Formal_Questions__Answers___FINAL_Part_II.pdf

Travel Management Services

Solicitation No.: S-CO200-16-Q-0002

Formal Question & Answers – Q&As from Vendors

May 24, 2016

PART II

Question #70: Please confirm whether as suppliers in this process it is necessary for the registration to SAM, if so; please indicate how can we register.

Answer: For SAM, this is a mandatory registration and you must show evidence in your proposal that you have registered in SAM. It is free of charge to register your company in SAM. Here is the link to register your company in SAM:

https://www.sam.gov

Question #71: Please clarify which aspects as a service company we must apply (abide) as by reviewing the document the mentioned aspects apply only to other economic activities.

Answer: We do not understand your question.

Question #72: Observation: SECTION 5 - REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS:

Kindly let us know which are the items that should be filled out in this section.

Answer: Each company must fill in those spaces that apply to its business size and legal structure.

Question #73: Observation: Item 22.0 “Note: The Contractor's employees should be engaged in a mandatory local health compensation plan." We kindly request you to elaborate on this point by indicating if this section refers to a compensation plan that is additional to the mandatory social security in Colombia.

Answer: Contractor employees must be enrolled to a mandatory local health compensation plan.

Question #74: Observation: Please let us know if licenses such as National Tourism Record, IATA, among others, should be translated for the submission of the proposal.

Answer: This is not a mandatory requirement of the solicitation.

Embassy of the United States of America

Bogotá, D.C., Colombia

GSO/ Contracting Unit https://www.sam.gov/

Question #75: Observation: Kindly inform us if the experience certifications issued by our clients to whom we have provided services similar to those requested by the

Embassy should be translated.

Answer: Yes, English is the prevailing language for this solicitation.

Question #76: Observation: Please inform us the approximate number of proceedings related to documentation that should be carried out per year and if the service is required at a national level.

Answer: We do not understand your question.

Question #77: Observation: Taking into account that the SAM registration process takes 14 days to report the registration, we kindly request you to inform us what should we attach to the proposal as a guarantee of completing the registration.

Answer: Please include registration evidence.

Question #78: Observation: Since “OUR COMPANY” is a company owned by natural and legal persons, are we under this classification? This regarding paragraph p, item 1:

Ownership or Control of Offeror. (Applies in all solicitations when there is a requirement to be registered in SAM or a requirement to have a DUNS Number in the solicitation.)

The Offeror represents that it o has or o does not have an immediate owner. If the

Offeror has more than one immediate owner (such as a joint venture), then the

Offeror shall respond to paragraph (2) and if applicable, paragraph (3) of this provision for each participant in the joint venture.

If the Offeror indicates “has” in paragraph (p)(1) of this provision, enter the following information:

Immediate owner CAGE code: ____________________. Immediate owner legal name: _____________________.

(Do not use a “doing business as” name)

Is the immediate owner owned or controlled by another entity: □ Yes or □ No.

If the Offeror indicates “yes” in paragraph (p)(2) of this provision, indicating that the immediate owner is owned or controlled by another entity, then enter the following information:

Highest-level owner CAGE code: __________________. Highest-level owner legal name: ___________________.

(Do not use a “doing business as” name)

Answer: Each company must fill in those spaces that apply to its business size and legal structure. Please refer to this link to make sure what registrations apply to each company https://www.acquisition.gov/far/html/Subpart%204_18.html https://www.acquisition.gov/far/html/Subpart%204_18.html

Question #79: Observation: Kindly clarify what is the CAGE code in the SAM registration request form and in section 5 Declarations and Certificates and how is it obtained since we are currently carrying out the registration and it is requested by the same paragraph p, item 1 - Ownership or Control of Offeror. (Applies in all solicitations when there is a requirement to be registered in SAM or a requirement to have a DUNS Number in the solicitation.)

The Offeror represents that it o has or o does not have an immediate owner. If the Offeror has more than one immediate owner (such as a joint venture), then the Offeror shall respond to paragraph (2) and if applicable, paragraph (3) of this provision for each participant in the joint venture.

