IFB_30488-2_2026_TAM_Team_Summit_Solicitation.pdf

New York State – Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services IFB# 30488-2 DHSES 2026 TAM Team Summit – Meeting Space, Hotel Facilities, and Catering Service

Invitation for Bid (IFB) 30488-2 solicited by the

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

For

2026 Threat Assessment and Management (TAM) Team Summit

Issue Date: August 12, 2026

Bid Due Date: September 2, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET

Designated Contact: Alternate Contact:

Amber Burke Dawn Shepard E-mail: ifbteam@dhses.ny.gov E-mail: ifbteam@dhses.ny.gov mailto:ifbteam@dhses.ny.gov

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………………………………………...2

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview

1.2 Designated Contact

1.3 Key Events

1.4 Minimum Bidder Qualifications

1.5 Glossary of Terms

2. SCOPE OF WORK

2.1 General Scope Summary

2.2 Mandatory Requirements

2.2.1 General Requirement

2.2.2 Location

2.2.3 Hotel Room Requirements

2.2.4 Meal Requirements

2.2.5 Parking Requirements

2.2.6 Meeting Room Requirements

2.2.7 Audio and Video (AV) Support Requirements

2.2.8 Facility Walkthrough

2.3 Staffing Requirements

2.4 OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) Training Requirements

3. BID SUBMISSION

3.1 Questions and Clarifications

3.2 No Bid Submission and Removal from Bidders List

3.2.1 “No Bid” Submission

3.2.2 Removal from the Bidders List

3.3 Bid Format and Content

3.3.1 Completed Forms Due with Bid

3.3.2 Completed Forms Due Upon Award:

3.3.3 Important Note:

3.3.4 Document Consistency

3.4 Bid Preparation

3.5 Packaging of IFB Response

3.5.1 Required Submission Items

3.5.2 Format of Submission Items

3.5.3 Signature and Notary Requirements

3.6 Instructions for Bid Submission

3.6.1 General Submission Instructions

3.6.2 Address for Email Submission

3.6.3 Email Submission Instructions

3.6.4 Submission Modifications and Withdrawals

3.6.5 Late Bids

3.6.6 Firm Offer

3.6.7 State Property

4. BID EVALUATION AND SELECTION

4.1 Bid Opening

4.2 Bid Form Evaluation

4.2.1 Administrative Proposal Evaluation

4.2.2 Bid Form Evaluation

4.3 Bid Form Clarification

4.4 Tie Bids

4.5 Negotiations and Authorized Negotiators

4.6 Debriefings

5. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

5.1 Issuing Office

5.2 Method of Award

5.3 Notification of Award

5.4 Term of Contract

5.5 Method of Payment

5.6 Electronic Payment

5.7 Dispute Resolution

5.8 Examination of Contract Documents

5.9 Exceptions and Extraneous Terms

5.10 Rules of Construction

5.11 Reserved Rights

5.12 Extent of Services

6. CONTRACT CLAUSES AND REQUIREMENTS

6.1 Appendix A / Order of Precedence

6.2 Procurement Lobbying Requirement

6.3 Gender Based Violence and the Workplace Certification

6.4 Tax and Finance Clause

6.5 Freedom of Information Law / Trade Secrets

6.6 General Requirements

6.7 Subcontractors

6.7.1 Subcontracting Requirements for Additional Services

6.8 Partner Hotel

6.9 Overflow Hotel

6.10 Past Practice

6.11 Right of Cancelation

6.12 Right of Room Reduction

6.13 Termination

6.14 New York State Vendor Responsibility

6.15 Ethics Compliance

6.16 Indemnification

6.17 Force Majeure

6.18 Encouraging Use of New York State Businesses in Contract Performance

6.19 Information Security Breach

6.20 Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….29

6.21 Sexual Harassment Prevention

6.22 Work Under Contract

6.23 Taxes

6.24 State Agency Sales Tax Exemption

6.25 Overpayment

6.26 Independent Contractor

6.27 Confidentiality

6.28 Conditions Precedent

6.29 Room Attrition

6.30 Minimum Banquet Food and Beverage Revenue Requirement

6.31 Cancellation

6.32 Assignment by State

6.33 Notices

6.34 Captions

6.35 Severability

6.36 Modifications

Appendix A ............ Standard Clauses for New York State Contracts

Appendix B ............ Required Forms

Appendix D ............ Insurance Requirements

Appendix E............. MWBE Requirements

Attachment 1 ......... Bid Form

Attachment 2 ......... Bidder Certification

Attachment 3 ......... No Bid Response

Exhibit 1… ............. Bidders Questions

Exhibit 2…………. Substitute W-9

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview

The New York State (NYS) Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES), through this Invitation for Bid (IFB), is seeking to acquire Meeting Space, Hotel Facilities, and Catering Service for its DHSES 2026 Threat Assessment Management (TAM) Team Summit.

1.2 Designated Contact

In compliance with the Procurement Lobbying Law, Amber Burke, Contract Management Specialist 1, NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, has been designated as the PRIMARY contact for this solicitation and may be reached by email for all inquiries.

Amber Burke, Contract Management Specialist 1 NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services 1220 Washington Avenue Building 7A, 6th Floor Albany, New York 12226 Email: ifbteam@dhses.ny.gov

In the event the designated contact is not available; the alternate designated contact is:

Dawn Shepard, Contract Management Specialist 2 NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services 1220 Washington Avenue Building 7A, 6th Floor Albany, New York 12226 Email: ifbteam@dhses.ny.gov

1.3 Key Events

The Table below outlines the schedule for important action dates.

