Sources Sought - Event Planning Srvs FY2027.docx

SOURCES SOUGHT

W9126G-26-N-OSBP

Industry Day Event Planning Services, Fort Worth, TX

US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

FORT WORTH DISTRICT

SOURCES SOUGHT

Notice Number: W9126G-27-N-OSBP Project Title: Industry Day FY2027 Event Planning Services, Fort Worth, TX Agency: US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Fort Worth District

1. 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.gov 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.

2. INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND

The USACE, Fort Worth District conducts Government-Industry Engagement events on an annual basis, in coordination with the Office of Small Business Programs, to publicize upcoming business, forecast opportunities, and gauge the interest, capabilities, and qualifications of industry. To ensure these events continue to meet our high standards, USACE is seeking a professional planning organization (for-profit event planning company or non-profit organization) to plan and conduct these events.

NAICS Code: 561920 - Convention and Trade Show Organizers (Small Business Size Standard: $20M).

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

The "No-Cost Contract" Framework:

The anticipated strategy is to utilize an innovative “No-Cost Contract” revenue framework or a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). A Contractor would be responsible for providing all services necessary to plan and conduct these events at No-Cost to the Government. The Contractor will be liable for all costs related to the performance of the contract. As consideration, the Contractor will be entitled to retain all collected event fees (registration, exhibition booth, sponsorship, etc.), provided the government's liability for payment remains zero.

3. EVENT OVERVIEW

Target Timeframe: February or March 2027 (Q2 of FY27) to allow industry to plan for federal FY27 acquisition procurements. Note: The Offeror must ensure the date does not coincide with local DFW Metroplex Spring Breaks, major sporting events, or major entertainment events.

Estimated Duration of Service: 180 calendar days for planning, publicity, managing the two-day event, and post-event deliverables. Planning may begin six months to one year in advance.

Event Hours: At least eight hours on a single weekday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (CST). Preparation hours may occur before 8:00 AM and after 5:00 PM.

Place of Performance (Day 1): Fort Worth, Texas Metroplex. Preference for ease of access to/from DFW International Airport and downtown Fort Worth.

Place of Performance (Day 2): USACE Fort Worth District Headquarters, 819 Taylor Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102.

Anticipated Challenges:

1. Securing venue occupancy for 500+ attendees.

2. Adequate parking space for attendees.

3. Booking the venue 6 to 12 months in advance to promote the event.

4. Providing AV equipment for in-person presentations with possible internet wi-fi connectivity.

4. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (SOO)

4.1 Event Coordination & Logistics

The Contractor is expected to plan, promote, coordinate, and manage a Two-Day Government-Industry Engagement Event for approximately 500 attendees and 50 USACE Government employees.

Day 1: "Presentation Day" (9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Social 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM):

· Government presentations will be conducted hourly.

· Event sponsors receive a 5-minute time allowance for promotional speeches between government presentations.

· Networking and visiting sponsor booths will remain open concurrently throughout the presentations and lunch break.

· The Contractor will coordinate all room logistics, AV (projectors/computers), room monitors, food/beverage support, wayfinding signage, and parking.

Day 2: "1-on-1 Meeting Day" (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at 819 Taylor Street):

Texas Conference Room (Occupancy 200): Dedicated to MATOC holder networking booths. Due to space constraints, booths consist of standard 6-foot tabletop displays only (no large pop-ups). Maximum capacity is 20 booths located along the outer surrounding walls.

· Booth Priority: Active Small Business (SB) MATOC holders will be offered the first opportunity during the 1st week of registration. Large Business (LB) MATOC holders will follow until maximum capacity is reached.

Fort Worth Conference Room (Occupancy 150): Dedicated strictly to scheduled One-on-One meetings to maintain a quieter environment.

Open Networking (4:00 PM to 5:00 PM): A wind-down/open mingling session will conclude the day, consolidating attendees into the Fort Worth Conference Room.

4.2 Registration, Sponsorship & Publicity

Registration Management: Handle all aspects of registration, including pre-event registration, serving as the POC for questions, hosting the event website, managing same-day registration, processing credit card payments, and operating the check-in table for name badges.

Sponsorship Pricing: Propose a package of conference registration and sponsorship fees for USACE approval. Entities must strike a balance between profit and affordability for small businesses. Parking costs must be included within the registration fees.

Sponsorship Ethics: Portions of the event may be sponsored, but there must be no appearance of a government employee being sponsored by a private entity.

Publicity: Develop electronic flyers, event programs, and materials for USACE to distribute through SAM.gov, district websites, and other media. Collect all presentations in advance and stage them on laptops in the appropriate presentation room(s).

