodating the room block above.

· The plenary session needs to be approximately 3,000 square feet set in a hollow square for 28-30 people and classroom style seating on the perimeter for 48 people (see diagram provided).

· Three breakout rooms each set in conference style for 15 people and theater style seating on the perimeter for 20 people, and an office space for 10 people.

· The lodging and conference rooms must be at the same general location. There is no flexibility with the meeting dates and area of consideration.

· A rooming list will be submitted, and a portion of the room block will be paid via a Centrally Billed Account (CBA). All individual attendees are responsible for paying for their own incidentals.

· See Contract Clauses section below for required terms and conditions to be incorporated in the resulting contract.

· Attrition and Cancellation clauses must be 80% or less.

PREFERRED CONCESSIONS

· Complimentary/discounted Wi-Fi for the meeting and guest rooms.

· Complimentary keys to access staff office.

· Six complimentary day parking passes.

· Discounted daily and overnight parking rate for attendees who will drive to the meeting.

· Food & Beverage pricing that offers discounts off published menu pricing.

· 20% attrition allowance for guest rooms. Minimum 20% allowance for cancellation with a sliding scale at 30 and 60 days from the meeting date.

· At least 20% off in-house AV partner services.

· 1 comp room for every 50 picked up credited the master bill.

· Reduced lodging rate for staff who commute from a distance. Will pay own room, tax, and incidental charges.

HISTORIC INFORMATION ON THIS CONFERENCE

2024 – March: Hermitage Hotel, Nashville, TN

2023 – March: Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC May: Doubletree Hotel, Los Angeles, CA August: Westin Alexandria, VA November: Westin Arlington, VA

MEETING SPACE, SET UP, FOOD AND BEVERAGE, AND A/V REQUIREMENTS

Meeting space, set up, food and beverage, and audiovisual requirements for the conference are fully described below. NAGB prefers to use the in-house A/V provider for all A/V requirements but if desired, reserves the right to utilize other than the in-house A/V provider.

NAGB – Set Up – Day One (Wednesday)

Wednesday

Set up

NAGB – Day Two One (Thursday)

24-hour hold

Thursday Cont’d

(Executive Committee & R&D)

(ADC)

(COSDAM)

NAGB – Day Two (Friday)

Friday

24- hour hold

FOOD AND BEVERAGE REQUIREMENTS

AUDIO VISUAL REQUIREMENTS

GENERAL SESSION: 30 push to talk microphones, a handheld microphone, screen, confidence monitor, two (2) OWLs. NAGB’s meeting contractor will run the zoom but will require AV technical assistance with hybrid meeting services. Will need to conduct a technical run through the day before the meeting. Will provide power outlets for the general session table. Will need the AV contractor or hotel to provide extension cords. The meeting will be recorded by a court reporter and will need a feed to the house sound system.

BREAKOUT ROOMS: Three (3) screen packages. We will provide our own LCD projectors for the general session and breakout rooms.

BILLING: Guest rooms for Governing Board members as indicated on the rooming list shall be billed to a Centrally Billed Account (CBA). The Governing Board is tax-exempt, each guest to pay own incidentals. All reservations via rooming list. Meeting Services to include meeting space rental, food and beverage, and audiovisual equipment to a purchase order. Vendor to submit the final invoice via IPP (https://www.ipp.gov) for electronic payment.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CONTRACT CLAUSES:

The following clauses shall apply to any resulting contract. The quoter should review the full text of the clauses below and ensure that no terms and conditions are proposed that conflict with these provisions and clauses. For example, the clauses below cover changes, disputes, payments, cancellation, etc. Your quote must be based on the terms of this RFQ. We might reject any quote that is not based on these terms in every respect.

1. 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated By Reference (Feb 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address (es):

Education Department Acquisition Regulation (EDAR) provisions can be reviewed at https://www.acquisition.gov/edar.

