Sources Sought-Event Planning Services FY2026.docx

SOURCES SOUGHT

W9126G-26-N-OSBP

Industry Day Event Planning Services, Fort Worth, TX

US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

FORT WORTH DISTRICT

DISCLAIMER

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT notice; a market research survey for information only, to be used for preliminary planning purposes. This is NOT a Solicitation for Proposals and NO Contract will be awarded from this notice. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information or industry response to this notice or any follow up information requests. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions to this response. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future procurement. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized in the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov. It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor the SAM Website for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

The acquisition strategy will be determined based on responses received from this notice and or other market research methods. The planned acquisition strategy may be posted in SAM upon completion of market research analysis.

The purpose of this notice is to gain knowledge of interest, capabilities and qualifications of industry, to include the Small Business Community: Small Business, Section 8(a) Small Business, Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUB-Zone) Small Business, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), or Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB). All small businesses are highly encouraged to respond.

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Fort Worth District is issuing this sources sought synopsis as a means of conducting market research to identify entities having experience and resources to support and provide the requirements for Event Planning Services. An interested entity may be a for profit event planning company or a non-profit organization with experience in conducting similar sized events.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this service is 561920 Convention and Trade Show Organizers which has a small business size standard of $20M.

The Product Service Code is R708 Support-Management: Public Relations (Includes Event Planning and Management).

BACKGROUND REQUIREMENT

The USACE, Fort Worth District, conducts Government-Industry Engagement events, in coordination with the Office of Small Business Programs on an annual basis, to publicize upcoming business, forecast opportunities, and gauge the interest, capabilities, and qualifications of industry. To ensure that these events continue to meet our high standards, the USACE, Fort Worth District has determined that it may be in the best interest of the Government to contract with one or more professional planning organizations to plan and conduct these events.

The anticipated resource strategy is to award a No-Cost Contract for Event Planning Services. Or facilitate a Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) with an entity (Contractor) to provide Event Planning Services at No-Cost to the Government. A Contractor would be responsible to provide all services necessary to plan and conduct these events, including performing labor at the venue on the day of the event, and providing post-event information and reports to the USACE, Fort Worth District.

A Contractor will be liable for all costs related to the performance of the contract as defined in the contract and the government’s liability for payment of services under a no-cost contract is zero.

As consideration, a Contractor will be entitled to all of the fees collected for the event, including registration, exhibition booth, sponsorship, etc., provided there is no cost to the Government.

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (SOO): A Contractor would be expected to meet the following objectives:

1. Host a day-long Government-Industry Engagement event to allow the Fort Worth District to publicize their upcoming business forecast opportunities to approximately 350-400 attendees along with 30 USACE Govt. employees.

2. Develop the event program in coordination with the Fort Worth District, Office of Small Business Programs and provide an agenda for use in publicity efforts. The program historically has presentations in a large room from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm followed by one-on-one meeting sessions from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

3. Coordinate all logistics for the event to include room and audio-visual (projectors and computers), room monitors, food and beverage support, way finding signage, parking, name badges.

4. Collect all presentations in advance of the event and stage on the computers in the appropriate room(s).

5. Publicity for the event (including flyers and materials for use by the USACE, Fort Worth District for distribution through SAM.gov, district websites, and or other available media means).

6. Handle all aspects of event registration to include pre-event registration, point of contact for questions, website for event, same-day registration, and credit card payment ability, registration table to track attendees and hand out name badges.

7. Have a single point of contact between the USACE, Fort Worth District and the venue support staff for planning walk-throughs and addressing issues surfacing on the day of the event. Effort should include at least two pre-conference walk-throughs with the USACE, Fort Worth District staff and one after action debrief session.

8. Furnish a detailed list of expected items to be provided by the Government to the Contractor.

9. Furnish a detailed list of expected items to be provided by the Contractor to the Government.

10. Proposed package of conference registration sponsorship fees may be approved by the USACE, Fort Worth District. Entities should strike a balance between profit and affordability by small business to participate in the event.

11. Portions of the event may be sponsored but there should be no appearance of a government employee being sponsored by a private entity.

Small Businesses are reminded under FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting. For Services: Firm will not pay more than 50 percent of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities. Any work that a similarly situated entity further subcontracts will count towards the prime contractor's 50 percent subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. When a contract includes both services and supplies, the 50 percent limitation shall apply only to the service portion of the contract.

