Domestic_Per_Diem-_RFI__12.7.2017.pdf

General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Administrative Services (OAS)

Office of Internal Acquisition (OIA)

Request for Information (RFI) In Support of GSA Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP)

GENERAL INFORMATION

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE FOR THE PURPOSE OF MARKET

RESEARCH ONLY – NO AWARD WILL BE MADE AS A RESULT OF THIS NOTICE

OR ANY SOLICITATION NECESSARLILY FOLLOW.

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.

The Office of Governmentwide Policy (OGP), Office of Asset and Transportation Management, Travel and Relocation Policy Division (MAE) seeks information from vendors with qualifications and past experience:

(1) Developing, maintaining and producing hotel industry data reports based on verified and updated historical database of a minimum of 40,000 hotel properties within CONUS. Capable of producing standard and customized reports of hotel industry data including cost, demand/supply, day of week analysis; identification of lodging properties that are approved by the FEMA as being fire-safe and in compliance with the Hotel-Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 (PL 101-391), and daily rate information by hotel industry segment. Experience graphically depicting properties within the CONUS. Industry and investors rely on the database reports for financial performance and business decisions;

(2) Conducting meals surveys and statistical analyses;

(3) Developing subscriber services that allow MAE to select variables that impact outputs; and

(4) Providing travel consulting when requested by MAE.

BACKGROUND:

The General Services Administration (GSA), OGP, MAE is required by law to annually establish the CONUS maximum per diem rates which Federal employees are reimbursed for expenses incurred while on official business travel at a temporary duty location (TDY) within the Continental United States (CONUS). MAE’s mission under the CONUS per diem program is to ensure that Federal travelers are fairly and equitably compensated for their travel expenses while protecting the Government’s financial interest.

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/applications/hotel/public_law.cfm

Office of Internal Acquisition (OIA)

Most of the CONUS locations to which Federal employees travel on an annual basis are covered by the standard CONUS per diem rate, which is currently $146 ($93 for lodging and $51 for M&IE). In addition to the standard CONUS rate, there are approximately 400 non-standard locations within CONUS that have a maximum per diem rate that is higher than the standard CONUS rate based on higher travel costs within these locations.

The maximum per diem established for a location is comprised of three components: a lodging, meal and incidental expense (M&IE) allowances. While combined to create one maximum per diem rate, the lodging portion of a per diem rate is established separately from the M&IE portion. The lodging portion of per diem rates are reviewed annually, the meals allowance is reviewed every three years, and the incidental expense allowance is reviewed and changed as needed.

MAE bases CONUS lodging per diem rates using Average Daily Rate (ADR) data, a lodging industry metric calculated from the economic factors of rental revenue of properties in each non-standard location divided by number of rooms rented by those properties over a specific period of time.

The last comprehensive meals study was conducted in 2015, effective in FY2016.

MAE is currently conducting a meals survey to potentially update the meals portion of the per diem rates for FY2019.

STATEMENT OF INTENT

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gather more information about the collection of hotel data from across the world to meet the requirements mentioned above.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

OGP is requesting the following information from all interested parties: The purpose of this RFI is to allow the industry to demonstrate in writing the available platforms and capabilities, and costs associated. The proposer should address as many items as possible in a maximum of 8 pages. Please provide all response information in one document. Multiple documents will not be accepted. Below are the following Questions that GSA’s Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP) would like to be addresses:

RFI Questionnaire:

1. Do you have a database of at least 40,000 hotel properties reporting average daily rate information to you that is updated on a monthly basis and verified for accuracy?

Office of Internal Acquisition (OIA)

2. What past experience does your firm possess related to the four items listed under purpose that would be relevant to the per diem study?

3. What capability and qualifications does your firm possess that would be beneficial to the government to establish the annual CONUS per diem rates for the Federal government?

4. What past experience do you possess in this field with other firms or Federal Agencies?

SOURCES SOUGHT

This Sources Sought Synopsis is requesting responses to the following criteria from both large and small businesses. Please recommend the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Codes that are appropriate to the tools and/or services that you recommend. In your response, please identify your company’s socio-economic status, consistent with the NAICS code(s) you recommend, and list the contract vehicle(s) through which your solutions may be currently be acquired. For small businesses we encourage that you identify any applicable additional socioeconomic classifications such as Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, Veteran- Owned Small Business, Women-owned Small Business, HUBZone, or any Small Disadvantaged Business Teaming Partners.

FEDERAL CONTRACT VEHICLES

Please provide in your submission which (if any) multi-agency Federal Government contract vehicles these products or services are available on (e.g., GSA Schedule, CIOSP3, NASA SEWP, GWACs, Government BPAs etc.)

RESPONSE

Responses should include the: (1) business/Vendor’s name and address, (2) name of company representative and title, and (3) socioeconomic classification(s) of your business. Please see Appendix A for an example response template. Responses shall be provided using the template provided only.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Responses pertaining to this RFI shall be submitted in electronic format via GSA’s electronic buying system, eBuy by no later than 2:00 PM EST on December 21, 2017.

Responses should be based on the information material contained in this RFI and any other relevant information the Vendor considers as appropriate. Respondents will not be notified of the results of this source sought notice, and responses presented will not be returned.

Questions pertaining to this RFI shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer, Katasha White, katasha.white@gsa.gov by no later than 12:00 PM EST on December 14, 2017.

Office of Internal Acquisition (OIA)

When submitting questions note the following email subject line: Domestic Per Diem Rate Setting. All questions shall be in writing. No phone calls will be accepted. A response to questions will be provided via an Amendment to the RFI at the Government’s earliest convenience.

PUBLIC RECORDS AND REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIALITY:

Any document submitted that contains confidential information must be watermarked as containing confidential information, and each page upon which confidential information appears must be marked as containing confidential information. Information that is publically available in marketing materials or webs pages is not considered confidential. The confidential information must be clearly identifiable to the reader wherever it appears. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. All government and consulting personal reviewing RFI responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as described 41 USC 423. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is not properly identified.

RFI RESPONSE COST TO VENDORS

Participation in this RFI is strictly voluntary with no cost or obligation to be incurred by the Government. The Government is not obligated to and will not pay for information received as a result of this.

RFI responses must conform to the below format and provide the following information:

RESPONSE

Responses should include the: (1) business/Vendor’s name and address, (2) name of company representative and title, and (3) socioeconomic classification(s) of your business. Please see Appendix A for an example response template. Responses shall be provided using the Response Template provided on the next page only.

II. RFI Questionnaire Response Responses may not exceed 8 pages.

Office of Internal Acquisition (OIA)

Appendix A – Response Template

Please provide a response to all of the questions in this section. Your business category is either Large or Small. If small, state your socioeconomic classification, e.g., 8(a), SDVOSB, VOSB, WO, SDB, HUBZone, etc.

Vendor Name:

Representative Name and Title:

Vendor Address:

Representative Contact Info:

Socioeconomic Classification(s):

Vendor DUNS Number:

NAICS CODE:

Federal contract vehicle(s), if any, through which your solution(s) may be acquired: