SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- SOLICITATION NUMBER: TDA03-Q-148 EXPANDED DEFINITIONAL MISSION FOR GABON AND SAO TOME & PRINCIPE IN AFRICA
- Notice Date
- 8/8/2003
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- United States Trade and Development Agency, TDA Contracts Office, USTDA, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA, 22209-3901
- ZIP Code
- 22209-3901
- Solicitation Number
- TDA03-Q-148
- Response Due
- 9/9/2003
- Archive Date
- 9/24/2003
- Point of Contact
- Della Glenn, Contract Officer, Phone 703-875-4357, Fax 703-875-4009, - Forestine Winters, Contract Specialist, Phone 703-875-4357, Fax 703-875-4009,
- E-Mail Address
-
dglenn@tda.gov, fwinters@tda.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- The Request for Proposal (RFP) for this synopsis opening date is AUGUST 25, 2003 and due to the urgency of this opportunity the closing date is SEPTEMBER 9, 2003. The RFP may be downloaded from the FedBizOpps? website at www.fedbizopps.gov on AUGUST 25, 2003. If there are any technical difficulties downloading the RFP, contact FedBizOpps? Customer Support (see the FedBizOpps? website for the toll free number). Contractors must have ?internet? capabilities to download the RFP. Contractors that DO NOT have ?internet? capabilities may request the RFP by sending a letter by U.S. Mail to U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), Contracts Office, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA 22209-3901 or sending a fax request to (703) 875-4009. To receive the RFP via Federal Express include a street address (Note: Federal Express does not deliver to P.O. Boxes), city, state, zip code, and telephone number, and Contractor?s Federal Express account number. If the Contractor?s account number is not included, the RFP will be sent by regular U.S. mail. TELEPHONE REQUESTS WILL NOT BE HONORED. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) wishes to announce an opportunity for small business to bid on a Competitive Total Set-Aside to conduct a Definitional Mission (DM) for multi-sector projects in Gabon and Sao Tome & Principe. USTDA has received requests for assistance from Gabon and Sao Tome & Principe in recent months, in addition to requests from the U.S. Embassy Libreville that covers both countries. The varied opportunities merit the analysis of technical experts and these include technical assistance to the Government of Gabon for the development and management of opportunities connected to tourism infrastructure development under the U.S.-led Congo Basin Forest Partnership announced by Secretary of State Powell in 2002. Potential projects in Gabon also include hydrocarbon and power sector projects. The demand for USTDA assistance in Sao Tome & Principe is based on the country?s basic needs for modern infrastructure, including port and airport improvements, and there will also be downstream hydrocarbon and power opportunities to consider. Gabon and the Congo Basin-The Congo Basin is the second largest tropical rainforest in the world and the country of Gabon is seventy percent covered by forest. In September 2002, Secretary Powell launched the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. There are 29 members of the CBFP, including six Congo Basin countries, other donor country partners, and non-governmental organizations. The CBFP is an initiative that recognizes the integral nature of economic development, social development and environmental protection within the goals of sustainable development. The CBFP provides support for a network of national parks and protected areas, well-managed forestry concessions, and creation of economic opportunities that depend on the conservation of the outstanding forest and wildlife resources of the Congo Basin. The CBFP marks a significant commitment of funding by the U.S. government to this multi-national environmental initiative. USTDA?s direct engagement with the initiative would support the U.S. government policy goals for the Congo Basin region. The DM team would work with the Government of Gabon through its Ministry of Tourism and Environment, and the National Environment Planning Council that includes the President of Gabon, the current U.S. Ambassador to Gabon and the director of the Central African Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) to identify regional opportunities for assistance. Through the U.S. Embassy in Libreville and State Department?s headquarters, USTDA assistance has been requested to help the responsible organizations in Gabon to develop a sustainable eco-tourism sector. The DM team would consider technical assistance to the appropriate party in Gabon to develop needed tourism infrastructure. Tourism in the Region, and in Gabon in particular, has also been hindered because of antiquated visa systems and processes. The DM team would search to answer how Gabon could improve its systems to better accommodate international visitors. Sao Tome and Principe-The U.S. Embassy in Libreville, Gabon, also covers the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe. The country has been heavily reliant on agricultural commodities such as cocoa until recent deepwater offshore exploration has proven significant oil reserves. The oil-rich Gulf of Guinea region, which includes major producers including Nigeria and Angola, is a focus of exploration and development. Sao Tome and Principe, a nation of just 150,000, is eager to join the league with shared offshore acreage. With such proven reserves, the small country is achieving a new level of strategic importance. The government of Sao Tome and Principe has pledged transparency and stands against possible corruption once oil revenues begin. It is expected that the first barrels of be produced from Sao Tome and Principe?s territorial waters by 2005. The President of Sao Tome and Principe has expressed concern for the need to develop employment for its citizens. The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, after recently visiting the country, pledged U.S. support to the developing nation. The potential demand for