Request for Information UCTLS.pdf

Request for Information

The General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), Office of Office of Travel, Transportation and Logistics (TTL) supports Federal agencies in times of emergency and has historically contracted individually for a wide variety of supplies and services. TTL provides a myriad of emergency operations and disaster recovery services and delivers integrated emergency support services in response to emergency events. TTL is conducting market research on behalf of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and seeks sources to provide transportation and logistics services for unaccompanied children in HHS’s care.

A. Background:

The Office of Refugee Resettlement Division of Unaccompanied Children's Operations program provides unaccompanied children (UC) with a safe and appropriate environment until they are released to appropriate sponsors while their immigration cases proceed. The ORR has identified a need for travel management, transportation and logistics services at a national level to transport UC in HHS regional facilities located throughout the United States. The current census estimates 8000 UCs in the program.

The anticipated NAICS code for this effort is 541614, Process, Physical Distribution, and Logistics Consulting Services with a strong focus on NAICS 48599, All Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation.

Estimated volume: ~8000 UC, but this could rapidly scale based on events on the ground Estimated period of performance: Base period + four option periods (GSA is asking industry to comment on this in particular with rationale - should this be structured in monthly increments? Annual? Something else?)

Notional contract type: Time and material

B. Requirements:

TTL is interested in locating suppliers that specialize in providing/integrating travel management, transportation and logistics services and solutions to meet the following requirements:

● Provide program management services to manage UC effort described.

● Provide 24x7 support.

● Provide all logistical management and support for staff on travel status, including but not limited to:

○ Travel

○ Transportation

○ Lodging

○ Meals and incidentals

○ Equipment needed to fulfill the requirements of the Task Order(s)

○ Supplies needed to fulfill the requirements of the Task Order(s)

● Provide all required travel arrangements and maintenance for staff on travel status, in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations, including but not limited to:

○ Transportation from/to staging areas, training sites, duty stations, meal sites, and point of origin to/from assigned location(s)

○ Lodging near staging area(s), training site(s), duty station(s) and/or other assigned location(s)

○ Provision of meals and incidental expenses

● Evaluate the ground transport travel time and flight travel time for each UC movement and select the most expeditious, efficient, and cost-effective method of transport with a goal of minimizing UC travel time.

● Consider the cost of travel and ensure the prudent expenditure of federal dollars at all times.

● Provide a broad array of travel management and transportation services, including, but not limited to, commercial flights, charter flights, vans/bus charters, car rentals, trains, and ships for UC and their escorts. This includes locating, booking, reserving, fulfilling, managing changes/cancellations, and reconciling travel/transportation transactions.

● Provide unarmed escort staff, bilingual in English and Spanish, including management, supervision, manpower, training, certifications, licenses, drug testing, equipment, and supplies necessary to provide on-demand escort services for UC ranging from infants to 17 years of age, seven (7) days a week, 365 days a year.

● Maintain the appropriate escort to UC ratios as follows:

UC from ages 10 – 17:

o Two staff for the first 6 UC;

o For seven (7) or more UC, the contractor shall provide an additional escort for each group of six (6) UC (e.g., 25 UC equals six (6) escorts).

UC under age 10:

https://www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov/ElibMain/sinDetails.do?scheduleNumber=MAS&specialItemNumber=541930&executeQuery=YES o A minimum of two staff for up to 8 UC o A minimum of three staff for more than 8 UC, up to 15 UC.

● Provide staging, discharge and transfer services, food service, personal property management for UC while in their possession.

● Provide a record keeping system to accurately track, communicate and report UC movements and status.

● Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for transported individuals, including disposable masks, gloves, first aid medical supplies, and hand sanitizers for use by UC and escort staff during transport.

● Have the ability to rapidly scale, up or down, to accommodate UC mass transportation needs.

● Provide staff that meets ORR background check standards.

C. Questions to the Industry:

The proposed effort will likely require the integration of multiple contractors to include a broad array of travel management services, transportation, logistics, social service support staff, human support staff, and project management suppliers that can be tapped/harnessed by a single integrator to leverage their subject matter expertise to fulfill requirements. The Government is interested in hearing from a variety of suppliers, welcoming recommendations on how such a complex effort can be structured and delivered successfully. Interested suppliers are asked to address the following:

● Company information, including SAMMI, business size and NAICS code and point of contact, and area of expertise

● Challenges TTL will likely encounter with performance and how best to reduce performance risk

● Recommended performance metrics/success criteria, rationale, and best practices

● Factors that would discourage your participation in this effort

● Questions about the requirements or things you’d like to see TTL address in any subsequent solicitation

● Anything else you think is important to convey

D. RFI Response Information https://www.gsa.gov/travel/services-for-agency-travel-managers https://www.gsa.gov/buying-selling/products-services/transportation-logistics-services/transportation/transportation-and-logistics-services-category-schedule https://www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov/ElibMain/sinDetails.do?scheduleNumber=MAS&specialItemNumber=541614&executeQuery=YES https://www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov/ElibMain/sinDetails.do?scheduleNumber=MAS&specialItemNumber=624SS&executeQuery=YES https://www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov/ElibMain/sinDetails.do?scheduleNumber=MAS&specialItemNumber=624SS&executeQuery=YES https://www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov/ElibMain/sinDetails.do?scheduleNumber=621+I&specialItemNumber=621-047&executeQuery=YES https://www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov/ElibMain/sinDetails.do?scheduleNumber=MAS&specialItemNumber=541611&executeQuery=YES

Vendors are invited to respond to this Request for Information at their convenience, but no later than noon Eastern time, 13 September 2021 to ensure that TTL can best incorporate any feedback received.

Please submit your responses to:

Christopher Hardcastle, christopher.hardcastle@gsa.gov, and Rebecca Koses, rebecca.koses@gsa.gov

TTL requests that vendors limit their RFI responses to no more than 5 pages. If you would like an opportunity to discuss this upcoming requirement in more detail with TTL, please contact Christopher Hardcastle or Rebecca Koses to discuss availability for one-on-one discussions.

mailto:christopher.hardcastle@gsa.gov mailto:rebecca.koses@gsa.gov