TMC-Pre-Quotation_Con.docx

PRE-QUOTATION CONFERENCE

March 14, 2014

This is the solicitation to procure Travel Management Services to the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, the Consulate General in Chiang Mai and U.S. Missions in Thailand. The Contractor shall provide corporate travel services for official domestic and international travel of Government employees and dependents.

This is the on-site services, the Contractor shall furnish managerial, administrative and direct labor personnel to accomplish all work as required in the contract at the U.S. Embassy. The contract is for one base year period with three option years upon the availability of funds.

Questions relevant to the TMC solicitation CO accepts only written questions and if you have any questions concerning the solicitation, please submit them to us via email address: Ying@state.gov or HoganJD@state.gov within March 28st or you can write them down and give to us after the conference. All questions and answers will be released to all prospective offerors , whether or not they attend, by posting on the FedBizOpps website under the “Other “Category. It is the same website: http//www.fbo.gov where the solicitation is now being posted.

-2-

The Scope of Work on page 7 The corporate travel services that the Contractor shall provide include:

-Travel reservations, issuance and delivery of tickets for air, rail bus;

-Reservations for lodging accommodations;

-Commercial automobile rental services;

-Assistance in obtaining passports, visas and advice regarding health requirements;

-Detailed traverlers’ itineraries;

-Management information and billing reports derived from the booking database;

-Automated reconciliation of travel charges incurred through the Government’s CBA accounts;

-Information pamphlets for Government travelers who use the contract.

-3- Section 1 Pricing (Page 5) The contractor will provide the firm fixed price fee for the base year and optional years. The contractor has to be ready for increases in all costs associated with inflation.

The Government shall pay the Contractor a transaction fee based on a fixed rate per transaction.

Valued Added Tax is not applicable to this contract. The tax exemption certificate is to be issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Section 4 (page 65) The Annual Estimated Number of Transaction

TRANSACTION DESCRIPTION ANNUAL EST NUMBER OF TRANSACTIONS

On-site Services – Domestic Transaction Fee _______1,500____________ On-Site Services –

-4-

2.0 Definitions (Page 8)

Fly America Act (Page 9) The Fly American Act requires Federal Employees and their dependents, consultants, contractors, grantees and other performing United States-financed air travel to travel by U.S. flag carriers.

Transaction – Issuance of a ticket for common carrier transportation, or changes to that ticket after issuance. Other travel reservations associated with the travel under that ticket, including but not limited to, hotel reservations, car, rental, and other traveler services, are not considered a transaction for purposed of charging a transaction fee.

Transaction Fee- Fee, charged by the Contractor, for issuance of a ticket for common carrier transportation or changes to that ticket, after issuance. Paragraph 17.0 addresses when a transaction fee may be charged for a transaction.

Travel Authorization – Document authorizing official Government travel.

3.2 Transportation

3.2.1 The contractor shall comply with mandatory Government programs for air travel. Except for the constraints of the “City Pairs” contract program noted below, and the Fly American Act, The Contractor shall book the lowest available fare that satisfies the agency’s mission requirements. If reservation made by the contractor are not at the lowest available rate allowed by policy, the Contractor shall refund the agency the difference.

3.2.2 City Pairs Program

3.2.2.1. GSA has awarded contracts to certain airlines for reduced air fares between numerous city/airport pairs. The contract air service (e.g., 'YCA', '_CA') is mandatory for official Government travel (which includes all travel funded by the Government), unless the Government approves the use of non-contract fares under the exceptions specified in the FTR. In cases of separate contract awards between specific airports in cities, the traveler may use the airport that best meets their needs without further justification. These contract fares may be obtained only with a GTR, a Government Travel Charge Card or a CBA.

-5-

17. Transaction Fee Procedures

17.2.1 When requested by the Government, the Contractor is required to arrange for transportation of one or more individuals. The Contractor may charge only one transaction fee per itinerary when the ticket is issued. When multiple people travel on the same order, each individual would have an itinerary. The (individual) itinerary could have multiply tickets, but only one transaction fee is charged (fee is not based on the number of tickets needed to complete the (individual) itinerary.

Section 2 (Page 45) The full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at:

http://acquisition.gov/far/index.html Firms must prevent such activities from occurring.

FAR 52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons (Feb 2009)

As prescribed in 22.1705(a), insert the following clause:

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause— “Coercion” means—

(1) Threats of serious harm to or physical restraint against any person;

(2) Any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; or

(3) The abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process.

“Commercial sex act” means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person.

“Debt bondage” means the status or condition of a debtor arising from a pledge by the debtor of his or her personal services or of those of a person under his or her control as a security for debt, if the value of those services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt or the length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined.

“Employee” means an employee of the Contractor directly engaged in the performance of work under the contract who has other than a minimal impact or involvement in contract performance.

“Forced Labor” means knowingly providing or obtaining the labor or services of a person—

(1) By threats of serious harm to, or physical restraint against, that person or another person;

-6-

(2) By means of any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause the person to believe that, if the person did not perform such labor or services, that person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint; or

(3) By means of the abuse or threatened abuse of law or the legal process.

