SBT-SBIR_PWS_-_Outreach_2015_FBO.pdf

Contract No. HQ0034-14-D-0026/ Task Order: TBD

Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP)

Strategic Communication, Advocacy, and Outreach

Task Order Scope of Work:

The Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) requires the contractor to provide support to assist in planning, organizing and executing a major workforce training and information event, taking place between May 25, 2015 and June 12, 2015. The length of this workforce training and information event should be five days in length and does not include travel time to attend the event.

OSBP Training & Information and Outreach Events

A. The major OSBP workforce training and information events are:

1. 2015 OSBP Small Business Training (SBT) Week tentatively scheduled for May/June 2015.

The Small Business Training Week is intended to strengthen the DoD’s commitment to the small business community by providing the acquisition workforce with flexible solutions, innovative tools, and cutting edge acquisition strategies. The training week is intended to provide informative training opportunities to help improve small business practices at all levels within the DoD acquisition community. Topics covered during the week include new regulations and policies with training sessions focused on strategy-driven approaches and innovative solutions that will assist participants working within the acquisition field to maximize contracting opportunities for small business. The acquisition community encompasses small business specialists, contracting personnel, and program managers representing all military departments and other defense agencies.

2. The Small Business Innovation Research Training (SBIR) Workshop tentatively scheduled to be held concurrently with the OSBP Small Business Training Week (SBT), May/June 2015.

The purpose of the 2015 DoD SBIR Training Workshop is to allow participants to discuss new and existing SBIR Program policies, plans and procedures. These informal and open-forum discussions are for the individual Component Programs and the DoD Program as a whole. It’s an opportunity to learn best practices and solve challenges faced by all components.

All SBIR Government Professionals, Contracting Officers, and Contracting Specialists are invited and encouraged to attend. The OSBP plans to co-locate both events together. This will require the contractor to work with OSBP to plan and organize the transition from two separate events to one event that accommodates both programs.

B. The task order requirements for each major training and information event listed above are detailed in Section 1, below.

1. Provide support to the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) for Small Business Training Workshops.

The contractor shall plan and execute all activities associated with a major workforce training event and a major training workshop. OSBP will annually host the Small Business Professional Workforce Training Week (SBPWTW), and the SBIR/STTR Workforce Training Workshop (SBIRTW). An award/recognition ceremony will be included during the SBPWTW.

Event attendees include DoD Contracting Officers, Contract Specialists, and Small Business Specialists. Guest speakers or presenters at these events may be high-ranking DoD officials, officials from other Federal agencies, members of Congress or their staffs, or industry leaders.

The number of attendees will vary from 400 to 650 participants.

Under this task order, the contracting officer will authorize the contractor to plan, coordinate and execute support for each workforce training or training workshop separately based on a firm fixed price for each event. The Contracting Officer will approve the budget for each event prior to the commencement of work unless otherwise approved in writing by the Contracting Officer.

For both events the contractor will provide the following:

1.2. Site Selection. The contractor will prepare a site selection plan (unless the site has already been selected) for the event based on the criteria established by the OSBP Program Manager for the event. The site selection plan must be conducive to the purpose of the event and must take into account the budgetary, scheduling, space (including space for staging and storage of conference materials), lodging, subsistence, and transportation needs of the attendees. The site selection plan will be approved by the designated OSBP program manager and DoD OSBP prior to implementation. Once the site selection plan has been approved by the program manager it will be the contractor’s responsibility to reserve or book appropriate venues with the hotel/convention organization in keeping with the site selection plan. The contractor will make available to the OSBP program manager the supporting rationale for the recommended hotel/convention organization, including cost/price analysis, brochures and any other descriptive literature, prior to booking the venue. The venue contract will be provided to OSBP for review and concurrence prior to booking.

1.3. Agenda and Guest Speaker Administration. The contractor shall assist in developing and preparing the event agenda for OSBP approval. The contractor will be responsible for guest speaker preparation and coordination, upon approval by OSBP, and transmission of invitational letters. The contractor will also prepare and transmit, upon approval by OSBP, invitational letters to event attendees.

