HBCU_Hotel_RFQ_Final_2019.docx

REQUEST FOR QUOTE

HOTEL MEETING SPACE AND GUEST ROOM ACCOMMODATION

The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities

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 under FAR Part 12 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 HBCU-EMS2019-01 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) 2019-01. The NAICS Code is 721110, Hotels (Not Casino) and Motels, and small business size standard is $32.5M.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has a requirement to obtain meeting space and hotel guest room accommodations for a conference hosted by The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in September 2019. The preferred dates are September 8-11, 2019 or September 15-18, 2019. The Department will not accept the dates of September 11-14, 2019 due to a Congressional Black Caucus event during that time, which may negatively impact attendee participation at the HBCU event. The Department’s preference is that all lodging and meeting space be in one general location.

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 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.

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 DUNS number in their quote. If the quoter does not have a DUNS number, it should contact Dun and Bradstreet directly to obtain one. The quoter selected for an offer from the Department will need to provide Offeror Representations and Certifications prior to any award.

EVENT NAME: 2019 National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week Conference

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:

The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities is having its annual conference. The conference has been held since 1980 and has increased in popularity and size over the last ten years. Historically, this conference receives support from five other Federal agencies and over 20 private sector organizations. The average total attendance is 960. This year, the conference will be more focused on the infrastructure of the HBCUs and we expect high profile and political attendance as key note and general participation.

HISTORIC INFORMATION ON THIS CONFERENCE:

2009 – Renaissance Washington – Over 100% room pick up of 840 guest nights, Food and Beverage revenue: Over $130K 2010 – Hyatt Crystal City – over 100% room pick up of 810 guest nights. Food and Beverage Revenue: Over $140K 2011 – Marriott Wardman Park – over 100% room pick up of 810 guest nights. Food and Beverage Revenue: Over $160K 2012- Grand Hyatt – Over 100% room pick up of 746 guest nights. Food and Beverage Revenue: Over $74K 2013- Washington Hilton-Over 100% room pick up of 517 guest nights. Food and Beverage Revenue: Over $129K 2014-Washington Marriott Wardman Park- over 100% room pick up of 630 guest nights. Food and Beverage Revenue: Over $102K 2015- Washington Marriott Wardman Park- over 100% room pick up of 630 guest nights. Food and Beverage Revenue: Over $130K 2016-Renaissance Capital View Arlington/Residence Inn Capital View Arlington- over 100% pick up of 630. Food and Beverage Revenue: Over $130K 2017- White House-sponsored event (Old Executive Office Building Annex), guest rooms acquired at Crystal Gateway Marriott and Crystal City Marriott at Reagan National Airport resulting in $30k spent on lodging. This meeting was an abbreviated version of the full meeting.

2018- Washington Marriott Wardman Park - Over 100% room pick up of 870 guest nights. Food and Beverage Revenue: Over $90K

AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Downtown Washington, DC and Maryland hotels within 5 miles of the Reagan National Airport Metro Station. Large hotels capable of blocking 400 or more sleeping rooms, plus meeting space that can accommodate 900 - 1200 attendees in rounds, will be considered. The majority of lodging and conference rooms must be at the same general location, although we will consider partnering arrangements where locations within close proximity of each other are proposed. At this time, there is no flexibility with the distance.

DATES: Hotel shall be able to accommodate the schedule above in September 2019. Preferred dates: September 8-11, 2019 , acceptable alternate dates: September 15-18, 2019. We cannot accept September 11-14, 2019 due to a conflict.

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

ED’s guest room accommodations requirements are listed below. Meeting space, set up, food and beverage, and A/V requirements for the conference are described in Appendix I. ED reserves the right to utilize other than the in-house A/V provider for all A/V requirements.

Quoters are advised that ED intends to use donated gift/sponsored funds to pay for food and beverage, subject to the availability or receipt of the gift funds. Final food and beverage requirements will be added to the contract AFTER funds are acquired. Please note that, for over 20 years, the HBCU office has consistently raised well over $75K for meals for this conference. Meal periods are subject to change at the discretion of the event coordinators. Quotes shall include menus and special or reduced pricing for catering. See Appendix I for additional details on food and beverage requirements.

GUEST ROOM ACCOMMODATION REQUIREMENTS:

*Rooming List will be provided.

Separate billing/accounting for payment purposes.

Lock incidentals rooms for PBA

*Rooming list will be provided* paid by ED via a Master Account

ED is requesting the government rate or lower for the room block. Individual attendees are responsible for paying for their own rooms, except as noted above. Attrition clauses must be less than 80%. If a Hotel is unable to accommodate the full block requested, ED encourages partnering with other properties in close proximity to the host property. Partnering hotels should be of equal quality and the number of guest rooms, pricing and conditions for use of a partner hotel shall be included in the quote. ED requests that the hotel honor the contracted rate 3 days prior to and 3 days after the contract dates.

PREFERRED SPECIAL CONCESSIONS - The following concessions are requested. Quotes are welcome to offer additional or alternative concessions.

· Complimentary meeting/office space

· At least a 40% discount on all AV requirements

· 1 comp room for every 35 picked up with the ability to use undesignated comp room with room rate value as credit towards the Master account

· Up to 20 guaranteed rooms at a 90% discount off government per diem rate or lowest rate offered from Move-In date thru Day 2

· Complimentary parking for a minimum of 20 attendees per day

· Comp or Discounted High-speed WiFi and Hardwired Internet for all contracted space and for all attendees.

· Complimentary beverages and light snacks in the VIP holding room (estimate 5-10 people)

· Daily complimentary beverages and light refreshments for staff room (estimate 12).