Federal Acquisition Regulation provisions and clauses can be reviewed at:

https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

2. FAR 52.212-3 -- Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (MAY 2024)

3. FAR 52.212-4 -- Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items (NOV 2023)

4. 52.212-5 -- Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Items. (MAY 2024)

Under 52.212-5, the Contracting Officer has indicated the following clauses as being incorporated in this contract by reference to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial items:

X (4) 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Jul 2013) (Pub. L. 109-282) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note). Required in all solicitations and contracts of $30,000 or more.

X (8) 52.209-6, Protecting the Government’s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment. (Aug 2013) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

X (16) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (May 2014) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(2) and (3)).

X (22) 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Representation (Jul 2013) (15 U.S.C. 632(a)(2)).

X (25) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (June 2003) (E.O. 11755).

X (27) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Feb 1999).

X (28) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Mar 2007) (E.O. 11246).

X (30) 52.222-36, Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (Jul 2014) (29 U.S.C. 793).

X (40) 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (AUG 2011) (E.O. 13513).

X (41) 52.225-1, Buy American-Supplies (May 2014)

X (44) 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (June 2008) (E.O.’s, proclamations, and statutes administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury).

X (50) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-System for Award Management (Jul 2013) (31 U.S.C. 3332).

5. EDAR 3452.201-70 Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) (May 2011)

(a) The Contracting Officer`s Representative (COR) is responsible for the technical aspects of the project, technical liaison with the contractor, and any other responsibilities that are specified in the contract. These responsibilities include inspecting all deliverables, including reports, and recommending acceptance or rejection to the contracting officer. (b) The COR is not authorized to make any commitments or otherwise obligate the Government or authorize any changes that affect the contract price, terms, or conditions. Any contractor requests for changes shall be submitted in writing directly to the contracting officer or through the COR. No such changes shall be made without the written authorization of the contracting officer. (c) The COR`s name and contact information: TBD at award. (d) The COR may be changed by the Government at any time, but notification of the change, including the name and address of the successor COR, will be provided to the contractor by the contracting officer in writing. (End of Clause)

6. EDAR 3452.224-70 -- Release of information under the Freedom of Information Act (May 2011) by reference

7. EDAR 3452.233-70 -- Agency level protests (Oct 2023) by reference

8. EDAR 3452.237-71 -- Observance of Administrative Closures (May 2011) by reference

9. EDAR 3452.239–71 -- Department information security and privacy requirements (Oct 2023)

10. EDAR 3452.242-73 -- Accessibility of Meetings, Conferences, and Seminars to Persons with Disabilities (Mar 2011) by reference

11. Deposit for Space and/or Cancellation Fee Maximum: It is the responsibility of the contractor to provide all resources needed for performance of the contract. For purchases of commercial items, financing of the contract is normally the contractor's responsibility. However, since the use of security deposits to secure rooms or meeting space (space) is a commercial practice in this industry, the contracting officer may authorize payment of a security deposit to hold space when doing so will be in the best interest of the Government. Any security deposit or other commercial advance payment that may be appropriate for procuring space from a hotel, shall be limited to 15 percent of the contract price prior to the start of performance in accordance with FAR 32.202-1(b).

12. Insurance: The Hotel recognizes that the U.S. Department of Education (Group) is an agency of the United States Government and as such, will assume liability for property damage or personal injury in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Torts Claim Act (28 U.S.C. 2671 et seq.).

13. Indemnification: The Hotel recognizes that the U.S. Department of Education (Group) is a federal agency and as such, will assume liability due to negligence, loss or damage of persons or property in accordance with the Federal Torts Claim Act (28 U.S.C. 2671).

14. Overbooking Prior to Cut-off: If the hotel turns away rooms before the block is full, then the hotel will owe liquidated damages to the group equal to the number of room nights the hotel is unable to accept in the Government’s block, multiplied by 30% of the average Room Rate for each Guestroom Reservation that Hotel is unable to accept prior to the Reservation Cut-off Date. Additionally, the government shall be credited with the number of room nights turned away in the room pick-up report and will not be liable for damages, if any, for any resulting reduction or shortfall in the room pick-up.