DHSES Issues Invitation for Bid August 12, 2026 Deadline for Submission of Bidder Questions August 20, 2026 DHSES Issues Responses to Written Questions (estimated) August 25, 2026 Bid Due Date/ Bid Opening Date September 2, at 2:00 PM ET Anticipated Contract Start Date Upon OSC Approval

1.4 Minimum Bidder Qualifications

Bidders are advised that the State’s intent is to ensure that only responsive and responsible Contractors enter into a contract to perform the work as defined in this document.

The State considers the following qualifications to be a pre-requisite to be considered a qualified bidder for purposes of the solicitation.

1) The Bidder’s proposed Meeting Space and Hotel Facility must currently have a minimum American Automobile Association (AAA) rating of three diamonds or higher.

2) The Bidder must meet Section 2.2 Mandatory Requirements of this solicitation.

1.5 Glossary of Terms

“Bid”, “Proposal”, or “Response” shall mean the bidder’s submitted response to this solicitation including any technical, administrative, or pricing elements set forth herein.

“Commissioner” shall mean the Commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services or duly authorized representative.

“Contractor” shall mean a successful company awarded a contract pursuant to this IFB.

“Invitation for Bid”, “IFB”, or “Solicitation” shall mean this document.

“Issuing Office” shall mean the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services State Finance Office.

“Offeror”, “Proposer” or “Bidder” shall mean any person, partnership, firm, corporation or other authorized entity submitting a bid to the State pursuant to this IFB.

The “State” shall mean The People of the State of New York, which shall also mean the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

2. SCOPE OF WORK

2.1 General Scope Summary

The Contractor shall provide Meeting Space, Hotel Facilities, and Catering Service for the 2026 Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) Office of Counter Terrorism (OCT) TAM Team Summit for the following three-consecutive weekday period:

December 8, 2026 – December 10, 2026, The summit begins at 1:00 p.m. on Day One (Tuesday) and adjourns at 12:00 p.m. on Day Three (Thursday).

2.2 Mandatory Requirements

2.2.1 General Requirement

The facility must:

a) Have adequate space to conduct the summit with estimated 300 participants.

b) Include overnight accommodation for up to 20 guests for one night prior to the start of the summit, up to 50 overnight guests for two nights during the summit, and up to 5 guests one night after the conclusion of the summit; totaling 125 rooms for the four (4) day period. The Contractor may meet this requirement by partnering with another hotel, provided at least 50% of guest rooms must be at the Contractor’s hotel. See Section 6.8 Partner Hotel for qualifying details.

c) Have on-site restaurant and/or catering facilities that can accommodate up to 300 guests.

d) Include all meals as described below, including catering and wait staff.

e) Provide the audio and visual support requirement.

f) Include complimentary Wi-Fi for guests and summit attendees.

g) Include a dedicated Summit Service Manager to work with DHSES in planning details of the event.

h) Provide for additional needs, services and equipment as outlined in this document.

2.2.2 Location

The facility must be located within the New York State counties of: Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Cayuga Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesse, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westchester, Wyoming, or Yates as listed in the table below:

County

Albany Delaware Lewis Oswego Steuben Allegany Dutchess Livingston Otsego Sullivan Broome Erie Madison Putnam Tioga Cattaraugus Essex Monroe Rensselaer Tompkins Chautauqua Franklin Montgomery Rockland Ulster Cayuga Fulton Niagara Saratoga Warren Chemung Genesse Oneida Schenectady Washington Chenango Greene Onondaga Schoharie Wayne Clinton Hamilton Ontario Schuyler Westchester Columbia Herkimer Orange Seneca Wyoming Cortland Jefferson Orleans St. Lawrence Yates

2.2.3 Hotel Room Requirements

The facility must include the following:

a) The facility must provide the required courtesy block of single, double, and triple occupancy rooms, totaling

125 rooms for the four (4) day period, as detailed in Attachment 1 Bid Proposal Form. Bidders are strongly encouraged to propose room rates at or below the applicable GSA Per Diem Rate, and all rooms must be available according to the schedule below:

• Guest Speaker Participants: overnight accommodation for up to twenty (20) rooms for three (3) days

December 7, 2026 – December 9,2026

• Overnight Conference Attendees: overnight accommodation for up to thirty (30) rooms for two (2) days

December 8, 2026 - December 9, 2026.

• Post Conference Guests: overnight accommodation for up to five (5) rooms for one (1) day on

December 10, 2026.

b) Facilities must meet DHSES’ needs of comfort and cleanliness.

c) Free Wi-Fi must be fully functional in all guest rooms.

d) Each single, double, or triple occupancy room must have a private bath and a full, queen, or king bed.

e) Non-smoking rooms will be required.

f) The cutoff date for reservations shall be no earlier than three (3) weeks prior to the scheduled summit.

Any rooms not reserved by this date will be released, and any reservations taken after that date will be based on space availability. DHSES shall have the right to reduce up to 20% of the total cumulative number of rooms by the cutoff date without penalty or liability.

g) Reservations will be made by Individual Call-Ins using a reservation link provided by the hotel and secured via credit card.

h) DHSES will send a lodging list with the names of all confirmed and authorized overnight attendees no later than one (1) week prior to day one of the events. The list will include the lodging list for the Master bill.

• Master bill: all hotel reservations for up to 20 guest speakers will be charged to the Master bill https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gsa.gov%2Ftravel%2Fplan-book%2Fper-diem-rates&data=05%7C02%7CJose.Mariscal%40dhses.ny.gov%7C61fa587427544b8cc25308def3d0f7b7%7Cf46cb8ea79004d108ceb80e8c1c81ee7%7C0%7C0%7C639216275982546241%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2FPJ1Ley4cnwFDwkJC6eejeVB%2ByUQmCSyuIlcFUXaJkA%3D&reserved=0 account against the succeeding contract.

• Paying on Arrival: all hotel reservations for state or federal employees will be charged to an employee expense card at the time of check in.

i) DHSES shall not be responsible for any lodging charges for attendees paying on arrival.

j) DHSES shall not be responsible for the payment of incidental expenses for any of the attendees. Any and all additional charges, including but not limited to smoking fees, property damages, and room service, shall be charged to the guest staying in the hotel room. Hotel should request a credit card from every attendee at the time of check-in to cover any potential incidental expenses.

k) Given the nature of DHSES emergency services, it may be necessary for last minute cancelations, therefore the hotel shall allow for a reduction of up to five (5) hotel rooms, provided notice is given to the hotel no later than 24 hours prior to the summit.

l) At the conclusion of the conference, the contractor shall provide, as requested by DHSES, the Rooming Lists for both the Master Bill and Paying on Arrival attendees. The Rooming List shall identify guests by name and payment type.

m) All dining and meeting rooms shall be at the same facility. Sub-contracting with other hotels to accommodate nightly rooming needs is allowed up to 50%.

2.2.4 Meal Requirements

Meals should be buffet style, unless indicated as Grab and Go, and meals served must vary daily.

DHSES will provide a final total of attendees one (1) week prior to the start of the summit. The vendor must submit a fixed price for each meal and break indicating cost per person.

The on-site restaurant and/or catering facilities must be able to accommodate the number of guests for each day of the summit.

At a minimum, bidders must offer the sample food options for the summit, but bidders may include additional items. Bidder must submit with their bid a proposed menu for consideration.

a) Breakfast – 8 am Wednesday & Thursday:

- A full hot breakfast buffet

- Freshly brewed coffee (regular and decaf), tea, water, and assorted juices

b) Morning Refreshment Breaks- Wednesday and Thursday:

- Freshly brewed coffee (regular and decaf), tea, water, and bottles of soda

- Examples include Assorted fruit and granola bars

c) Lunch – 12:30 pm – Pre-packaged (Grab and Go): Wednesday

- Choice of Wraps

- Choice of Sandwiches

- Choice of Salad

- Assorted Fruit cups

- Choice of Chips

- Dessert Option (cookie, brownie, etc.)

- Coffee (regular and decaf), tea, milk, water and choice of juices and bottles of soda

- Disposable containers, napkins, and cutlery must be provided

d) Afternoon Refreshment Breaks – Tuesday and Wednesday:

- Freshly brewed coffee (regular and decaf), tea, water, and bottles of soda

- Examples include Assorted cookies, brownies, assorted granola bars

e) Networking Dinner Buffet – Tuesday – 6PM Tables should be generously spaced to allow for walking around and mingling.

- One (1) salad option (house, Caesar, etc.).

- Rolls and butter.

- Two (2) meat entrees.

- One (1) vegetarian option.

- Availability for a vegan, gluten free or kosher entrée if requested.

- Three (3) sides (at least 1 vegetable).

- One (1) dessert option.

- Beverages including freshly brewed coffee (regular and decaf), pitchers of soda, tea and water shall be provided.

f) Networking Dinner Light Fare – Wednesday – 6PM

- Choice of 2 hot Hors d’oeuvres.

- Choice of 2 cold Hors d’oeuvres.

- Choice of 2 meat appetizers.

- Choice of 2 vegetarian or vegan appetizers.

- Charcuterie with cheese and crackers.

- Beverages including freshly brewed coffee (regular and decaf), pitchers of soda, tea and water shall be provided.

g) Coffee, Tea, and Water: Freshly brewed coffee (regular and decaffeinated), tea (assorted) and cold water must be provided inside the main meeting room during the summit.

Coffee, tea and water must be refreshed throughout the day. Pricing for the coffee refresh shall be based on consumption, a maximum of ten (10) gallons of coffee per day.

h) Alcoholic beverages: Any alcoholic beverages shall not be included in any purchase covered by this solicitation.

i) Special Dietary Needs: DHSES will provide information about any allergies or dietary restrictions to the contractor (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Shellfish Allergy, etc.). The contractor shall accommodate special dietary considerations by means including, but not limited to, alteration of meals and preparation of special meals not otherwise specified herein.

2.2.5 Parking Requirements

a) Parking for large utility vehicles must be accommodated.

2.2.6 Meeting Room Requirements

The facility must provide the following required rooms/space:

a) Main Meeting Room One (1) main meeting room must be available during the duration of the summit. Set-up requirements include:

- The main meeting room must be set up classroom style with skirted round tables to accommodate up to 300 attendees.

- 120VAC power outlets or power strips must be available for use by attendees from their seating locations.

- Audio and visual (AV) items listed in Section 2.2.7 Audio and Visual (AV) Support Requirement below.

- DHSES requests that one (1) tech assistant be assigned each day of the summit to the main meeting room to help the technological needs of presenters.

- A podium for presenters must be available.

