RFI Answers.pdf

RFI Answer

1. Is there a certain quality of hotel accommodation such as 4-5 star hotel you wanted the guest to stay in? The government does not have a certain quality of hotel accomidation. The hotel location does need to comply with section 1.7 of the SOW "The Place of Performance shall be restricted to the immediate Michigan Avenue corridor in downtown Chicago, defined as the area bounded by Oak Street to the north, the Chicago River to the south, and extending no more than two blocks east or west of Michigan Avenue."

2. Please confirm whether this language describes the venue configuration — that is, all lodging and meeting space must be at one property — or whether it restricts eligibility to offerors that own or operate the hotel.

Specifically, may a small business offeror that is not itself a lodging property submit a quote and perform through a subcontract with a single qualifying hotel?

A small business that does not own or operate a hotel may submit a quote and perform through subcontracting with a qualifing hotel.

3. If offerors described in Question 1 are eligible, please confirm whether FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting, applies to this acquisition, and if so, how the Government will evaluate compliance where lodging, catering, meeting space, and A/V are performed at a single hotel property.

FAR 52.219-14 does not apply to his acquisition.

4. Given the place-of-performance restriction to the Michigan Avenue corridor, we would also appreciate the Government's view on whether a subcontracted hotel must itself qualify as a small business under NAICS 721110.

If a hotel is subcontracted it does not have to qualify as a small business. Only the prime contracting must qualify as a small business.

5. Please confirm which wage determination number applies and whether the Government expects SCA obligations to flow down to a subcontracted hotel providing catering, A/V, and meeting space support.

SCA Wage Determinaton 2015-5017 revision no. 23 for the area of Ilionis Counties Cook, Du Page and McHenry apply to this acquistion. This Wage Determination is attached to the soliciation. The Prime contractor is responsible for complicance of the Wage Determination.

6. The cost breakdown table requires unit prices inclusive of applicable taxes. Chicago lodging is subject to combined state and local hotel taxes. Please confirm whether the Government intends to furnish a tax exemption certificate, and if so, whether it will be usable where a contractor, rather than the Government, is the payer of record to the property.

The government does have an Illinois Sales Tax Exemption Certificate to furnish. This should be applicable in this event since it is in use for the government.

7. Please confirm whether lodging and meal pricing is expected to be at or below the GSA per diem rate for Chicago, IL for September 2026, or whether pricing is unconstrained and evaluated solely on total price.

Pricing for lodging and meals are unconstrained and evaluated soley on total price.

8. Item 10 of the contractor information block requests a GSA Contract Number. Please confirm that offerors without a GSA schedule may enter "N/A" without affecting the acceptability of the quote.

Offerors without a GSA schedule may enter "N/A" without affecting the acceptability of the quote.

9. Item 9 requests an offer date and expiration date. Please advise the minimum offer acceptance period the Government requires.

Offers are due 30 July 2026 no later than 3:00pm CST. Offers shall expire no sooner than 1 September 2026.

10. I’m reaching out to see if the Government would consider an audiovisual-only proposal for RFQ FA440726QBM03 (USTC Chaplain Event 2026), or if the award must be made to a single contractor providing the hotel, meeting space, catering, and AV services.

The award must be made to a single contractor providing the hotel, meeting space, catering, and AV services.

11. What is the anticipated payment process for the hotel room accommodations? For example, will the Government pay the hotel directly, will individual participants be responsible for their own reservations and payment, or will the contractor be responsible for arranging and paying for the room block?

Payement will be made directly to the prime contractor through DFAS via Wide Area Workflow (WAWF) after the services have been rendered. The contractor will have to submit an invoice in WAWF for the governments review and approval.

12. What is the anticipated payment process for the conference/meeting space, catering, parking, and A/V services? If the contractor is responsible for these costs, should the contractor expect to pay these expenses upfront and invoice the Government after performance?

Payement will be made directly to the prime contractor through DFAS via Wide Area Workflow (WAWF) after the services have been rendered. The contractor will have to submit an invoice in WAWF for the governments review and approval.

13. Do you have a Hotel that you have worked with in the past, or a list of a few you favor? The government does not have a preference in a specific hotel as long as it complies with the Statement of Work.

Sheet2