15. Relocation / Walk: If a guaranteed and confirmed reservation is not honored because a room(s) is unavailable the date of arrival, the Hotel will pay for the first night of the guest’s stay at a comparable property, i.e., hotel of a like standard. The Hotel will pay for the guest’s transportation to and from the other property and return the guest as soon as a room becomes available. In addition, the Hotel shall credit a set ‘liquidated damages amount’ to the Master Account equal to the number of room nights the hotel relocated/walked, multiplied by 30% of the average Room Rate. Under such circumstances the Hotel will not be liable for any indirect or consequential damages and under no circumstances will the liability to the Hotel for a walked guest exceed what has been stipulated herein.

16. Hotel Maintenance: At the time of the Event, Hotel must be the same condition or better than it was at the time this Agreement was executed. In addition, Hotel must maintain its current “star” or “diamond” rating. In the event that Hotel’s rating is lowered, or Hotel is sold or changes management contracts prior to the Event, Government may terminate this Agreement upon written notice with no liability of any kind, and Government shall be entitled to a refund of all amounts prepaid to Hotel within thirty (30) days of receipt of cancellation notice by Hotel.

17. Meeting Space: Any change of meeting space agreed to at contract award requires written permission from the Government.

18. Brand or Ownership Change Clause: Hotel will promptly notify the Government if there is a change in brand management or ownership of the Hotel prior to or during the program. Government shall have the right to cancel this contract without liability upon written notice to the hotel.

19. 306-1c: Invoice and Contract Financing Requests Submission - IPP (May 2018)

(a) Payments shall be rendered in accordance with the identified payment schedule(s), and any other incorporated payment clause(s), specified rates, and/or fixed price amounts.

(b) The Contractor shall submit invoices electronically by means of the web-based system, Invoice Processing Platform (IPP), which can be accessed at https://www.ipp.gov/. All submitted invoices must be accompanied by supporting documentation in accordance with the contract’s terms and conditions. The supporting documentation shall be submitted in the following formats: Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), Microsoft Word (.docx), Pictures (.jpeg), Microsoft Excel (.xlsx), or Microsoft Outlook message (.msg).

(c) Invoice Number Format - The format for the invoice shall be the contract number followed by the invoice number. The invoice number shall have no spaces, dashes, or other special characters. The invoice number cannot exceed 21 characters. An example of an acceptable invoice number format follows:

(e) Within ten (10) business days of the Contractor entering or updating the Accounts Receivable POC information within the Contractor's SAM registration, the Designated Primary Administrator will receive an email from the IPP Customer Support Team containing the Designated Primary Administrator's IPP username. Within 24 hours of receiving the initial email, the Designated Primary Administrator will receive a second email containing their IPP password. Once both emails have been received, the Designated Primary Administrator must log into IPP and complete the registration process.

(f) The Contractor's Designated Primary Administrator will be authorized to further designate other administrators under the Contractor's IPP account who may submit invoices on behalf of the Contractor.

(g) The Contractor must ensure that the "Accounts Receivable POC" section of its SAM registration is accurate and up to date.

(h) In the event that an invoice is rejected, the Contractor shall make the necessary corrections and resubmit the invoice by means of IPP. Any questions, concerns, or issues regarding the use of IPP should be directed to the IPP Customer Support Team, as identified at https://www.ipp.gov.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

Proposals received in response to the Request for Quotations shall be evaluated in accordance with the procedures at FAR Subpart 13.106-2, Evaluation of Quotes or Offers as prescribed by FAR 12.301(c)(2). An overall best value to the Government will be central to the award decision; technical quality and vendor experience are of significant importance followed by pricing factors in considering best value to the government. The Government reserves the right to make an award without discussions.