- Wired access to internet must be provided for presenters.

- The Main Meeting room must be made available no later than 5:00 pm on Monday for instructor set-up.

- Access must be unrestricted.

- Room must have adjustable heating and air conditioning.

b) Registration Area The facility must include one (1) registration area. The registration area must:

- Be set up by no later than 10:00 AM Tuesday morning.

- Close by 2:00 PM Thursday.

- Be conveniently located in the vicinity of the lobby outside the main meeting room.

- Include four (4) eight-foot-skirted tables, eight (8) chairs, and electrical outlets.

- Chairs should be placed with two (2) chairs at each table.

- Registration area should have enough space for up to 8 additional information/exhibitor tables if needed.

Prefer to have additional space near or adjacent to the registration area outside of the main meeting room.

c) Auxiliary Room The facility must include one (1) multi-purpose Auxiliary room for DHSES to use as a command station for the duration of the summit. The Auxiliary room must:

- Be within proximity to the main meeting room.

- Include tables and chairs, and electrical outlets.

- Access to internet must be provided.

d) Lactation Room DHSES requests that a private room be available for attendees to use for the duration of the summit. This room must:

- Have a door with a functional lock.

- A sign identifying the room as “Lactation Room Only”.

- Any windows in the room must have curtains or other covering.

e) Break Area The facility must include one (1) break area to be set up for breaks, separate from the registration area, and main meeting room, but within proximity of the main meeting room.

f) On-Site Dining Facilities

- The facility must include on-site dining facilities for each day of the summit.

- The dining area should be separated from public dining areas for Breakfast, Lunch, Breaks and Dinner.

2.2.7 Audio and Video (AV) Support Requirements

The Main Meeting Room must have a podium, projector, screen, wireless microphone, lapel microphone, and be wired for sound. Screen(s) should be appropriately sized for the room. Wi-Fi access for attendees must be provided, free of charge.

Projectors must be operable from an HDMI hookup located at the podium. If multiple screens are utilized in a single room, they must be operable from a single HDMI input; any necessary splitting must be provided by the Contractor.

If there is an outside vendor secured to provide additional AV support that the hotel is unable to acquire, a true and accurate quote for the equipment shall be provided in Attachment 1 - Bid Form, with the bidder’s submission as noted in Section 3.3 Bid Format and Content.

DHSES at its sole discretion reserves the right to supplement provided equipment with its own equipment and supplies.

2.2.8 Facility Walkthrough

The Contractor shall facilitate a facility walkthrough for DHSES personnel after the contract start date.

The scheduling of this walkthrough shall be at the sole discretion of DHSES.

2.3 Staffing Requirements

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services expects that all services will be conducted diligently and effectively under the oversight of DHSES staff. Further, it is expected that:

a) All Contractor’s staff shall conduct themselves in a professional manner with DHSES staff and with the general public.

All Contractor’s staff shall comply with all rules and requirements of the contract, including the drug and alcohol policies (Refer to Section 6.6– General Requirements).

2.4 OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) Training Requirements

The contractor is responsible for compliance with all applicable OSHA guidelines and regulations while performing work under the contract.

3. BID SUBMISSION

3.1 Questions and Clarifications

There will be an opportunity for submission of questions and/or requests for clarification. Questions and/or clarifications must be submitted via email to the Designated Contact:

Amber Burke, Contract Management Specialist 1 NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services 1220 Washington Avenue Building 7A, 6th Floor Albany, New York 12226 Email: ifbteam@dhses.ny.gov

All questions must cite the page, section, and paragraph number, where applicable. Bidders must complete Exhibit 1 Bidders Questions form and submit via email to the Designated Contact email listed above.

Prospective Bidders should note that all clarifications and exceptions, including those relating to the Terms and Conditions of the IFB, are to be resolved prior to the submission of a bid by utilizing the Question-and-Answer period. Also, during the Question-and-Answer period, Bidders should be certain to bring forward Terms and Conditions in the IFB that would prohibit a Bidder from bidding. Bidders entering a contract with the State are expected to comply with all Terms and Conditions contained herein.

Please submit questions as early as possible following receipt of the IFB. The final deadline for submission of any questions/clarifications regarding this IFB is listed in Section 1.3 – Key Events.

Questions received after the deadline may not be answered. DHSES will post an Addendum or a Q&A Memo on the New York State Contract Reporter https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/Ads/Search with all substantive questions and responses on or about the date listed in Section 1.3 – Key Events. Any additional Addenda or Memo will be posted to the same location.

Bidders are encouraged to check the New York State Contract Reporter webpage https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/Ads/Search frequently during this bid submission period for notices of any changes, additions, deletions, or updates regarding the IFB.

mailto:rfpteam@dhses.ny.gov https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/Ads/Search https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyscr.ny.gov%2FAds%2FSearch&data=05%7C02%7CDawn.Shepard%40dhses.ny.gov%7Cbcaa32a4d6bd4c75a28a08de7558ebf9%7Cf46cb8ea79004d108ceb80e8c1c81ee7%7C0%7C0%7C639077221946954187%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=SOWPINs2YlpQYSAG26Cs9GFnurMcYYI9Pb9J%2BYx5xLc%3D&reserved=0

Contacting individuals other than a designated contact listed on the front page of this IFB may result in the disqualification of the Bidder’s proposal.

3.2 No Bid Submission and Removal from Bidders List

3.2.1 “No Bid” Submission If you do not intend to bid on this procurement, please complete Attachment 3 – No Bid Certification and send to the designed contact address listed on the cover of this IFB.

