SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- WCF Tour and Visitor Services
- Notice Date
- 2/8/2013
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 561210
— Facilities Support Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), Office of Acquisition, 14th & C Streets, S.W., Washington, District of Columbia, 20228
- ZIP Code
- 20228
- Solicitation Number
- BEP-RFI-13-0216
- Point of Contact
- D'Angela Moore, Phone: (202) 874-3252
- E-Mail Address
-
dangela.moore@bep.gov
(dangela.moore@bep.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY!!! The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is seeking information from qualified companies who are interested in bidding for the upcoming contract renewal for the operations of the Tour and Visitor Center located in Fort Worth, Texas. Background: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is the component of the Department of the Treasury that designs, engraves, and prints U.S. paper currency and other U.S. security products. Paper currency and public tour operations are conducted at both the BEP's Washington, D.C. and Fort Worth, Texas facilities. The BEP is the U.S. Government's security printer and, as such, is a closed, high-security manufacturing facility. The Western Currency Facility (WCF), located at 9000 Blue Mound Road, Fort Worth, Texas 76131, is principally devoted to ensuring a safe, secure and reliable supply of bank notes to the nation's twelve Federal Reserve Banks. The WCF has been operational since 1991, and opened a free state-of-the-art Tour and Visitor Center in Fort Worth, Texas in 2004, in support of the BEP's public education initiatives. The WCF Tour and Visitor Center is compliant with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is handicapped accessible. Visitors range in age, ethnic group and level of understanding of the currency manufacturing process. The WCF Tour and Visitor Center consists of two floors with interactive exhibits and displays telling the history of paper currency, a retail sales shop, Theater and movie, vending area, and an enclosed, elevated gallery suspended over the production floor to allow the public to view the paper currency production operations. Public access is via a separate parking area located outside of the security perimeter for passenger cars, buses, and vans. Over half of the nation's currency order is produced in Fort Worth, Texas. All interested businesses are requested to submit a response demonstrating their capabilities to provide Tour and Visitor service as specified below: If Applicable, indicate your socio-economic status, for example: Small Business, Disadvantaged Small Business, HUBzone, Woman Owned Small Business, Veteran Owned Small Business, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, etc. Scope of Work: In the performance of the contact, the Contractor shall: • Provide advanced public education as it relates to communicating the history of the BEP and the production of U.S. paper currency and its security features with the general public during their entire stay at the WCF Tour and Visitor Center. • Provide a meaningful self-guided public tour and educational experience to all audiences with the highest level of customer service. Tour wands and written tour spiels (English, Spanish and a variety of other languages) will be distributed to the visitors by the Contractor. The Contractor will be required to provide periodic guided tours to special guest throughout the year. Guided tours will be arranged in advance. • Manage the full operations of the retail sales shop and encourage the sales of paper currency products, novelties, and souvenir items. • Provide safe, reliable, and modern transportation services for visitors to/from the Transfer Station and WCF Tour and Visitor Center. Contract Responsibilities: The contractor shall manage the operations of the WCF Tour and Visitor Center, ensuring that the following functions are properly performed: • Management of Information Desk: The Information Desk serves as the central gathering point where visitors gravitate for information and assistance throughout their stay. The Contractor greets visitors at this location upon their arrival; answers phones; schedules tours; hands out brochures and informational materials; operates the public address system; distributes tour stickers and comment cards; and oversees inventory level management of informational materials for placement in brochure receptacles. • Management of Public Tours: The Contractor schedules all public tours using an electronic tour scheduling software program; supervises all aspects of the self-guided tours to include manage of crowd control and monitor all time constraints regarding the staging of visitors as they prepare to enter the tour walkway. The Contractor is also required to be fully versed on the written tour spiel so as to provide periodic guided tours throughout the year. • Management of Transportation Services: The Contractor shall furnish and maintain all transportation vehicles needed in order to perform this contract. The Contractor may choose any type of safe and reliable transportation vehicle, such as open-air vehicles, air-conditioned buses/shuttle up to fifty (50) passengers), or Walt Disney-style vehicles where cars may be attached onto tram car when visitor volume increases or removed during slow times. Note: The BEP is in the processes of building a new Pedestrian Walkway to/from the Transfer Station, where visitors clear through security, and the WCF Tour and Visitor Center. Once this project is complete, transportation services will be eliminated from the contract as visitors will be able to freely walk between both locations. Transportation services will be required in the contract for at least the first year (base year) and will be on a month-to-month basis thereafter until the new walkway is complete. • Management of Gift Shop: The Contract manages the full scope of the retail sales shop, to include ordering, receiving and pricing stock, maintaining inventory levels, product