1.4. Event Planning. The Contractor shall support OSBP in planning, organizing and conducting all event planning meetings. The contractor shall develop a detailed list of time-phased tasks required to ensure a successful event, including post-event activities such as appreciation letters, feedback survey, and lessons learned. Event planning committee members are designated by OSBP. The contractor will prepare minutes from the meetings, and maintain a list of action items and their completion status. Upon approval from OSBP, the contractor will then distribute minutes/action items to meeting participants.

1.5. Registration. The contractor will make all necessary arrangements to engage an online registration service to enable efficient registration of event attendees. From the registration service, the contractor must be able to extract a database of registered attendees and capture relevant demographic information. The contractor will provide “help desk” support for event registrants and attendees. The contractor is responsible for providing a dedicated toll-free customer telephone number and email address for answering customer questions received either via telephone or email. In some instances, the contractor may be required to work with OSBP staff in order to resolve unforeseen issues. The contractor will document resolutions and best practices for future reference. The contractor will monitor registration information and provide real-time reporting, work closely with OSBP to ensure registration targets are being met, provide electronic registration confirmations to registrants, provide registration and payment reporting per specific requests, provide registration fee processing and outstanding balance collection, and registration form development designed to capture comprehensive participant data for future reference.

1.6. Advertising. The contractor shall disseminate information concerning the event to attract the desired attendees and keep potential attendees informed. The contractor will coordinate with OSBP webmaster to update the OSBP website to apprise future attendees of event status.

1.7. Status Reporting. The contractor will provide weekly event status briefings, accompanied by a written status report. The weekly status briefings may be attended by the OSBP Director and Deputy Directors. The contractor shall also respond to ad-hoc requests for information.

1.8. Audio/Visual/IT Services. The contractor shall be responsible for providing content to the conference website and technological aspects of the conference. The contractor will assist in the design layout of the website, develop the online registration forms, work closely with the Registration Manager to ensure a seamless registration experience, update web communications, agenda and speaker information, and utilize social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to push the message out to groups and possible attendees.

1.9. Program Materials and Signage. The contractor shall be responsible for designing and securing all program materials and signage required for the event to include; welcome packets, name badges, attendee communications (confirmations and FAQ documents), online event agendas, program booklets, and signage coordination. The contractor shall be responsible for designing and producing all material pertinent to the development of the event program booklet to include; event agendas, session descriptions, biographical details of guest speakers, and venue maps. The contractor shall ensure that the design of the programs, including content, format, font, graphics, photographs, paper, cover and bindings are appropriate and within budgetary constraints and federal regulations. The contractor shall determine the requirements for and provide IT, audio/visual support and equipment for the event and/or award/ recognition ceremony.

1.10. Award/Recognition Materials. The contractor is responsible for delivering all trophies, plaques, tokens, certificates, medals and/or other commemorative items to be presented at the award/recognition ceremony. The contractor shall ensure that the design of presentation materials, including any engravings or printing thereof, are accurate, suitable for the occasion and within budgetary constraints. OSBP shall review all items, including cost estimates, prior to issuance.

1.11. Event On-Site Support. The contractor shall provide on-site managerial support necessary to execute the event, including venue coordination, signage set-up, on-site registration capability, oversight of room set-up, room monitoring and support, and general logistics support. The contractor will be responsible for all set up and tear down of rooms, exhibits or equipment associated with a workforce training event or training workshop. The contractor shall serve as client and vendor point of contact, facilitate and attend conference calls and face-to-face meetings as required, coordinate with customer to design and manage event timelines, provide milestone measurements, and participate in team calls. The contractor shall also work closely with the Registration Manager and Graphic Designer, and create and present After Action Reports for the client.

1.12. Post-Event Survey, Letters of Appreciation and Lessons-Learned. The contractor will develop and administer a customer satisfaction survey for each event. The contractor will summarize findings in a report format that is acceptable to OSBP. The contractor will prepare letters of appreciation for guest speakers, subject to OSBP approval. The contractor shall develop a list of lessons-learned, including things that went well and things to improve for the next time.

1.13. Training Certificates. The contractor shall be responsible for providing a certificate of continuous learning points that can be applied toward fulfilling continuous learning requirements to the eligible training event participants.

