RFQ NBRS 2023.docx

REQUEST FOR QUOTES

2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools Awards Ceremony Hotel Sleeping Rooms, Meeting Space and Releated Conference Services

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 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 # NBRS-2023-Q-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) 2022-08, effective 10/28/2022. The NAICS Code is 721110, Hotels (Not Casino) and Motels, and small business size standard is $40.0M.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has a requirement to obtain hotel guest room accommodations, meeting space, and related conference support services for the 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools (NBRS) Award Ceremony. The Department’s preference is that all lodging and meeting space be in one general location. ED intends to hold the ceremony in November 2023. The preferred dates (listed in order of preference) are:

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 SAM Unique Entity ID (UEI) number in their quote. If the quoter does not have a UEI , it should contact the entity designated at www.sam.gov for UEI establishment directly to obtain one. The quoter should indicate that it is an offeror for a Government contract when contacting the entity designated at www.sam.gov for establishing the UEI. The quoter selected for an offer from the Department will need to provide Offeror Representations and Certifications prior to any award.

All interested, responsible sources may submit a quote directly to the U.S. Department of Education. 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. See additional subcontract-related requirements and instructions below.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:

ED’s NBRS Program honors exemplary public and private schools whose students achieve at very high levels or make significant improvements in their level of achievement. Since the program’s inception in 1982, the NBRS Program has honored more than 8,800 of America’s most successful public and private elementary, middle, and high schools. A National Blue Ribbon Schools flag waving overhead has become a trademark of excellence, a symbol of quality recognized by everyone from parents to policy-makers in thousands of communities. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program sets a standard of excellence for all schools striving for the highest level of achievement. As stated by the Secretary, National Blue Ribbon Schools are committed to accelerating student achievement and preparing students for success in college and careers. Some have shown dramatic improvements in places where students are overcoming the challenges of poverty, and others serve as examples of consistent excellence. Each year an Award Ceremony is held in their honor. The NBRS Program is part of a larger U. S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices.

AREA OF CONSIDERATION: The Washington, DC Metropolitan area, including Maryland and Virginia hotels with ready access to public transportation options offered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Large hotels capable of blocking 600 or more sleeping rooms, plus meeting space that can accommodate 1000 - 1200 attendees in rounds, will be considered. The majority of lodging and conference rooms must be at the same general location. The Department will consider hotel partnering arrangements where sleeping room accommodations within close proximity of each other are proposed. At this time, there is no flexibility with the area of consideration.

NBRS CEREMONY GUEST ROOM ACCOMMODATION REQUIREMENTS:

ED requests the government rate or lower for the room block. Individual attendees are responsible for paying for their own rooms, incidentals and all taxes. Based on actual, historical room usage, requested block estimates are lower than anticipated actual pick up. ED requires the hotel to honor the quoted room rate three days before and two days after the blocked guestroom dates. Several guestrooms will be used before the main event days by attendees traveling from as far away as Hawaii and Alaska. Lead hotel may offer to partner with other hotel(s) in close proximity to the lead hotel for guest rooms only. All meeting space shall be available at the lead hotel.

KEY PERSONNEL

The vendor shall propose an Event Coordinator from the hotel with appropriate experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities to support the Department’s requirements as expressly stated in the RFQ. To ensure seamless coordination of the event, the Department’s in-house event planning and NBRS staff will work directly with the hotel’s Event Coordinator to organize and manage all aspects of service delivery throughout the contract.

MEETING SPACE, SET UP, FOOD AND BEVERAGE (F&B), AND A/V REQUIREMENTS:

Meeting space, set up, F&B, and A/V requirements for the conference are fully described in Appendix I. Below is a quick summary of space requirements. When applicable, some of the rooms can be reused for other purposes. ED reserves the right to utilize other than the in-house A/V provider for all A/V requirements.

Summary of Meeting Space Requirements for NBRS:

* Highlighted items must be available on the same day. However, offeror has the flexibility to offer Day 1 or 2 or both days to give the planners flexibility. ** Unless otherwise specified, space is needed for 24 hour hold. Offerors may repurpose identified space to meet group requirements

X

X

X

Will be used either on Day 1 or Day 2 – will confirm prior to finalizing hotel agreement

Will be used either on Day 1 or Day 2 – will confirm prior to finalizing hotel agreement

Will be used either on Day 1 or Day 2 – will confirm prior to finalizing hotel agreement

Will be used either on Day 1 or Day 2 – will confirm prior to finalizing hotel agreement

X

10am-1pm

Teacher of the Year Theater Style

X

Can be in a foyer space, but will require some highboys and small cocktail rounds with seating – will be on a flow

Quoters are advised that ED intends to use donated gift/sponsored funds to pay for breakfast and break F&B, which are subject to the availability or receipt of the gift funds. Final F&B requirements will be added to the contract AFTER funds are acquired. Meal periods are subject to change at the discretion of the event coordinators. Quotes shall include menus and special or reduced pricing for catering. Planned Meal Functions are:

FOOD AND BEVERAGE REQUIREMENTS

PREFERRED CONCESSIONS

The following concessions are requested. Quoters 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 load-in date through Day 3

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

· 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 keys to access staff rooms, registration area, storage, and general session space.