USTDA assistance is based on the country?s basic needs for modern infrastructure, including port and airport improvements, and there will also be downstream hydrocarbon and power opportunities to consider. The DM team would help to define potential projects and provide recommendation for USTDA funding. The analysis would include a review of the overall soundness for each project, the finance ability of each project, the development priority of the projects for their respective host countries, and the U.S. export potential of each of the projects. The environmental impact and impact on U.S. labor would also be reviewed, among other required USTDA funding criteria. The Contractor will be required to travel to Gabon and Sao Tome & Principe to scope out potential projects that may meet the requirements of USTDA funding. Before traveling, the Contractor will be required to consult with USTDA. The Contractor shall evaluate the financing ability of the projects; the development priority of the projects for the host country; the U.S. export potential of the projects; and the general strengths and weaknesses of the individual projects. In addition, the Contractor will examine all other USTDA funding criteria and will develop a budget and terms of reference for each project recommended to USTDA for funding. The Contractor must demonstrate a broad range of experience that includes experience in at least the general sectors that will be covered in the definitional mission. The Contractor must be qualified to evaluate the economic, financial and technical viability of the potential projects. In addition, knowledge of French and Portuguese is required; if the Contractor does not have French and/or Portuguese fluency within the team, French and/or Portuguese translation must be addressed in the proposal and budget. It is expected that a team of at least two persons will be required to have the appropriate experience for this multi-sector mission. The Contractor should not expect to be provided with specific materials or information, other than limited contact information, from USTDA in advance; project opportunities will need to be developed by the Contractor from both research in the U.S. and while traveling in country. This contract calls for the Contractor to provide important evaluation services in connection with potential project opportunities. It is essential that such evaluation be conducted with complete impartiality and objectivity and that the Contractor and its Subcontractors not obtain an unfair competitive advantage in USTDA-funded activities resulting from this contract. In accordance with the principles of FAR Subpart 9.5 and USTDA policy, the Contractor and its Subcontractors, if any, for this contract shall be ineligible to compete for, as a prime or subcontractor or otherwise, USTDA-funded activities that result from this contract, unless USTDA through its Contracts Office, The estimated cost for this work does not exceed $35,000. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) promotes American private sector participation in developing middle-income countries, with special emphasis on economic sectors that represent significant U.S. export potential. Through funding a variety of activities, USTDA helps U.S. businesses compete for infrastructure and capacity building projects in emerging markets and supports U.S. policy objectives. USTDA assists in building mutually beneficial partnerships between American companies and overseas project sponsors, which result in increased U.S. exports and jobs and the completion of high quality, successful projects in host countries. The Small Business Act, at 15, U.S.C. 252, authorizes procuring agencies to set aside procurements or portions of procurements for the exclusive participation of Small Businesses Concerns. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for this procurement is 541330. Definition: ?Small business concerns? for purposes of USTDA award of this total set aside contract means a concern, including its affiliates, that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operating for which it is bidding. In determining whether dominance exists for USTDA?s purpose for this contract, consideration is given to annual gross receipts. Any concern with an annual gross receipts above $5 million dollars, averaged over a three year period, is not considered small and is therefore, NOT eligible for award under this contract. All participating organizations involved with supplying professional services must be incorporated or chartered in the United States. Consultants planning teaming arrangements must be U.S. citizens or resident aliens. In accordance with FAR 19.301, offerors will be required to submit self-certification relating to business size. The competitive proposals method of solicitation as set forth in Part 15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) (48 CFR Chapter 1) shall be utilized for this procurement. This solicitation does not obligate USTDA to award a contract, nor does it commit USTDA to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Any explanation desired by an offeror regarding the meaning or interpretation of this solicitation must be requested in writing and with sufficient time allowed for reply to reach the offerors before submission of their offerors. All oral explanations or instruction, given before award of this contract will not be binding. Any information given to a prospective offeror concerning the solicitation will be furnished promptly to all prospective offerors as an amendment of the solicitation, if such information is necessary to offerors submitting proposals or if lack of such information would be prejudicial to uninformed offerors. The contractor must be in the position to present fair and unbiased information pursuant to the statement of work.
- Place of Performance
- Address: 1000 Wilson Boulevard - Suite 1600, Arlington, VA
- Zip Code: 22209
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 22209
- Record
- SN00396554-W 20030810/030808214146 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |