Request for Information: Detroit MI Family Member Update

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), operating under the DOD Washington Headquarters Service, is seeking a contractor to provide comprehensive facility and support services for a Family Member Update event scheduled for Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan. The contractor must furnish a minimum three-star hotel facility with meeting space, audio-video support, light refreshments, management, supervision, and labor to accommodate approximately 450 family members of missing servicemembers from WWII, the Korean War, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. Key requirements include a column-free ballroom capable of seating 450 guests in round or crescent-round table configurations, three breakout rooms with capacities of 50, 100, and 40 guests respectively, comprehensive audio-visual equipment including two 12-foot screens, ten microphones, confidence monitors, and a full-time on-site AV technician, plus custodial and sanitation services. The facility must be located within five miles of Detroit with handicap accessibility, sufficient driveway clearance for buses and vans, and be within proximity to food establishments. The government will contact the contractor at minimum 24 days prior to the event to verify facility availability and confirm specific requirements, with any changes requiring 72 hours' notice. The deadline for responses to this Request for Information is April 6, 2026.

This procurement is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside, restricting competition to qualified small business concerns. The Performance Work Statement specifies detailed requirements including hard-wired internet connectivity of at least 10 Mbps, provision for two days of storage and delivery of conference materials comprising 12 standard boxes and five specialized cases by 6:00 AM on the event day, and various ancillary services such as tripod easels, registration tables, handout stations, and sanitized food service items. No incumbent contractor or specific award value has been identified in the pre-solicitation notice. Services will be invoiced after the final day of the event in accordance with purchase order terms and conditions, with the specific contract value and final terms to be determined through the formal solicitation process that will follow this information-gathering phase.