· Complimentary meeting room (set in theater with a head table needed for 2 hours for volunteer briefing and walkthrough. To include light refreshments (food and drink) provided by hotel.

· Up to 1000 lbs of complimentary in-bound receiving and handling of in-house shipping and receiving department starting the Friday prior to conference start date. Discount requested for anything beyond the 1000 lbs.

· Complimentary tables and 2 chairs each in designated area for exhibitors (Max 35) Tables with linen/table skirts. Hotel to provide vendor’s with electricity upon request, to be billed directly to the vendor.

· Complimentary coffee, tea and soda breaks for board meeting (Max 50)

· Complimentary/discounted WiFi for guest rooms

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.

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 http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/pdf/2011-4660.pdf.

Federal Acquisition Regulation provisions and clauses can be reviewed at:

http://www.acquisition.gov/far/loadmainre.html

2. FAR 52.212-3 -- 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (Oct 2018)

3. FAR 52.212-4 -- Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items (Oct 2018)

4. 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Items. (Oct 2018)

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).

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. FAR 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payment to Small Business Subcontractors (DEC 2013)

6. 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)

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

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

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

10. Availability of Funds: Gift Funds for food & beverage are not presently available for this contract. The Government’s obligation under this contract is contingent upon the availability of appropriated and/or gift funds from which payment for contract purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of the Government for any payment may arise until funds are made available to the Contracting Officer for this contract and until the Contractor receives notice of such availability, to be confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer.

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 http://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 (doc), Pictures (jpeg), Microsoft Excel (excel), 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:

IPP Invoice No.: 91990018C000115897126 (Note that the last three digits ["341"] from the Contractor's invoice number were removed due to the 21 character limitation.)

(d) If the Contractor has not already established an IPP account that is active, an IPP account will be automatically created on behalf of the Contractor. The automatically created IPP account will be issued to the Designated Primary Administrator, which will be the individual that has been identified in the "Accounts Receivable POC" section of the Contractor's System for Award Management (SAM) registration located at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/.

(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 http://www.ipp.gov/.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

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 resulting from this solicitation to the responsible hotel 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.

1) Technical quality will be evaluated using the following:

· Hotel’s proximity to the preferred location of Downtown DC or Maryland within 5 miles of Reagan National Airport Metro Station.

· Ability to offer preferred dates; quoters that cannot provide services in September 2019 will not be considered.

· Ability to meet all of the solicitation’s sleeping room, meeting space, and other requirements, including the requirement that breakout rooms must seat at a minimum 150

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

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

· Food and beverage offerings/menu options

· A/V quality as judged by equipment offerings and technician/labor quoted

· Concessions and comps offered

2) 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.

3) The Government will evaluate Past Performance in accordance with FAR 13.603-2(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 ED users of a particular hotel, outreach to references includes in the quote, and by checking the quoter’s information in the Government’s past performance CPARS system using the DUNS number included in the quote.

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.

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:

Technical Quote – the quote shall include the following:

· Sleeping accommodations offered, room block pattern, cut-off date and reservation methods available

· Proposed meeting space, including descriptions, floorplans, capacities, set-up options, etc. and time of availability each day. Links to meeting space specs on hotel’s website are acceptable. ED desires meeting spaces in close proximity to each other and that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It shall seat at a minimum of 150.

· Confirm room block and space will be held, or ED given the first right of refusal for a minimum of 10 days after quote submission date.

· Food & beverage menus.

· A/V services available from in-house A/V provider, including any discounts being offered as well as any additional fees for using other than the hotel’s in-house A/V provider

· Wifi, internet offerings including bandwidth, capacities, etc.

· Information/offerings on all other ED requirements such as shipping/receiving, parking, etc.

· Any and all special accommodations and concessions being offered

· Include at least two references (name, organization, phone number) from a group for which the hotel provided services similar in scope in the last two calendar years

· Provide DUNS Number and Confirmation of SAM.GOV Registration.

Cost/Price Quote - the hotel shall quote firm-fixed unit prices (FFP) for the following:

· Guest sleeping rooms and meeting space pricing

· Food and beverage pricing, including Service Charge and any other costs included on Banquet Event Orders (linen, centerpiece, etc.), and any Food and Beverage Minimum to obtain concessions

· Wi-Fi and internet - for meeting space, guest rooms, etc.

· A/V pricing, including service charge, fees and charges for using other than the in-house A/V provider, and any discount offered on published prices

· Storage/handling/porterage

· Parking

· Cancellation Fee / Deposit to hold space – see Clause 11 above.

FFP quotes shall account for labor as well as other direct costs, including equipment use and set-up requirements, service charges, etc. The price quote shall include a statement recognizing that as a federal entity, the U.S. Department of Education is tax exempt, and therefore the hotel understands that 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.

Please provide a separate pricing for the Day 4 requirement, President’s Advisory Board Meeting.

CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS:

Submit all clarification questions concerning this solicitation in writing via E-Mail to Jermaine Sullivan at Jermaine.Sullivan@ed.gov and Gary Weaver at Gary.Weaver@ed.gov. ED will accept clarification questions until 12:00 pm EST Thursday, February 21, 2019. After this date ED does not guarantee that a response will be given.

QUOTE DUE DATE:

Quotes are due by 2:00 pm EST, Wednesday, February 27, 2018 to Gary Weaver, Contracting Officer, at Gary.Weaver@ed.gov. The Department will make an award decision as soon as possible after the quote due date so that a room block, space, etc. can be locked in.

2019 HBCU Conference RFQ Page 11