display, setup and maintenance, and conducting public sales, inventories, reconciliations, and deposits. • Management of Exhibits and Displays: The two floors of exhibits and displays is an extension of the public tour. The Contractor is required to be knowledgeable of and able to operate each exhibit and display so as to educate the public on their content; monitor the exhibits and displays; and notify government of needed repairs. • Management of Theater, Film and Audio Visual Equipment: The Theater holds approximately 75 guests and airs a 15-minute film that allows visitors to see behind-the-scenes details of the currency production process that might not be visible from the tour gallery and conveys a sense of scale to the endeavor. The film continuously loops on a fixed schedule with little operator assistance required. The audio visual equipment is housed in a small room next to the Theater. The Contractor is required to operate the Theater movie and audio visual equipment and notify the government of needed repairs. • Management of Special After-Hour Promotional Events and Sales Endeavors: The BEP periodically hosts special after-hour events at the WCF Tour and Visitor Center and participates in offsite trade shows and promotional events scheduled throughout the local community, educating the public about the BEP and marketing and selling its products. The Contractor may be asked to assist during these events by staffing informational booths, providing guided tours, selling products, making announcements, or providing shuttle services. • Management of Snack and Rest Area: The Contractor is required to monitor the snack and rest area located on the first floor which consists of two vending machines, tables, chairs, and containers for trash deposit. • WCF Tour and Visitor Center Standard Operating Procedures (SOP): The Contractor is required to develop, write and maintain, for the life of the contract, an SOP that clearly defines all operating procedures for the WCF Tour and Visitor Center. • Reporting Requirements: The Contractor is required to prepare and submit a variety of daily, weekly, monthly, and annual reports containing data on visitor center operations. • Assembly of Informational Materials: The Contractor is required to assemble informational packets and bags of shredded currency for distribution during special promotional events organized throughout the year. The Contractor will be responsible for ensuring that adequate stock levels are maintained at all times. Staffing Requirements: The Contractor is required to: • Provide an on-site project manager (PM), or alternate with the responsibility of the PM, who shall serve as the key person responsible for all contract and sub-contract work. • Furnish lead persons to serve under this contract to oversee the following three services: 1) transportation operations, 2) tour operations, and 3) retail sales operations. • Provide employees who are U.S. citizens and are capable of passing the following level of security investigations throughout the duration of the contract: High Risk - Full Background Check. • Provide employees who are proficient in the English language (reading, writing and speaking). • Provide bi-lingual employee(s) who are proficient in Spanish (reading, writing and speaking) and keep a staff person who is a RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf) certified interpreter or equivalent. • Provide certified and trained personnel to administer first-aid and supervisors trained in CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation). Place of Performance: The place of performance is located at the following address: Bureau of Engraving and Printing Western Currency Facility 9000 Blue Mound Road Fort Worth, Texas 76131 Operating Hours: The WCF Tour and Visitor Center is open to the public Tuesday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and is closed on Mondays, weekends, Federal holidays, and the days between Christmas and New Year's Day. In accordance with FAR 15.201, responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. No solicitation exists; therefore do not request a copy of the solicitation. The decision to solicit for a contract shall be solely at the Government's discretion. The NAICS code for this sources sought is 561210, Facilities Support Services. This has a size standard of $35.5 million. The government reserves the right to consider a small business set-aside based on responses to this Sources Sought Notice. All information submitted by respondents to this sources sought synopsis is voluntary. This sources sought notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government reimburse any costs associated with the submission of information in response to this notice. Respondents will not individually be notified of the results of any Government assessments. The Government's evaluation of the capability documentation received will factor into any possible forthcoming solicitation. Responses / Capabilities Packages: all interested businesses are requested to submit a capabilities package that explicitly demonstrates company capabilities - include the information requested above. Responses may be submitted via email to: dangela.moore@bep.gov in Microsoft word compatible or pdf format on or before 9 AM Eastern Standard Time; March 1, 2013. Confidentiality: The BEP shall be restricted from duplicating, using or disclosing data or information received from interested companies, in whole or in part, for any purpose other than the fulfillment of the requirements set forth in this RFI.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/TREAS/BEP/OPDC20220/BEP-RFI-13-0216/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Western Currency Facility, 9000 Blue Mound Road, Fort Worth, Texas 76131, Fort Worth, Texas, 76131, United States
- Zip Code: 76131
- Zip Code: 76131
- Record
- SN02983042-W 20130210/130208235043-9c8b2832f5a24194a8b8ed7700f1dcf7 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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