3.2.2 Removal from the Bidders List

If you would like to have your organization removed from the mailing list for procurements of this type, please send an e-mail requesting as such to a designated contact listed on the cover of this IFB.

3.3 Bid Format and Content

For the State to evaluate bids fairly and completely, bidders should follow the format set forth herein and should provide all the information requested. Proposals should consist of two (2) distinct and separate parts: (1) Administrative Proposal and (2) Bid.

Evaluations of the Administrative Proposal and Bid packages received in response to this IFB will be conducted separately as per Section 4.2.2 Bid Form Evaluation. Bidders are therefore cautioned not to include information not applicable to each specific submission. For example: do not include Bid information in the administrative proposal, and vice versa.

All items identified in the following list should be addressed as concisely as possible for a bid to be considered complete. Failure to conform to the stated requirements may necessitate rejection of the bid.

3.3.1 Completed Forms Due with Bid

a) Administrative Proposal The Administrative Proposal must contain all items listed below:

1. Bidder Certification – A bidder must affirm that it meets the minimum qualifications required in

Section 1.4 Minimum Bidder Qualifications and is able to comply with and will abide by the delivery or performance of all mandatory bid requirements listed in Section 2.2 Mandatory Requirements.

Attachment 2 - Bidder Certification. Form must be completed. Failure to provide a statement agreeing to all administrative and mandatory requirements above may result in the disqualification of your bid.

Please direct any questions on these requirements to the issuing officer named in this bid.

A bidder representative authorized to make contractual obligations must sign the Bidder Certification.

2. Required Forms – All required completed forms from IFB Appendix B.

3. Bid Addenda – Signed Bid Addenda (if any).

4. Proposed Menu – A menu detailing meal options

b) Bid Form Bidders shall submit a completed Attachment 1 - Bid Form. Each item must be complete with no entries omitted. Bidder shall not provide alternative pricing or deviate from the Bid Form. Alternative pricing methodologies will not be considered and will result in the rejection of the bid. Subcontractor bids for parking and AV support, if applicable, should be included as an attachment with the Bid Form.

1. Price

Details of service not explicitly stated in these specifications, but necessarily attendant thereto, are deemed to be understood by the Contractor and included herein.

The Contractor agrees that from the effective date of the contract until contract termination, the rates charged by the Contractor and paid for by NYS DHSES will be equal to or lower than any rates provided by the Contractor to other customers for like services.

2. Balanced Bids

Prices quoted must be in balance. A bid is mathematically unbalanced if the bid is structured on the basis of nominal prices for some work and inflated prices for other work; that is, each element of the bid must carry its proportionate share of the total cost of the work plus profits.

Bids with extreme variations, or where obvious unbalancing of unit prices has occurred, will be thoroughly evaluated by DHSES. Out-of-balance bids may be rejected in whole or in part; however, DHSES reserves the right to negotiate prices with the bidder to balance unbalanced pricing.

3.3.2 Completed Forms Due Upon Award:

Should the contract be awarded to your company, you must submit the following forms within five (5) business days of Tentative Award notification. If not received within this time, DHSES reserves the right to make Tentative Award to the next lowest bidder:

a) Vendor Registration – completed Exhibit 2 - Substitute W-9 Form, if your company is not yet registered in New York Statewide Financial System.

b) Insurance – applicable insurance requirements as described in Appendix D.

c) Vendor Responsibility - the online questionnaire located on the OSC VendRep System website must be completed by the Bidder and each subcontractor identified at the time of bid submission with a contract anticipated to equal or exceed $100,000. If the vendor has previously certified responsibility online, it shall ensure that the questionnaire was recertified in the last 6 months. Additional information regarding Vendor Responsibility may be found in Section 6.14.

3.3.3 Important Note:

a) M/WBE & EEO Requirements - Bidders are reminded of the requirements as described in Appendix

E.

b) SDVOB Requirements - Bidders are reminded of the requirements as described in Section 6.20.

3.3.4 Document Consistency

All submitted documents (including but not limited to FEIN and NYS Vendor ID number) must be consistent with official name of bidding entity.

DHSES reserves the right to request any additional information deemed necessary to ensure that the bidder can fulfill the requirements of the contract.

3.4 Bid Preparation

All bids must be completed in ink or machine produced. Bids submitted handwritten in pencil will be disqualified.

3.5 Packaging of IFB Response

3.5.1 Required Submission Items

Submit the following items to DHSES in PDF format:

a) Administrative Proposal

1. Attachment 2 - Bidder Certification

2. Appendix B - Required Forms

3. Bid Addenda – Signed Bid Addenda (if any).

4. Proposed Menu – A menu detailing meal options

b) Bid Form

• Attachment 1 – Bid Form

3.5.2 Format of Submission Items

1. Documents must be submitted as electronic copies in the format specified for each document (e.g., PDF, Excel) as detailed above.

2. Each document filename should contain the Solicitation #30488-2, Bidder’s Corporate Name, and the name of the submission item as indicated above (Bid Form, Cover Letter, etc.).

3. Electronic copies of documents provided in PDF format should be saved as an Adobe Acrobat PDF, and then converted to allow for Optical Character Recognition (OCR) (see https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/how-to/ocr-software-convert-pdf-to-text.html).

