ESBD_430581_1750789561141_PreReqs RFP 784-25-2478 - Hotel Accommodations for 2026 Gulf South Summit – Downtown Houston.docx

PreReqs RFP 784-25-2478 - Hotel Accommodations for 2026 Gulf South Summit – Downtown Houston

Vendor Attestations: Vendor acknowledges that they have read the Prerequisites below.

1. Review Request for Proposal Name, Number and UHD Purchasing Contact A. Request for Proposal Name and Number: RFP 784-25-2478 - Hotel Accommodations for 2026 Gulf South Summit – Downtown Houston B. University Contact: Any questions or concerns regarding this RFP shall be directed to Trenton Hernandez, Purchasing Coordinator I, hernandeztr@uhd.edu.

2. Review the Proposal Submittal Instructions.

The University will accept proposals by the Proposal Submittal Deadline as outlined in Section 5, with each proposal submitted in separate envelopes. Proposals will be opened on the specified due date and time. Please DO NOT use the U.S. Postal Service to submit your bid.

Each Proposal must be submitted as one (1) package with two (2) individually sealed envelopes inside. The proposal documents, attachments, execution of offer, and any other information must be included in one envelope with a copy on USB. Two (2) copies of the proposal must be included.

The proposal and all attachments supporting the proposal must reference “RFP 784-25-2478 Hotel Accommodations for 2026 Gulf South Summit – Downtown Houston.”

Proposal must be submitted and received in the University’s Purchasing Office on or before the time and date specified and delivered to:

University of Houston-Downtown Purchasing Department Attn: Trenton Hernandez One Main Street, Suite S970 Houston, TX 77002

Bid & RFP opportunities can be found at the following link: Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD). This portal includes reference documents related to bids.

3. Review the Intent, and Background.

The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) will host the 2026 Gulf South Summit on March 26–27, 2026.

UHD is seeking proposals from hotels located in Downtown Houston, within three miles of its campus and 2–3 blocks of METRORail access, to provide guest accommodations. The University requires a room block of 100 guest rooms per night on March 26 and 27, 2026, with an additional 10–25 guest rooms on the adjacent shoulder nights of March 25 and March 28, 2026, to accommodate early arrivals and late departures.

RESPONDENTS ARE CAUTIONED TO READ THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS RFP CAREFULLY AND TO SUBMIT A COMPLETE RESPONSE TO ALL REQUIREMENTS AND QUESTIONS AS DIRECTED.

Any contract resulting from this RFP will become effective upon the later of the effective date indicated in the contract or the date that all parties have signed the contract.

4. Term of the Contract The expected term of the contract will begin November 1, 2025 (the start of guest registration) and end on March 29, 2026, upon the conclusion of the event. The University reserves the right to negotiate a modification of contract terms and schedules as necessary.

5. Review Key Event Schedule.

Note: The University reserves the right to change or extend any and all dates including the due date for proposals for any reason and at any time including after the due date for proposals.

The University will be closed in observance of the following holidays:

https://www.uhd.edu/hr/benefits/holidays.aspx

6. Review the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Information Vendor affirms that a HUB Subcontracting Plan (HSP) is not required.

7. Review the Preproposal Conference Information.

Not required for this solicitation.

8. Review the Inquiries and Interpretations.

Inquiries must be submitted by email and received no later than close of business per Inquiries and Interpretations Deadline listed in the Key Event Schedule. Responses to inquiries, which directly affect an interpretation or change to this RFP will be issued in writing by addendum (amendment) and posted to the Electronic State Business Daily https://www.txsmartbuy.gov/esbd. All such addenda issued by the University prior to the time that proposals are received shall be considered part of the RFP, and the Respondent shall be required to consider and acknowledge receipt of such in Respondent’s proposal.

Only those inquiries the University replies to which are made by formally written addenda shall be binding. Oral and other interpretations or clarification will be without legal effect. The Respondent must acknowledge all addenda by either signing or returning such document(s) or by letter. Such acknowledgment must be received prior to the hour and date specified for receipt of proposals or shall accompany the proposal. Owner prefers simple and economically produced Proposals describing the Respondent’s ability to meet the requirements of this RFP in a straightforward, concise manner. In evaluating Proposals, emphasis shall be on the quality, completeness, clarity of content, responsiveness to the requirements, and Respondent’s understanding and anticipating of the Owner’s needs.

NOTE: ALL ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN PDF FORMAT & ATTACHED TO BID RESPONSE.

9. Standard Purchasing Agreement (SPA) Vendor acknowledges that the Standard Purchasing Agreement (EXHIBIT B) is the University’s preferred form of Agreement for the sort of transaction contemplated in this RFP and is expected to be the primary Contract Document. Any requests to modify or revise the Standard Purchasing Agreement or use of another contract form must be reviewed and approved by UH System Legal Counsel and will delay the contracting process, and the University is under no obligation to accept such requests for modification or revision, or usage of other contract forms. Any request to modify or revise the Standard Purchasing Agreement or to use another contract form may be taken into consideration in reviewing the sufficiency of a Respondent’s bid. Furthermore, any request to modify or revise the Standard Purchasing Agreement or to use another contract form may at the University’s sole discretion lead to rejection or disqualification of the bid, if such revisions or modifications are unacceptable to the University, or if the other contract form is not used as a subordinate exhibit/corollary document to the Standard Purchasing Agreement or is otherwise unacceptable to the University.

