Notice of Intent to Sole Source - 2023 National MED Week Conference

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE AND NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATION OR PROPOSAL.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), Enterprise Services -Acquisition (ES-A), located in Washington, D.C., intends to negotiate on a sole-source basis and award a contract  to National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (NMSDC), 1359 Broadway #1000, New York, New York 10018-7102.

This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of permitting other than full and open competition, 41 U.S.C.3304(e), as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.501. This will be contract with 12-month base period and 12-month option period.

Since 1983, every president has issued a Presidential Proclamation designating a National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week to recognize the contributions of the minority business community to the U.S. economy. For 40 years, the Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) National MED Week Conference has been a catalyst for the creation of hundreds of local MED Week conferences across the Nation. These local and regional conferences have been enthusiastically sponsored by state and local governments, for-profit entities, and non-profit organizations.

Since its inception, the conference has flourished and reached broader audiences through collaboration. In the early 2000s, MBDA’s partnership with other Federal Agencies resulted in nearly 1,000 attendees, increased programming, and business matchmaking opportunities.

In accordance with their cooperative agreements, staff from the Agency’s Business Centers and grantees attend the National MED Week Conference.  MBDA anticipates up to 250 participants, to include MBDA Staff and Business Center Staff, will attend the MBDA MED Week activities.

MBDA is a Federal agency authorized by the Minority Business Development Act (“the Act”), 15 U.S.C. § 9501-9598, and the annual appropriations acts, with a mission to foster, promote, and develop the Nation’s minority business enterprises. In carrying out its mission, MBDA administers a variety of programs providing technical assistance to and business development services for Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs).

The requirement is to provide access to the Contractor’s existing conference in which attendees share the same interests in minority business development as MBDA, including minority businesses, associations, non-profit organizations, and other federal stakeholders. The Contractor shall provide various Conference and Event Management services on behalf of MBDA. The Contractor will manage and execute all deliverables specified in the Statement of Work (SOW) for the MBDA access to and provision of content for the MED Week portion of the Conference.

This is NOT a solicitation for quotations, quotation abstracts, a request for competitive quotations; or request for competitive proposals; however, all responses received within 15 days from the date of publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. Responses must clearly and thoroughly defend any claims or assertions that attempt to refute the Government’s claim. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed action based upon responses to this notice is solely with the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Information received on this notice must eliminate the Government's concerns and address how the required services can be provided. If no affirmative responses are received within 15 days of this notice to determine whether a qualified source is more advantageous to the Government, a contract will be awarded to NMSDC. There is no solicitation package available. Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Dgreen@doc.gov.