The basis for award will be best value. All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. As the difference in quoter’s services become more equal, price and concessions will be the determining factor in the award decision. At the Department’s discretion, the quoter shall submit to a site visit by the Government to review their facilities and ensure adequate accommodations prior to award.

The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotes:

1) Proposed venues meet and/or also exceed the Government’s requirements.

2) Lodging is offered at per diem rates with meeting services priced at fair and reasonable costs.

3) Past performance in hosting government sponsored meetings.

The Government intends to evaluate quotes and issue a purchase order based on the initial quotes received. Therefore, the quoter’s initial quote should contain the quoter’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint.

The Government will award a contract or contracts resulting from this solicitation to the responsible hotel(s) whose quote conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotes: 1) technical capability and quality of the items offered to meet the Government requirement, 2) price, and 3) past performance.

TECHNICAL QUALITY

Technical quality will be evaluated using the following:

· Exact meeting dates.

· The proximity of the venue to the preferred location in downtown areas. For example, the Washington, DC Metropolitan area includes hotels located in Washington, DC, downtown Arlington, VA and Alexandria, VA (within 5-10 miles of Reagan National Airport Metro Station), and Bethesda, MD (within 10-12 miles of Reagan National Airport Metro Station).

· Capability and suitability of the facility, including whether the contractor offers a full-service hotel/facility that includes amenities such as guest rooms, on-site/nearby restaurant(s), fitness facilities, etc.

· Ability to meet all of the solicitation’s sleeping room, meeting space, and other requirements, including the requirement that general session seat 28-30 in hollow square with 48-50 classroom style on the perimeter, and the breakout rooms must seat at least 10-15 conference style with 20-25 in theater seating on the perimeter. The office space proposed should seat at least 10 people conference style.

· Quality of meeting space proposed, which, at the Governing Board’s discretion, may be based on a walk-through, knowledge from previous events at the hotel, or other reasonable means such as online reviews and ‘star’ ratings.

· Guest room and other hotel/facility amenities (on-site/nearby restaurant(s), gym facilities, etc.).

· Food and beverage offerings/menu options.

· Audiovisual services are responsive, superior quality as judged by equipment offerings and technician/labor quoted at fair and reasonable prices.

· Concessions and comps are offered.

· Cancellation fees are minimal.

COST / PRICE

The Department will evaluate price by comparing the quoted fixed unit prices for guest rooms, meeting space, Wi-Fi, internet, A/V, storage/handling, shipping/receiving, food & beverage, parking, etc. Food and menu price evaluation will include comparing a) any discounts offered on published menu pricing and b) the service charge quoted. A/V pricing evaluation will include comparing quoted prices as well any quoted discount off of the in-house A/V providers published pricing. A final contract amount will not be known until final attendance numbers are known.

PAST PERFORMANCE

The Government will evaluate Past Performance in accordance with FAR 13.106-2(b)(3). The evaluation of past performance will be based on the contracting officer’s knowledge of and previous experience with the services being acquired, including surveys of other past users of a particular hotel, outreach to references included in the quote, and by checking the quoter’s information in the Government’s past performance CPARS system using the UEI number included in the quote.

QUOTE INSTRUCTIONS:

Responses shall include a technical quote describing the meeting space, guest room accommodations, and food and beverage options as well as a separate cost/price quote. Quotes shall include:

1. Technical Proposal

2. Cost Proposal, including completed Attachment A worksheet

3. Past Performance

Your quote must contain all of the information described below.

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

The technical proposal shall include the following, as detailed in Attachment A, Statement of Work:

(a) A description of the proposed meeting space, including names of the exact meeting rooms being offered. In addition, include descriptions, floorplans, capacities, set-up options, etc. and time of availability each day for each of the proposed rooms. Links to meeting space specs on hotel/facility’s website are acceptable as long as exact meeting rooms being offered are identified in the quote. NAGB desires meeting spaces in close proximity to each other and that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

(b) Facility must be ADA compliant.