1.14. Venue Liaison. The contractor shall manage meeting space and hotel room blocks, communicating rooms requested against contractual obligations, making certain that attrition dates are communicated to minimize government’s financial obligation. The contractor shall work closely with the meeting facility representatives to ensure customer expectations are communicated and met. The contractor shall provide meeting space identification and management, coordinate area hotel accommodations, negotiations and room block management.

The contractor shall work closely with the hotel to plan an appropriate and participant-friendly transfer schedule between multiple properties, if required, and communicate in writing all expectations throughout the planning process.

1.15. Speaker Management. The contractor will serve as the meeting concierge for speakers and shall coordinate and manage event speakers with one individual serving as the designated Point of Contact (POC) and one individual serving as the designated POC for VIP speakers. The contractor shall request and follow-up on slide presentations, speaker bios, logos, pictures, etc.

1.16. Financial Oversight. The contractor shall assist in several financially related areas to include; budget development, contract negotiations, updates and final review of invoices and bills for accuracy. In addition, the contractor shall identify cost saving opportunities, implement cost saving best practices, provide updated budgets, per customer direction, and serve as the liaison with vendors to resolve billing or service issues.

1.17. Hotel Accommodations at the Selected Venues. The contractor shall arrange for a block of guest rooms on-site for a maximum of 650 attendees for the period of the event. Rooms shall be provided at the government rate. The participants will self-register for on-site rooms based on space availability and OSD approval. Participants will be responsible for their own lodging.

Event meeting rooms should include:

• One large training/meeting room with tables and chairs for up to 650 attendees to be utilized for up to two General Sessions each day, Days 2 through 5.

• Up to six breakout rooms for Days 1 through 4, free of interfering traffic, each with tables and chairs for up to 100 attendees. Large training/meeting room to be used as needed for additional breakout rooms.

• One breakout room to accommodate 1 large U shaped table and chairs for 40, on the final day of the event.

• Training/meeting room and breakout rooms should have the following equipment:

o Main training/meeting room should have drapery, one podium, one head table for up to eight panel members, two laptops, LCD projectors and screens, wireless sound system for speakers and participants’ questions. The requirement also includes two

(2) standing microphones, one podium microphone, one lavaliere, and four table microphones.

o Breakout rooms should have one podium, one head table for up to four panel members, one laptop, LCD projectors and screen, wireless sound system for speakers and participants’ questions. Two table microphones, one podium microphone, and one lavaliere.

o On site and/or local area reproduction capability is required for documents and CD’s.

The schedule for four day conferences will be:

• Day 1 – 0700 to 1700 hrs

• Day 2 - 0700 to 1700 hrs

• Day 3 - 0700 to 2000 hrs

• Day 4 – 0700 to 1700 hrs

• Day 5– 0700 to 1200 hrs *Days 1 and 5 will be arrival/departure days for attendees, respectively* o Meals to be included for each event will vary. However, for planning purposes below is provided the meals that were required at the 2012 Small Business Professional Training Week held in Nashville, TN and the 2014 SBIR Training Week in Alexandria, VA.

• SBT - Continental Breakfast

• Day 1 and 2 (Estimate 90 Attendees)

• Day 3 and 4 (Estimate 250 Attendees)

• Day 5 (Estimate 350 Attendees) – seated awards ceremony

• SBT - Morning and Afternoon Breaks

• Days 1 and 2 (Estimate 90 Attendees) plus an option for up to an additional 100 attendees on day 2.

• Days 3 and 4 (Estimate 300 Attendees)

• SBT - Lunches

• SBT - Networking Welcome Reception (evening)

• Day 3 (Estimate 300 Attendees)

• SBIR – Morning and Afternoon Breaks

• Days 1 and 2 (Estimate 200 Attendees) plus an option for up to an additional

100 attendees on day 2.

• SBIR – Lunches

• SBIR - Networking Welcome Reception (evening)

• Days 3 (Estimate 300 Attendees)

The Small Business Training Week is intended to strengthen the DoD’s commitment to the small business community by providing the acquisition workforce with flexible solutions, innovative tools, and cutting edge acquisition strategies. The training wee...