Travel Agency Services

The University of South Dakota (USD) is seeking proposals for Travel Agency Services through a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued on February 21, 2024, with proposals due by February 28, 2024. The procurement aims to contract a travel agency to manage and coordinate travel needs for all university departments, including athletic teams, academic areas, and administrative departments. USD, a Division I institution with approximately 10,000 students and 1,300 faculty and staff, currently books around 2,000 flights annually, averaging $1,000,000 in flight expenditures. The agency will be responsible for managing flight and hotel bookings, with group travel being a mandatory component of any proposal. Potential vendors may submit proposals for either the full travel management services or a subset, such as athletic travel or academic/administrative travel only. Inquiries about the RFP must be emailed to Chris Phillips at chris.phillips@usd.edu with the subject line "RFP # USD 02072024" by February 14, 2024. The State will respond to inquiries via email and post responses on the e-procurement system. Evaluation criteria will likely include the agency's ability to manage comprehensive travel needs, cost-effectiveness, and service quality.

The RFP does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on respondent types. The contract term is three years with two optional one-year extensions, presenting a potentially lucrative opportunity for travel management companies. While no incumbent vendor is mentioned, USD will highly encourage but not mandate that all travel be managed by the awarded Travel Management Company. The proposed contract appears to have significant financial potential, with annual flight expenditures around $1,000,000 and additional hotel booking revenues. No specific budget range or set-aside provisions for disadvantaged enterprises are detailed in the provided documents. Interested agencies should be prepared to provide comprehensive travel management services, including flight and hotel bookings for various university departments, with a focus on flexibility and cost-effectiveness. The procurement suggests USD is seeking a strategic partner capable of handling diverse travel needs across academic, administrative, and athletic departments.