(c) Lodging at per diem rates, accommodations offered, room block pattern, cut-off date and reservation methods available.

(d) Confirm room block and space will be held, or the Governing Board shall be given the first right of refusal for a minimum of 10 days after quote submission date.

(e) Food & beverage menus.

(f) Audiovisual services (AV) must be available from an in-house provider, and include any discounts being offered as well as any additional fees for using other than the hotel’s in-house A/V provider.

(g) Wi-Fi, internet offerings including bandwidth, capacities, etc.

(h) Information/offerings on all other NAGB requirements such as shipping/receiving, parking, etc.

(i) Parking costs per day and overnight.

(j) Any and all special accommodations and concessions being offered.

(k) A cancellation clause or cancellation terms that include a sliding scale that reduces damages for earlier Cancellations and includes a commitment that the hotel will attempt to lessen its harm by reselling the space and functions and credits any revenues received from the resale against the liquidated damages in the amount not to exceed the full amount of such damages.

(l) Provide Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number and confirmation of current SAM.gov Registration for the period proposed

COST PROPOSAL

Vendors shall quote costs on a firm-fixed basis with detailed cost assumptions.

1. Draft proposed facility/hotel contracts using the guidance in the RFQ shall be submitted for each meeting.

2. A template detailing budget submission is provided as a separate Attachment A in Microsoft Excel format. The file shall be completed using formula/calculations and returned as part of the quote.

3. The proposal must include a statement recognizing that as a federal entity, the Governing Board (U.S. Department of Education) is tax exempt, and therefore State/Local taxes will not be included as part of the overall price. If any specific documentation is required by the hotel in order to grant tax exemption, this information must be included in the quote.

PAST PERFORMANCE

Vendors must include at least two references (name, organization, phone number) from a group for which the hotel provided services similar in scope in the last three calendar years. In addition, proposed facilities/hotels shall provide examples of government sponsored meetings of similar scope and size, hosted in the last 3 years.

Issuance of purchase order: Your quote should contain your best terms. The Contracting Officer may reject any or all quotes. After the evaluation of quotes, the Contracting Officer may negotiate final terms with one or more quoters of the Government’s choice before issuing a purchase order. The Contracting Officer will not negotiate with any quoters other than those of the Government’s choice and will not use the formal source selection procedures described in FAR Part 15.

The Contracting Officer may issue a purchase order to other than the quoter with the lowest price. We might issue multiple orders, purchasing various items or groups of items from different quoters. We might issue an order for less than the quantity on which your quote is based, at the quoted price, unless you tell us that you will not accept an order on that basis.

CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS:

Submit all clarification questions concerning this solicitation in writing via email only to Gary Weaver, Contracting Officer, at Gary.Weaver@ed.gov. The Governing Board will accept clarification questions until 10:00 am EST Thursday, June 20, 2024. After this date, the Governing Board shall not guarantee a response to questions. The Department does not guarantee that a response will be given to clarification questions submitted after the due date. Offerors will not receive a response until all questions have been received by the due date. All questions received and responses to questions shall be provided as an amendment to the RFQ. Oral explanations or instructions given by the Government before the award of the contract shall not be binding.

QUOTE DUE DATE:

Quotes are due via email only by 12:00 pm EST, Monday, July 1, 2024, to Gary Weaver, Contracting Officer, at Gary.Weaver@ed.gov. Offers must be signed and submitted by an official authorized to bind your organization and be valid for 120 days. The proposal shall list the name, email and telephone number of a designated individual authorized to conduct negotiations.

The subject matter of email shall reference the RFQ number and the name of your organization. For example, the email subject header shall read:

RFQ 91995924Q0001- John Doe Company

We will not consider any quote that we receive after the deadline unless we receive it before we issue a purchase order and considering it will not delay our purchase. In case of an emergency that delays our operations and makes submission or receipt of your quote impossible, we will extend the deadline by one working day.

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