4. Electronic copies should be unlocked and not require a password to open.

3.5.3 Signature and Notary Requirements

All documents must be completed in accordance with the instructions for the individual document, which may include an original wet ink signature or an original notarized wet ink signature. At this time, DHSES cannot accept an eSignature that has been generated by software. Any required notarizations for bid documents must be obtained by the bidder, and an electronic copy of the notarized forms must be submitted with the bid.

The Bidder is responsible for retaining the original documents with original signatures that have been scanned and submitted electronically until a determination of award is made. If an award is made to a Bidder, the documents with original signatures shall be retained by the Bidder for a period of six (6) years after the term of the contract has ended. Bidder shall submit such documents with original signatures to DHSES upon request.

3.6 Instructions for Bid Submission

3.6.1 General Submission Instructions

1. Only Bidders who furnish all required information and meet the minimum bidder qualifications will be considered.

2. Hardcopy bid submissions are not acceptable and will not be considered.

3. The State of New York will not be held liable for any cost incurred by the Bidder for work performed in the preparation and production of a bid or for any work performed prior to the formal execution and approval of a contract.

4. Bid submissions for this procurement must only contain Bids for this specific opportunity and bidders must submit only one Bid per submission email.

3.6.2 Address for Email Submission

Submit all required bid documents to the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services at the following email address: 304888bids@dhses.ny.gov.

3.6.3 Email Submission Instructions

https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/how-to/ocr-software-convert-pdf-to-text.html mailto:304888bids@dhses.ny.gov

1. The subject line of the email submission should contain the Bidder’s Corporate Name and the following Solicitation title: Bid #30488-2 – 2026 TAM Team Summit.

2. If multiple emails are required for a single submission due to the size of attachments prohibiting submission in a single email, each email should indicate both its sequence number and the total number of emails in the submission e.g., 1 of 2.

3. Bids must be attached to the email in a manner that results in the electronic document(s) being transmitted with the email. The Bid must be received by DHSES secure email servers to be considered properly received. Clickable links to download the Bid and/or the use of third-party file hosting services are not permissible as the bidder’s email submission is not transmitting the electronic document(s) of the Bid to DHSES.

4. Email delivery or read receipts are recommended. DHSES will provide a confirmation email that the bid has been received. Bidders are responsible for contacting DHSES prior to the deadline if confirmation has not been received.

5. Bids that cannot be read, require a password (are locked), are incomplete, contain any omissions, erasures, alterations, additions, or items not required by the Solicitation, or that contain irregularities of any kind may be rejected.

3.6.4 Submission Modifications and Withdrawals

Bidders may modify, in writing, the content of their bid at any time prior to the bid due date and time, however a complete re-submission of all bid documents is required. DHSES will not substitute sections of a bid. The email should state that the previous bid(s) submitted are withdrawn. If multiple bid submissions are received from a single bidder and withdrawal of previous bid submissions is not clearly indicated, DHSES will only consider the latest bid submitted for award. Bids may be withdrawn or canceled before the bid due date and time.

3.6.5 Late Bids

Bids must be received at the above email address at or before 2:00 PM ET on the date indicated in Section 1.3 - Key Events. The received time of bids will be determined by the timestamp of the received email. Bidders assume all risks for timely, properly submitted submissions.

Any Bid received at the designated email address after the established time will be considered a Late Bid. A Late Bid may be rejected and disqualified from award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Late Bid may be accepted in the Commissioner’s sole discretion where (i) no timely Bids meeting the requirements of the Solicitation are received, or (ii) the Bidder has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that the Late Bid was caused solely by factors outside the control of the Bidder. However, in no event will the Commissioner be under any obligation to accept a Late Bid. The basis for any determination to accept a Late Bid shall be documented in the procurement record.

3.6.6 Firm Offer

Bids must remain open and valid for 120 days from the due date, unless the time for awarding the contract is extended by mutual consent of NYS DHSES and the Bidder. A bid shall continue to remain an effective offer, firm and irrevocable, subsequent to such 120-day period until either notification of award of the contract(s) is provided by the Issuing Office (Section 5.3 Notification of Award) or the bid is withdrawn in writing by Bidder.

3.6.7 State Property

This Solicitation remains the property of the State at all times, and all responses to this Solicitation, once delivered, become the property of the State.

4. BID EVALUATION AND SELECTION

4.1 Bid Opening

Bids will not be opened publicly. DHSES reserves the right at any time to postpone or cancel a scheduled bid opening.

4.2 Bid Form Evaluation

Each Proposal Requirement (Administrative and Bid Form) will first be examined in a proper and timely manner to assess for completeness and conformance with requirements as described beginning in Section 3.3.1 Completed Forms Due with Bid, including all required signed documents, forms, and attachments as required. Any proposal may be denied further consideration at this point if it does not meet those requirements.

In addition, DHSES reserves the right to determine the suitability of a hotel to host the summit. DHSES also reserves the right to perform a site visit prior to the award of the contract to ensure suitability for the requirements of this IFB.

4.2.1 Administrative Proposal Evaluation

The Administrative Proposal Evaluation is conducted as a completeness review.

Administrative Proposals are evaluated on completeness and accurateness of the requirements described in Section 3.3.1.a) Administrative Proposal.

4.2.2 Bid Form Evaluation

A. Upon meeting the minimum requirements, the financial evaluation is valued at 100%.

B. The award will be based on the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.

4.3 Bid Form Clarification

Prior to award, DHSES reserves the right to seek clarifications, request proposal revisions, or to request any information deemed necessary for proper evaluation of proposals from all Bidders deemed to be eligible for Contract award. Failure of a bidder to cooperate with DHSES’ effort to clarify a proposal may result in the proposal being labeled as non-responsive and given no further consideration.