· Complimentary meeting room for 2 hours volunteer briefing and walkthrough. To include light refreshments (food and drink) provided by hotel.

· 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 -- Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (Dec 2019)

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. (Jan 2020)

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. EDAR 3452.243–70 Key personnel (MAR 2011)

(a) The personnel designated as key personnel in this contract are considered to be essential to the work being performed hereunder. Prior to diverting any of the specified individuals to other programs, or otherwise substituting any other personnel for specified personnel, the contractor shall notify the contracting officer reasonably in advance and shall submit justification (including proposed substitutions) in sufficient detail to permit evaluation of the impact on the contract effort. No diversion or substitution shall be made by the contractor without written consent of the contracting officer; provided, that the contracting officer may ratify a diversion or substitution in writing and that ratification shall constitute the consent of the contracting officer required by this clause. The contract shall be modified to reflect the addition or deletion of key personnel.

(b) The following personnel have been identified as Key Personnel in the performance of this contract:

Labor category: Hotel’s Event Coordinator assigned to 2023 NBRS Event

11. 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.

12. 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).

13. 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.).

14. 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).

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. Meeting Space: Any change of meeting space agreed to at contract award requires written permission from the Government.

19. 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.

20. 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 “The Washington, DC Metropolitan area, including Maryland and Virginia hotels with ready access to public transportation options offered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.”

· Ability to offer preferred dates; quoters that cannot provide services in November 2023 will not be considered. Quotes that can meet the “First Option” dates will be rated higher than those that can meet the “Second Option” or other option dates,

· Ability to meet all of the solicitation’s sleeping room, meeting space, and other requirements, including the breakout requirements shown in the section above titled “Summary of Meeting Space Requirements for NBRS”.

· 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

· Experience, skills, knowledge, and abilities of the assigned “Hotel Event Coordinator” [see Key Personnel clause]

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 included 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 names of the exact meeting rooms being offered. In addition, include descriptions, floorplans, capacities, set-up options, etc. and time of availability each day for each of the proposed rooms. Links to meeting space specs on hotel’s website are acceptable as long as exact meeting rooms being offered are identified in the quote. ED desires meeting spaces in close proximity to each other and that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

· 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

· Wi-Fi, 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

· Brief resume for the Key Personnel position “Hotel Event Coordinator”, that describes the directly related experience, qualifications, and certifications of the proposed Hotel Event Coordinator. Information provided should address the proposed personnel’s competencies and experience in performing work of similar size, scope and complexity to the requirements identified in the RFQ.

· A Cancellation clause or cancellation terms that include a sliding scale that reduces damages for earlier Cancellations and includes a commitment that the hotel will attempt to lessen its harm by reselling ED’s space and functions and credits any revenues received from the resale against the liquidated damages in the amount not to exceed the full amount of such damages.

· 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 UEI Number and Confirmation of active SAM.GOV Registration.

· Subcontract Management Plan (if the quoter is NOT a hotel) – close coordination between ED’s in-house event planners and the hotel is required, especially during the event. The quote shall provide details on how the offeror will coordinate and communicate with ED, the hotel, and any other identified subcontractors, such as an AV provider. If the quoter is not a hotel, the quoter shall provide a summary description of the management control system that will be used to plan, schedule, budget, manage, and report the accomplishments of this requirement. The plan should include procedures for effective management of project resources, procedures for controlling the quality of services delivered, and procedures for early identification of potential problems in carrying out delivery of services.

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.

The Cost/Price Quote shall include a completed Appendix II - RFQ Price Quote Worksheet.

CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS:

Submit all clarification questions concerning this solicitation in writing via E-Mail to Gary Weaver, Contracting Officer, at Gary.Weaver@ed.gov. ED will accept clarification questions until 11:00 am EST Thursday, January 5, 2023. After this date ED does not guarantee that a response will be given.

QUOTE DUE DATE:

Quotes are due by 11:00 am EST, Friday, January 13, 2023 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.

NBRS 2023 Conference – Hotel and Meeting Space RFQ Page 3