Expo Pavilion Food and Beverage

This Sources Sought Notice is posted under SAM.gov, under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 722310 Food Service Contractors.

This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes - it does not constitute a Request for Quotation (RFQ), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFQ, IFB or RFP in the future. This notice does not commit the U.S. Government to contract for any supply or service. Further, the U.S. Government is not seeking quotes, bids or proposals at this time and will not accept unsolicited proposals in response to this notice. The U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this notice. Submittals will not be returned to the responder. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future RFQ, IFB, or RFP, if any is issued.

Please see attached Statement of Objectives (SOO) for specific requirements and details.

Responding to this Sources Sought

• Responses are limited to no more than 20 pages in length, single spaced and 12 point, Calibri font, demonstrating its capabilities in reference to this requirement. The Government prefers that your firm submit its response in Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, or a combination of both and the document must be searchable. The capability package shall be sent by email to: Contracting Officer Alexander Bring (BringAG@state.gov)
• Please identify the following about your company:
  • Name of Company, Unique Entity ID (UEI), and CAGE Code
  • Point of contact name, phone number, and email address
  • Business Type:
    • Small Business
    • Small Disadvantaged Business
    • 8(a) – certified Small Disadvantaged Business
    • HUBZone
    • Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB)
    • Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
    • Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB)
    • Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business (EDWOSB)
    • Other than small business
• The Government expects that both parties will receive mutual benefit from the performance of this contract.  The costs that will be incurred are expected to fall broadly under two categories.  The first category consists of costs associated with the sale of meals to the visitors of the Expo.  Here, the contractor has an opportunity to sell the meals, at a reasonable profit, exclusively on behalf of the U.S. Pavilion.  Consistent with the goal of establishing acquisition policies more closely resembling those of the commercial marketplace (see FAR 12.000), the Government does not intend to compensate the contractor for such costs.  These costs include: non-management level staff payroll (cooks, dishwashers, bartenders, servers, etc.), food and beverage supply, consumables/disposables.  The second category of costs are those for which the contractor has no opportunity for recompense from visitors to the Expo.  These costs include: Materials and equipment, catering supplies and equipment, uniforms, culinary diplomacy services, staff meals, support for the Commissioner General, etc.  For such costs the Government will provide compensation. In order to strengthen the resulting requirement, the Government is requesting the following information from industry: 1) provide feedback on the feasibility of providing meals to the visitors of the Expo without the financial support of the Government; 2) provide input on how to best structure the costs that fall under the second category, above.”
• Responses should provide brief examples of relevant experience, within the last five (5) years, that demonstrates your company’s capabilities and business capacity to perform the requirements included in the attached Statement of Objectives.   
• Respondents should address the following in their responses:
  • Ability and experience to develop a theme, concept, and menu for a public, casual restaurant and take-away window.  Include a biography of the proposed Executive Chef and Food & Beverage Director (U.S. citizenship required).
  • Ability and experience to develop a concept and menu for private catering and events.
  • Ability and experience to develop a supply-chain and procurement strategy to ensure fresh, high-quality ingredients and U.S. exports in compliance with all local import laws and food storage requirements.
  • Ability and experience to develop a hiring strategy and employ qualified staff for all kitchen, restaurant, and catering services, including cooks, dishwashers, bartenders, bussers, and servers. 
  • Ability and experience to develop and procure a mobile-ordering platform that integrates with the POS and allows sit-down diners as well as take-away customers to prepay and order food and beverage.
  • Ability and experience to develop an overall culinary diplomacy strategy to highlight American food and beverages, both at the USA Pavilion and across the Expo site.  Please include a statement pertaining to your capabilities in recruiting and programming American chefs for culinary diplomacy programs.
• Respondents should address the following questions in their responses:
  • Do you have any comments/suggestions on the kitchen designs as well as dining room design and layout, and the suggested list of equipment.  

Response Submission Deadline

Please provide your responses to this Source Sought by July 31, 2024. Sources Sought Submissions will be accepted as email attachments only. All responses must be sent to Alexander Bring (BringAG@state.gov), with 19AQMM24N0065 Expo Pavilion Food and Beverage Source Sought in the subject line.