Additionally, DHSES reserve the right to use information submitted by the Bidder in response to DHSES’ request for clarifying information during evaluation and selection under this IFB.

4.4 Tie Bids

In the event of a tie bid between two or more Bidders, the decision as to the winning bid will be made by the Commissioner or agency head, and the basis for determining the award shall be documented in the procurement record in accordance with State Finance Law §163(10)(a).

4.5 Negotiations and Authorized Negotiators

During negotiations, DHSES must have direct access to Bidder personnel who have full authority to make commitments on behalf of the Bidder. Bidders must include, as part of their proposal, any restrictions under which their primary negotiators will operate.

4.6 Debriefings

Pursuant to Section 163(9)(c) of the State Finance Law, any unsuccessful Bidder may request a debriefing regarding the reasons that the Bid submitted by the Bidder was not selected for award. Requests for a debriefing must be made within 15 calendar days of notification by DHSES that the bid submitted by the Bidder was not selected for award. Requests should be submitted in writing to a designated contact identified in the Solicitation.

5. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

5.1 Issuing Office

This IFB is being released by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, State Finance Office.

5.2 Method of Award

DHSES intends to make an award to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The lowest bidder shall be determined by the Grand Total Bid as represented on Attachment 1 – Bid Form.

Following a review of all bids, tentative award shall be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder by the Issuing Office. Formal award will be made by issuance of Purchase Order(s) by DHSES to the winning bidder that incorporates all terms and conditions contained in this IFB.

The Grand Total bid amount of the successful Bidder shall be used to establish the total contract value. The established total contract value shall not be exceeded.

5.3 Notification of Award

After the evaluation, all Bidders will be notified and DHSES will update the Bid Result and Award sections of the corresponding NYS Contract Reporter Ad. The selected Bidder will be notified that their submitted bid has been selected and that a contract will be forthcoming for execution. The original bid, and any additions or deletions to the proposal become part of the contract.

Public announcements or news releases pertaining to any contract resulting from this solicitation shall not be made without prior approval from the Issuing Office.

5.4 Term of Contract

DHSES intends to make a one-time purchase via Purchase Order(s). The agreement shall commence upon the issuance of said Purchase Order following Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) approval; and terminate on the date of the conclusion of the summit, or January 31, 2027, whichever is later.

5.5 Method of Payment

5.5.1 Invoice Submission

Invoices will be processed in accordance with established procedures of the Office of General Services and the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC), and payments will be subject to the prompt payment provisions of Article XI-A of the New York State Finance Law.

Each company invoice must be itemized and include the following information: Name of NYS agency being billed; Contract ID number; Purchase Order number; Vendor name; Company FEIN; Vendor ID number; a unique invoice number; date(s) of service(s), the specific deliverable(s) worked on; a detailed description of services performed; and $ amount requested in accordance with contract or PO rates.

Invoices without the above stated information will be returned to Contractor to be completed as required in the paragraph above. Payment will not be issued and will not be due and owing until a corrected invoice is received and approved by DHSES.

Services shall be invoiced after the completion of the last day of the event. Invoice must be submitted along with the Actual Lodging List required in Item h) of Section 2.2.3 Hotel Room Requirements.

All Invoices are to be submitted for payment to:

BSC / Accounts Payable 1220 Washington Ave., Bldg. 5, 5th Fl Albany, New York 12226 Or email: Accountspayable@ogs.ny.gov

MANDATORY: A copy of the invoice must simultaneously be sent to DHSES Finance Office for review and approval at the following address below. Payment cannot be processed until a designated DHSES employee has approved each invoice.

NYS DHSES Finance Attn: Accounts Payable -or- DHSES.Finance@dhses.ny.gov and ifbteam@dhses.ny.gov 1220 Washington Avenue Building 7A, 6th Floor Albany, NY 12226

5.6 Electronic Payment

Contractor shall provide complete and accurate billing invoices to receive payment. Billing invoices submitted must contain all information and supporting documentation required by the contract, the agency, and the State Comptroller. Payment for invoices submitted by the Contractor shall only be rendered electronically unless payment by paper check is expressly authorized by the Commissioner, in the Commissioner’s sole discretion, due to extenuating circumstances. Such electronic payment shall be made in accordance with ordinary State procedures and practices. The Contractor shall comply with the State Comptroller’s procedures to authorize electronic payments. Contractor must arrange for electronic payment through the NYS Statewide Financial System (SFS) Vendor Portal. Information regarding SFS Vendor Portal is available at the following website:

http://www.sfs.ny.gov/index.php/vendors

If Contractor doesn’t have SFS Vendor Portal credentials, they may request them via e-mail at Helpdesk@sfs.ny.gov or phone at 518-457-7717. The Contractor acknowledges that it will not receive payment on any invoices submitted under this Contract if it does not comply with the State Comptroller’s electronic payment procedures, except where the Commissioner has expressly authorized payment by paper check as set forth above.