10. Forms/Exhibits

EXHIBIT A- EXECUTION OF OFFER *REQUIRED*

EXHIBIT B - STANDARD PURCHASING AGREEMENT

11. TXRAMP & HECVAT

For applicable requirements, Vendor shall obtain TXRAMP Certification for cloud computing risks.

For applicable requirements that include Electronic Information Resources, vendor shall submit Voluntary Product Assessment Tool or Accessibility Conformance Report and HECVAT.

12. Review Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria Breakdown

Criterion One: Location

· Downtown Houston location

· 2–3 blocks from METRORail

· Proximity to UHD campus (Must be within three miles)

Criterion Two: Pricing

· Transparent and itemized cost structure

· Market-competitive pricing

· Any complimentary room offerings

Criterion Three: Room Fill and Attrition Policy

· Preference for low room-fill percentage (e.g., 70% better than 85%)

· Later cutoff dates for room release

· Exclusion of shoulder nights from attrition penalties

· If shoulder rooms can be included in room-fill calculations

Criterion Four: Overall Quality

· Hotel cleanliness, room conditions

· Variety of room types (single and double bed options)

· Standard amenities (WIFI, In-room amenities, accessible rooms)

13. Description of Services - General Requirements

SECTION 1

A. Hotel Requirements

· The hotel must be located in Downtown Houston and no more than three miles from the University of Houston-Downtown (One Main Street, Houston, TX 77002).

· Hotel must be rated three stars or higher.

· Hotel must be within 2–3 blocks of a METRORail station, ensuring accessible public transit for guests.

· Guest rooms must include options for single-bed (king or queen) and double-bed configurations.

· Guest rooms must be clean, modern, and equipped with standard amenities, including complimentary Wi-Fi and In-room amenities (coffee maker, Iron, Television).

· Complimentary breakfast is preferred but not required.

· Hotel must be able to accommodate guests with disabilities.

· While most attendees will not require parking, proposers must outline available parking options and associated pricing as part of their response.

B. Room Block requirements

· A block of 100 guest rooms per night is required for March 26 and March 27, 2026.

· An additional 10–25 guest rooms per night are requested for March 25 and March 28, 2026 (“shoulder nights”). These rooms should be available for early arrivals and late departures. Shoulder night rooms should not count toward attrition penalties. However, allowing these rooms to count toward room-fill percentages is preferred.

· Proposers must describe their attrition policy, including fill percentage, cutoff dates, and treatment of shoulder night rooms.

· Include any complimentary room offerings (e.g., 1 comp per 40 rooms booked), upgrades, etc.

14. General Information Questionnaire Please answer the following questions as a part of your proposal response. Type the question before your answer. In answering a question, you may refer to other sections or exhibits of your proposal by reference to the page where the information may be found. If the answer to one question appears in the answer to another, you may refer to your other answer. Answers should be sufficiently detailed to make any further inquiries unnecessary by the University.

Failure to respond completely to any of these questions may result in the entire proposal being rejected.

RESPONDENT QUESTIONNAIRE

Respondents are requested to submit a complete response to each of the below-listed items. Responses requiring additional space should be brief and submitted as an attachment to your proposal package. Please reference each response by its item number indicated below.

Company Profile

1. Legal name of the company:

Address of office that would be providing service:

Number of years in Business:

Type of Operation (i.e. Individual, Partnership, and Corporation):

Number of Employees:

Annual Sales Volume:

2. A Statement that you will provide a copy of your company's financial statements for the past two (2) years if requested by the University.

3. Provide a Financial rating of your company and any documentation (such as a Dunn and Bradstreet analysis), which indicates the financial stability of your company.

4. State whether your company is currently for sale or involved in any transaction to expand or to become acquired by another business entity. If so, please explain the impact both in organizational and directional terms.

5. Provide any details of all past or pending litigation or claims filed against your company that would affect your company's performance under a Contract with the University.

6. Is your company currently in default on any loan agreement or financing agreement with any bank, financial institution, or other entity? If yes, specify the date(s), details, circumstances, and prospects for resolution.

7. References are not required for this solicitation. However, respondents may include a customer reference list if preferred. References may include organizations (such as institutions of higher education) with which your company has current or past contracts for goods or services of similar type and scope. Please include the company name, contact person, telephone number, contract description, length of business relationship, and any special requirements, if applicable.

8. Does any relationship exist whether, by a relative, business associate, capital funding agreement or any other such kinship exist between your company and any University employee? If yes, please explain.

9. Please complete and attach your Cost and Delivery Proposal.

10. Please complete and attach the proposal responses.

11. Please complete and attach all mandatory forms.

12. Please complete and attach any applicable non-mandatory forms.

Transition to Contract

13. Provide a statement of the transition requirements to implement the contract, any unique benefits, and other considerations. Briefly address the requirements, objectives, and activities in Scope of Work.

14. Provide an estimate of the earliest start date following the execution of a contract.

15. Submit a work plan with key dates and milestones. Your response should include:

a. Identification of tasks to be performed and/or equipment to be provided

b. Time frames to perform the identified tasks

c. List any compliance requirements and strategies for federal, state and local government regulations, insurance requirements including worker’s compensation, licenses, and permits, if any and any other regulations as appropriate.

16. Describe the strategy and controls that will be utilized to assure products and services provided, pricing and terms, project timeline, maintenance support, and training. Include samples of reports and documents if appropriate.

17. What difficulties do you anticipate in serving the University and how do you plan to manage these? What assistance will you require from the University?

18. Describe your company's quality assurance program, what are your company’s requirements, and how are they measured?