If the Offeror indicates “has” in paragraph (p)(1) of this provision, enter the following information:

Immediate owner CAGE code: ____________________. Immediate owner legal name: _____________________.

(Do not use a “doing business as” name)

Is the immediate owner owned or controlled by another entity: □ Yes or □ No.

If the Offeror indicates “yes” in paragraph (p)(2) of this provision, indicating that the immediate owner is owned or controlled by another entity, then enter the following information:

Highest-level owner CAGE code: __________________. Highest-level owner legal name: ___________________.

(Do not use a “doing business as” name)

Answer: Refer to question #79.

Question #80: Observation: SAM Registration. V. Goods and Services. 2. “Do you wish to enter

Disaster Relief Data for your entity? If yes, additional information may be required.” Please clarify what does this section refers to.

Answer: The System for Award Management is a system that is not administered directly by the US Embassy Bogotá, concerning these inquiries please refer to this link and obtain Online Help: https://fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do

Question #81: Observation: SAM Registration. “V. Goods and Services. 5. For products designated by the Environmental Protection Agency and provided by your company, does the percentage of recovered material content meet the applicable

EPA guidelines?” Kindly let us know if this request applies to Travel Agencies.

Answer: Refer to question #80.

Question #82: Observation: SAM Registration: “V. Goods and Services. 13. Is your company participating in a Joint Venture with any HUBZone businesses? Please provide further explanation on HUBZone businesses.

https://fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do

Question #83: Observation: SAM Registration: “V. Goods and Services. 17. Has your company held previous contracts/subcontracts subject to the Equal Opportunity Act?

Kindly elaborate on this section.

Question #84: Observation: SAM Registration: “V. Goods and Services.23. Does your company represent prices set in this contract are controlled by a foreign government and don't include contingency allowances to pay for possible increases in wage rates or material prices? Kindly provide more information on what is required in this section. Travel agencies charge an administrative fee in accordance with Civil

Aviation Authority's Resolution Nº 03596 of 2006.

Question #85: Observation: SAM Registration: “V. Goods and Services. (C) Does your company ensure that each employee performing these services will only spend a small portion of their time (average of 20% or less, either monthly or throughout the duration of the contract) servicing the Government contract? Kindly extend the information to which this section refers. Since we are a Travel Agency with dedicated personnel, we notice that more than 20% would be providing the ser-vice, consequently, would it be correct to answer No?

Question #86: Observation: SAM Registration: “V. Good and Services 19. Has your company filed all required Equal Employment Opportunity compliance reports? Please clarify what are you referring to.

Question #87: Observation: SAM Registration: “V. Good and Services 20. Has your company held previous contracts subject to affirmative action program requirements?

Please clarify what are you referring to.

Question #88: Observation: Registro SAM: “V. Good and Services 21. Has your company developed and have on file affirmative action programs required by your

Secretary of State? Please clarify what are you referring to.

Question #89: Observation: Personnel: Kindly inform us which resumes of the required personnel, according to numbers 7.0 to 7.5 and 20.0, must be included in the tender.

Depending on your answer to the above point, please inform us, as from which date can the resumes for the study of security be delivered to the American

Embassy? considering that during the introduction session we were told that the screening and clearance process for the staff to be approved by the American

Embassy takes at least 3 months.

Answer: Resumes of all Contractor personnel providing services under this contract are required.

Question #90: Delivery of Proposal: Please inform us, what the procedure will be to enter the

American Embassy on the day of the tender, since we have been directed to personally deliver it to Mrs. Nancy J. Brant, General Service Office - GSO, according to the information given in the introduction session?

Answer: Submit your quotation in a sealed envelope marked "Quotation Enclosed" to the

U.S. Embassy – Bogotá, Attention: Nancy J. Brant, General Services Office –

GSO, Carrera 45 No. 24B-27, on or before 1600 hours, local time on June 10, 2016. No proposal will be accepted after this time.