“Involuntary servitude” includes a condition of servitude induced by means of—

(1) Any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that, if the person did not enter into or continue in such conditions, that person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint; or

(2) The abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process.

“Severe forms of trafficking in persons” means—

(1) Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or

(2) The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

“Sex trafficking” means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.

(b) Policy. The United States Government has adopted a zero tolerance policy regarding trafficking in persons. Contractors and contractor employees shall not—

(1) Engage in severe forms of trafficking in persons during the period of performance of the contract;

(2) Procure commercial sex acts during the period of performance of the contract; or

(3) Use forced labor in the performance of the contract.

(c) Contractor requirements. The Contractor shall—

(1) Notify its employees of—

(i) The United States Government’s zero tolerance policy described in paragraph (b) of this clause; and

(ii) The actions that will be taken against employees for violations of this policy. Such actions may include, but are not limited to, removal from the contract, reduction in benefits, or termination of employment; and

(2) Take appropriate action, up to and including termination, against employees or subcontractors that violate the policy in paragraph (b) of this clause.

(d) Notification. The Contractor shall inform the Contracting Officer immediately of—

(1) Any information it receives from any source (including host country law enforcement) that alleges a Contractor employee, subcontractor, or subcontractor employee has engaged in conduct that violates this policy; and

(2) Any actions taken against Contractor employees, subcontractors, or subcontractor employees pursuant to this clause.

(e) Remedies. In addition to other remedies available to the Government, the Contractor’s failure to comply with the requirements of paragraphs (c), (d), or (f) of this clause may result in—

-7-

(1) Requiring the Contractor to remove a Contractor employee or employees from the performance of the contract;

(2) Requiring the Contractor to terminate a subcontract;

(3) Suspension of contract payments;

(4) Loss of award fee, consistent with the award fee plan, for the performance period in which the Government determined Contractor non-compliance;

(5) Termination of the contract for default or cause, in accordance with the termination clause of this contract; or

(6) Suspension or debarment.

(f) Subcontracts. The Contractor shall include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (f), in all subcontracts.

(g) Mitigating Factor. The Contracting Officer may consider whether the Contractor had a Trafficking in Persons awareness program at the time of the violation as a mitigating factor when determining remedies. Additional information about Trafficking in Persons and examples of awareness programs can be found at the website for the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at http://www.state.gov/g/tip.

(End of clause) The System for Award Management (SAM) registration requirement There will be a requirement for SAM registration before award can be made so the prospective offerors should study guidance on this requirement. You may have problems registering into SAM and this applies to all acquisitions over $25K.

-Go to the link https://www.sam.gov

-8-

Section 3 (Page 60) Closely review the Instructions to Offerors 1.1.A completed solicitation, in which the SF1449 cover page (blocks 17, 19-24 and 30) and Section 1 has been filled out.

1.2. Information demonstrating the quoter’s ability to perform and meet the solicitation requirement. 1.2.8. (1) List of clients over the past __two__years, demonstrating prior experience with relevant past performance information and references (provide dates of contracts, places of performance, value of contracts, contact names, telephone and fax numbers and email addresses. In addition, the client’s contact person may be asked to comment on the offeror’s:

· Quality of services provided under the contract;

· Compliance with contract terms and conditions;

· Effectiveness of management;

· Willingness to cooperate with and assist the customer in routine matters, and when confronted by unexpected difficulties; and

· Business integrity / business conduct.

The Government will use past performance information primarily to assess an offeror’s capability to meet the solicitation performance requirements.

(2) Evidence that the offeror/quoter can provide the necessary personnel, equipment, and financial resources needed to perform the work;

(3) The offeror shall address its plan to obtain all licenses and permits required by local law (see DOSAR 652.242-73 in Section 2). If offeror already possesses the locally required licenses and permits, a copy shall be provided.

(4) The offeror’s strategic plan for Travel services

-9-

Section 4 (Page 65)

Award will be made to the quoter which quotes the lowest transaction fees, as determined by the procedures outlined in paragraph 3.0. The quoter shall submit a completed solicitation, including Section 1 and 5.

The Offer Due Date is on April 18th at 15:00 hrs.

Submissions via Hardcopy:

Submissions via hardcopy (original and three copies, including all supporting documents) shall be sent to the U.S. Embassy address as indicated in Block 9 of the SF-1449.

Submission via E-Commerce (Email) :

Submission transmitted through electronic commerce (original, including all supporting documents) can be sent to the following email address:

BKKGSOProcBid@state.gov

For electronic submissions for TMC, the offerors have to submit one day prior to the submission date required for hard copy submissions.

Ref FAR clause 52.212-1 (b)(11)(2)(i)(A)

PLEASE BE INFORMED THAT ANY STATEMENTS MADE DURING THIS CONFERENCE DO NOT CHANGE THE SOLICITATION. ALL CHANGES WILL BE MADE BY WRITTEN AMENDMENT TO THE SOLICITATION ONLY.