W50S7T-22-Q-0003_Questions and Answers dated 16Feb22.pdf

Contractor Questions through 16 Feb 2022 Hotel Lodging

Solicitation # W50S7T-22-Q-0003

QUESTION 1: Attached please find our capability statement. If you have any question, feel free to contact us at your convenience and I hope to earn your trust?

Answer: It is not the Government’s intent to hold discussions. The Government intends to award to the lowest price technically acceptable quote.

QUESTION 2: My question is, if Government accepting bids from third party companies?

Answer: You are correct. We have utilized the local hotels without a 3rd party for many years.

Many of the rates we have are well below the GSA maximum rate. In addition, these 3-4 new hotels will compete with the current BPA holders. The Contracting Officer’s Representative is directed to fill the rooms from the lowest price to the highest price with the availability that is provided by each of the BPA holders.

QUESTION 3: Clause 1.7 Room availability section 1.7.1 is asking for the hotel to provide minimum 20 rooms as doubles and since it is the pandemic we can do singles. But once it goes back to normal we must provide minimum 20 doubles, if the hotel doesn’t have the doubles then 2 singles must be provided at no additional charge, is this meaning that we provide 2 rooms but charge for 1 room, in case we do not have enough doubles?. Basically we must hold those 20 rooms at all times. But the BPAs are based on hotel’s room availability and if the hotel doesn’t have the rooms required by Government they do not have to provide it. How do we overcome this conflict, which one the rules apply to this BPA as far as availability is concerned?

Answer: The minimum held is 20 rooms regardless of whether it is 20 singles or 20 doubles. As for the pandemic requirements, that is dictated by the current pandemic policy within the state and not the hotel. We are currently utilizing double rooms. The BPA awardees will receive a listing of our regularly scheduled drills upon award. For your own planning purposes, this is normally the first weekend of the month unless a holiday is in conjunction and then it moves to the 2nd weekend of the month. The hotels do not have to maintain 20 rooms at all times.

However, the hotel is required to block rooms for the dates that will be provided until 3 weeks prior. We can work with the each hotel/ contractor to fine tune this process. It states that these days will be provided at a later date within the terms and conditions. The intent of this section is to say that the price of single and/ or a double room will stay the same not how many rooms that are being let.

QUESTION 4: The RFP states - The hotel is required to utilize double occupancy to the fullest extent possible once the COVID-19 pandemic event is concluded. Has the pandemic concluded in IL?

Answer: The pandemic is not concluded in IL. However, we’re having persons stay in double occupancy rooms until prior to the recent surge in COVID cases. This will be on a month to month basis.

QUESTION 5: Are the Calls in the for seeable future be single occupancy room requests, even if there are 2 beds in the room?

Answer: No.

QUESTION 6: Is the budget or per diem rate per occupant or per room, for this contract? For example for a double occupancy room could the rate be double per diem and single rooms be just per diem?

Answer: The answer is neither. The per diem rate applies to each stay per night. A stay can have either one or two persons that stay each night but the nightly rate cannot exceed the cost per stay. The rate cannot be double per diem. We are not reimbursed in this way unless the members are on active duty. These lodging stays are not on active duty, but on inactive duty orders.

QUESTION 7: If you can forward my email to the corresponding manager or department, I know we can be of great help with any other deployment travel needs. Under our umbrella we carry hotels of all sizes and brands, allow me to provide you our coverage.

Answer: We are currently accepting quotes only. We are not conducting discussions with those hotels or entities. You are more than welcome to submit a quote if you believe that you can be competitive with the local hotel rates.

QUESTION 8: Is this a total of 250 – 300 for a year?

Answer: No. There are 250 – 300 nights of lodging but that is spread over all of the current and upcoming lodging BPAs and the total covers both Friday and Saturday nights as stated. This is per month

QUESTION 9: And how far in advance would I know how many double rooms versus single rooms?

Answer: The drill order is normally issued out every year in the July or August timeframe for the next 15 months. After the initial 3-6 months after BPA award, the contractor is expected to have enough rooms blocked aside for at least the minimum mandatory requirement. The drill order will be provided to the contractor/ hotel upon BPA award.

QUESTION 10: I am assuming that because Covid 19 restrictions are still in effect, the quoted price is going to be for all single rooms, correct?

Answer: No. The Covid restrictions are not still in effect. All 182AW members have been fully vaccinated. The only personnel that will require single rooms are those of a specific rank as outlined within the terms and conditions or stated by lodging representatives. For estimation purposes, the double occupancy rooms should be used.

QUESTION 11: And, will the reservists have their own masks, or will the contractor need to supply these for every stay?

Answer: All members are directed to follow the state’s current mask mandates. All members are instructed to have their face masks on within common/public areas. There is no requirement for a contractor to provide masks unless they already do so for the general public.

QUESTION 12: Would all reservists be arriving around the same time on Friday and leaving on Sunday check-out time?

Answer: No. Members work all different types of hours. However, this information will only be provided to the awardees.

QUESTION 13: I wanted to introduce myself and, see if you had any upcoming need for the Chicago area. We would love the opportunity to work with you.

Answer: We will never have any requirements in those areas.

QUESTION 14: I am a federal contractor and an event planner. On this opportunity, to successfully submit offers, do I just send each hotels rates and any applicable taxes and fees, -along with my government contractor details (DUNS#, CAGE#, …)?

Answer: If you would like to send either something on your company letterhead with the hotel rates plus HOOT tax and fees for the total hotel rate. Yes. We will also need your DUNS number or CAGE code in order to make a BPA award. Please ensure that you have submitted your quote on time according to the solicitation posting.

QUESTION 15: Is the HOOT tax, the hotel tax?

Answer: No. The HOOT tax stands for the Hotel Operator’s Occupation Tax. This is an excise tax within IL. There are different percentages for state and city. These must be included in the rate quote. Normally, each hotel already knows what these different rates are. The rates are not all the same.

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