4.3 Reporting & Deliverables

Registration Form Data Capture: The electronic attendee registration form must include a drop-down box ("X marks the spot") for contractors to identify all applicable categories, to include specific federally recognized, SBA-certified socio-economic subcategories, and other: SB, SDB, 8(a), ANC/NHO/Tribe, HUBZone, VOSB, SDVOSB, WOSB, LB, Govt/Other.

Post-Event Attendee List: After the event, provide a sortable/filterable Excel spreadsheet, presented alphabetically by entity name, containing the following columns:

Entity Name Entity State of Incorporation (per SAM.gov) UEI Number or CAGE Code Primary NAICS code Columns for all 10 categories listed above Ticket Holder Attendee Name, Job Title, and Email Address

Logistics Coordination: Serve as the single POC between USACE and the venue. Conduct at least one pre-conference walkthrough and one after-action debrief. Provide an "Items List" of deliverables between the Contractor and Government.

5. REGULATORY & COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS

Limitations on Subcontracting (FAR 52.219-14): A firm will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities.

System for Award Management (SAM): Offerors must be active in SAM to be eligible for award, including documenting Sec. 889 Compliance (FAR 52.204-24, 52.204-25, 52.204-26).

SPRS: The Supplier Performance Risk System must be updated prior to an award in accordance with DFARS 204.7303(b)(1), DFARS 204.7304(e), DFARS 252.204-7020, DoDI 5000.79.

Small Business Subcontracting: Should this action be solicited as Full and Open Competition, Large Businesses must comply with FAR 52.219-9 by submitting an acceptable Small Business Subcontracting Plan (If applicable).

6. RESPONSE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS (Eligibility)

Prior Government contract work is not required to respond; however, respondents must comply with all Federal, State, and local laws. The anticipated solicitation may be issued on or about September 2026.

Required Questionnaire:

Your submission response must address the following seven (7) items:

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

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

3. Has your company managed a staffing team to organize these services in the past? If so, provide details.

4. What specific technical skills does your company possess which ensure capability to perform the services?

5. Provide your small/large business size status, UEI number, and/or CAGE Code as registered in SAM.gov.

6. Indicate whether you qualify as a Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, 8(a), WOSB, HUBZone, or SDVOSB.

7. You must include a statement confirming that you understand a resulting federal contract or MOA would be awarded at no-cost to the Government, and that your firm will be entitled to retain collected event fees provided there is zero cost to the Government.

DISCLAIMER

Submission Formatting:

· Responses are limited to 20 pages (including capability statement).

· Submissions must be in PDF format (compatible with Adobe Acrobat).

· Deadline: August 14, 2026 by 5:00 PM Central Standard Time.

· Delivery: Email is the only authorized method for receiving responses.

Email to: Christina J. Frey at Christina.J.Frey@usace.army.mil

Copy (CC): Alisa Marshall at Alisa.Marshall@usace.army.mil

Subject Line MUST read:

"Response to Sources Sought W9126G-27-N-OSBP: [Insert Company Name]"

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, is required to conduct industry days in coordination with the Office of Small Business Programs on an annual basis. To comply with this requirement USACE needs to hire additional resources for event planning services.

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 to provide Event Planning Services at No-Cost to the Government. An entity would be responsible to provide everything necessary to perform these event planning services for this industry day, i.e. plan, organize, coordinate, perform labor at venue on day of event, and provide post event information and reports to the USACE, Fort Worth District.

The entity (contractor) will be reimbursed for these services by collecting payment from registration ticket sales, exhibition booth, sponsorship and or other fees collected for event as payment for performance under the no cost contract/MOA, but not by the Government.

The Contractor is 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.

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (SOO): 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 (lunch and afternoon snacks), way finding signage, parking, name badges. (Govt. Employee Lunch fee not included)

4. Collect all presentations in advance of the event and stage on the computers in the appropriate rooms.

5. Publicity for the event (including flyers and materials for use by the 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 Fort Worth District and the venue support staff for planning walk-throughs and issues surfacing on the day of the event. Effort should include at least two pre-conference walk-throughs with the Fort Worth District staff and one after action debrief session.

8. All detailed items associated for event: Items List from Contractor to provide to Govt.

9. All detailed items associated for event: Items List from Govt to provide to Contractor.

10. Proposed package of conference registration sponsorship fees may be approved by the 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 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 eight 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 400 attendees, and post event after action items (Attendee List sorted by Small Business and Large Business, Govt/Other Agencies).

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 Headquarter 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 to not hold event 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 ensure capability to perform the services?

5.) Provide a statement including current small/large business status and entity registration status in the System for Award Management () 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 would be reimbursed for services by event ticket sales, sponsorship sales and not by 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 issues 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 18 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.