5.7 Dispute Resolution

During the term of the contract, if either party notifies the other of a dispute or dissatisfaction, the other party will make a good-faith effort to solve or settle dispute amicably, including meeting with the other party to diligently attempt to reach a satisfactory result. In the event of a dispute, the parties will continue to fulfill their obligations. Hereunder during the dispute resolution process. The parties agree to proceed in good faith to avoid disputes and resolve disputes that cannot be avoided at the lowest level possible. If party representatives are unable to resolve the dispute or reach a satisfactory result within twenty days of written notice of a dispute, the dispute will be referred to successive higher levels of each organization for final decision.

5.8 Examination of Contract Documents

1. Each Bidder is under an affirmative duty to inform itself by personal examination of the specifications of the proposed work and by such other means as it may select, of the character, quality and extent of the work to be performed and the conditions under which the contract is to be executed.

2. Each Bidder shall examine specifications and all other data or instruction pertaining to the work. No pleas of ignorance of conditions that may be encountered or of any other matter concerning the work mailto:Accountspayable@ogs.ny.gov mailto:DHSES.Finance@dhses.ny.gov mailto:ifbteam@dhses.ny.gov http://www.sfs.ny.gov/index.php/vendors mailto:Helpdesk@sfs.ny.gov to be performed in the execution of the contract will be accepted by the State as an excuse for any failure or omission on the part of the Bidder to fulfill every detail of all the requirements of the documents governing the work. The Bidder, if awarded the contract, will not be allowed any extra compensation by reason of any matter or thing concerning which such Bidder might have fully informed itself prior to bidding.

3. Any Bidder in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the specification or the proposed contract documents shall submit to Amber Burke, NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, 1220 Washington Avenue Building 7A, 6th Floor, Albany, New York 12226 or e-mail:

ifbteam@dhses.ny.gov a written request for an interpretation thereof. If a major change is involved to which all bidders must be informed, such request for interpretation shall be delivered, in writing, no later than the question due date listed in Section 1.3 – Key Events. Any interpretation of the proposed documents will be made only by an addendum duly issued.

4. Any addendum issued prior to the ‘Bid Due Date’ as stated in Section 1.3 - Key Events, must be acknowledged by signature, dated and be submitted as part of the Administrative Submission. In awarding a contract, any addenda will become a part thereof.

5. Any verbal information obtained from, or statements made by, representatives of the Commissioner at the time of examination of the documents, pre-bid conference, or site visit shall not be construed as in any way amending contract documents. Only such corrections or addenda as are issued, in writing, to all Bidders shall become a part of the contract.

5.9 Exceptions and Extraneous Terms

1. EXTRANEOUS TERMS. Bids must conform to the terms set forth in this solicitation. Extraneous terms or material deviations (including additional, inconsistent, conflicting or alternative terms) submitted with the bid may render the bid non-responsive and may result in rejection of the bid. If Bidder intends to submit a bid that deviates from the requirements of the solicitation in any way, the proposed deviations must be submitted during the Questions period so that they may be given due consideration prior to the submission of bids.

Extraneous terms submitted on standard, pre-printed forms (including but not limited to: product literature, order forms, license agreements, contracts or other documents) that are attached or referenced with submissions shall not be considered part of the bid or resulting Contract, but shall be deemed included for informational or promotional purposes only.

No extraneous terms, whether or not deemed “material,” shall be incorporated into a Contract or Purchase Order unless submitted in accordance with the above and DHSES expressly accepts each such terms in writing. Acceptance and/or processing of the bid shall not constitute such written acceptance of extraneous terms.

2. WAIVER REQUESTS. The Issuing Office will consider all requests to waive any solicitation requirement. The term “solicitation requirement” as used herein shall include any and all terms and conditions included in the solicitation documents. Bidders should be aware that failure to obtain a waiver of any proposal requirement in advance of bid submission, and/or inclusion of extraneous terms in the form of exceptions, assumptions, qualifiers, ranges, modifications, etc. with bid submission, may result in rejection of Bidder’s proposal and disqualification from the bidding process.

Bidders wishing to obtain an exemption or waiver for any part of this solicitation must contact the Issuing Office in writing by the ‘Questions Due Date’ as identified in the Section 1.3 — Key Events. The request must cite the specific section and requirement in question and clearly identify any proposed alternative.

Requests will be considered and responded to in writing, either with the ‘Answers to Questions’ as identified in the Key Events section (if the response results in a change to the solicitation), or directly to the requesting vendor.

5.10 Rules of Construction

Words of the masculine and feminine genders shall be deemed and construed to include the neuter gender. Unless the context otherwise indicates, the singular shall include the plural and vice versa, and words importing persons shall include corporations and associations, including public bodies, as well as natural persons. The terms “hereby,” “hereof,” “hereto,” “herein,” “hereunder,” and any similar terms, as used in this IFB refer to this IFB.

5.11 Reserved Rights

The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services reserves the right to:

1. Withdraw the Solicitation at any time, at its sole discretion.

2. Change any of the scheduled dates stated herein.

3. Reject any and all bids received in response to this Solicitation.

4. Disqualify a Bidder from receiving the award if the Bidder, or anyone in the Bidder’s employ, has previously failed to perform satisfactorily in connection with public bidding or contracts.

5. Correct Bidders’ mathematical errors and waive or modify other minor irregularities in bids received, after prior notification to the Bidder.

6. Adjust any Bidder’s expected costs of the bid price based on a determination of the evaluation committee that the selection of the said Bidder will cause the State to incur additional costs.

7. Utilize any and all ideas submitted in the bids received.

8. Negotiate with Bidders responding to this Solicitation within the Solicitation requirements to serve the best interests of the State.

9. Begin contract negotiations…