CHALLENGES MAY BE:

1. Venue occupancy room capacity to hold up to 400-450 people.

2. Parking for event attendees.

3. Schedule, Book, or Make Reservation of venue at least six months and or up to one year in advance of actual date of event to promote event on social media.

4. Equipment requirements are audio visual equipment for in-person presentations with possible virtual internet capabilities for tele-communications (MS Teams Video conference accessibilities).

5. Ideal time frame of the year that does not coincide with spring break, professional sporting events, or other major public events.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Planning purposes may be up to one year in advance of event date.

Day of event will consist of at least nine hours on a single weekday, from 8 AM to 5 PM (Central Time Zone).

Estimated duration of service is 180 calendar days (Planning, publicity, managing a 1-Day Event for up to 450 attendees, and post event after action items (Attendee List sorted by Small Business and Large Business, Govt/Other Agencies). NOTE: The service duration in the actual solicitation may be subject to change.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Fort Worth, Texas Metroplex. With preference to ease of access to and from the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport, and the Fort Worth District Main Headquarters Office located in downtown Fort Worth, TX 76102.

EVENT DATE TIME FRAME

The months of February or March 2026 is the ideal time frame for this event. These months are identified in the Federal Government as the 2nd Quarter in a fiscal year (FY). This time frame allows industry to plan for federal FY2026 acquisition procurements. NOTE: Offeror should research when local DFW Metroplex Schools and Colleges have Spring Break so the event is not held during this time.

ELIGIBILITY

Responses to this sources sought synopsis will address the following items:

1.) What type of work has your company or organization performed in the past in support of the same or similar requirement?

2.) Has your company managed a service of this magnitude? If so, please provide details.

3.) Has your company managed a team to organize these services before? If so, provide details.

4.) What specific technical skills does your company possess which ensures capability to perform these services?

5.) Provide a statement including current small/large business status and entity registration status in the System for Award Management (www.sam.gov) to include UEI number and CAGE Code.

6.) Respondents to this notice must indicate whether they also qualify as a Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, 8(a) Small Business, Women-Owned Small Business, HUBZone Small Business, or Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern.

7.) Respondents shall include a statement that they understand that a resulting contract or Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) would be awarded at no-cost to the Government. Contractor will be entitled to retain all of the fees collected for the event, including registration, exhibition booth, sponsorship, etc., provided there is no cost to the Government.

Should this action be solicited as Full and Open Competition (commonly known as Unrestricted), a Small Business Participation Plan will be identified as an evaluation factor in the solicitation. Large Business(es) must comply with FAR 52.219-9 by submitting an acceptable Small Business Subcontracting Plan.

Prior Government contract work is not required for submitting a response to this synopsis. However, respondents are reminded that all services must comply with all Federal, State and local laws, ordinances, codes and/or regulations.

Anticipated solicitation may be issued on or about September 2025. The official synopsis citing the solicitation number will be issued at the Government Point of Entry for Federal Contracts as required.

Responses to this Synopsis shall be limited to 20 pages and shall include the contractor’s capability statement and responses to all questions above.

This announcement and all information will be issued via the Government Point of Entry, Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment and Offerors must be active in SAM to be eligible for award of Government contracts, including documenting Sec. 889 Compliance in SAM that include FAR 52.204-24 and FAR 52.204-25. Contracting will verify the 889(a) and (b) compliance – per FAR 52.204-26. Award cannot be issued for non-compliance until SAM Registration is complete, otherwise offerors will not be eligible for award.

The Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) is the Department of Defense, single, authorized application to retrieve supplier performance information. SPRS is a web-enabled enterprise application that gathers, processes, and displays data about the performance of suppliers and must be completed prior to an award in accordance with DFARS 204.7303(b)(1), DFARS 204.7304(e), DFARS 252.204-7020, DoDI 5000.79. Review NIST SP 800-171 for further information.

Respond to this Notice no later than 25 August 2025 by 5PM Central Standard Time. Email response to Christina J. Frey at Christina.J.Frey@usace.army.mil and Alisa Marshall at Alisa.Marshall@usace.army.mil.

Email is the Preferred Method when Receiving Responses to this Notice.