SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- The Afghanistan Carpet Center of Excellence
- Notice Date
- 7/10/2013
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541611
— Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Room B129, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899-1640, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20899-1640
- Solicitation Number
- AFG_COE
- Archive Date
- 7/27/2013
- Point of Contact
- Monica Brown, Phone: 2024820932
- E-Mail Address
-
monica.brown@trade.gov
(monica.brown@trade.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This notice is for market research and planning purpose only and does not obligate the Government to any contractual agreement. This is not a request for proposal. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses, nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted, nor will respondents be notified of the review of the information received. The information obtained from this Request for Information (RFI) will be utilized as market research for consideration in development of the Acquisition Strategy and Acquisition Plan for this requirement. The Government will not reimburse interested sources for any costs incurred in preparation of a response to this notice. Information provided herein is subject to change and in no way binds the Government to solicit for or award a contract. The Commerce Department's Iraq and Afghanistan Investment & Reconstruction Task Force (Task Force) supports the Government of Afghanistan's efforts to develop its private sector as cited in the Afghanistan National Development Strategy. The Task Force leads the Commerce Department's efforts for commercial development in Afghanistan. The vision for Afghanistan is a market conducive to trade, investment, commercial development and a prosperous and sustainable private sector. In 2012, the Task Force implemented an initiative to develop Afghan public and private sector human capital in strategic sectors to create long-term sustainability at the national and local levels. The goal of the Developing Human Capital in Strategic Sectors initiative is to develop a model to enhance human capital, in strategic Afghan industry sectors so the Afghan public and private sectors can better foster and promote strategic industry sectors in Afghanistan. The extractive industry was the initial focus of this initiative and a Marble Center of Excellence was opened in Kabul in 2013. The next designated industry for a Center of Excellence (COE) is the Afghan carpet sector. The project is designed to help Afghanistan develop its public and private sector working knowledge in carpet supply chain related laws/regulations, practices, procedures, production, utilization, management, and promotion. The project could offer training, practical development, counseling, access to public and private sector industry experts, and site visits. As part of the project, a Center of Excellence established in Kabul could provide a specialized technical library and industry best practices to enhance the educational and practical development goals of Afghanistan's carpet sector. This Center could perhaps later support strategically located branches throughout the country. The model and initial implementing activities must be initiated within the FY 2013. Follow-on implementation efforts could occur in fiscal years 2014 and 2015. Carpets are one of Afghanistan's best known exports Competitive advantages of the Afghan carpets, such as the quality of the domestic wool, natural diyes, weave technique and repuration, create a massive potential for increased exports. Currently there is no one center in Afghanistan where the carpet weavers, producers, traders and designers can gather to gain further business knowledge and expertise. Therefore, the Carpet COE will provide needed modern business expertise for the Afghan carpet sector. In addition, creation of a "socially conscious" carpet brand could enhance the business model within Afghanistan's carpet industry and increase global demand for Afghan carpets. Continued improvement throughout the supply chain by "Sheep to Shop" enhance the Afghan carpet sector, and in turn create additional job opportunities, profits and tax revenues. The Task Force created the Sheep to Shop initiative to address challenges and opportunities in the Afghan carpet supply chain. The eight pillars in the supply chain include sheep, wool, dyes, the production and finishing of the carpets, transit, marketing, and shop. The Commerce Department has worked with Afghan rug producers to help overcome obstacles they face in such areas as obtaining financing for weavers, traders and investors; raising Ghazni sheep for domestic wool; obtaining investment for finishing facilities; addressing transit trade challenges, and capacity building for marketing, design, branding, customer relations and sales. Through Sheep to Shop, the Task Force works with the USG interagency to coordinate and develop programs, projects, and policy to enhance the productivity of the Afghan carpet sector. Note the center will be located within a GIROA-owned facility. The objective of the Afghanistan Carpet Center of Excellence is to increase the performance of Afghan entities participating in the carpet supply chain and to serve as a capacity building and counseling resource. The contractor shall assist participating Afghan entities develop implementable business practices and strategic plans designed to mitigate the impact of the upcoming U.S. drawdown on participating entities, enable the entities to produce for domestic and foreign markets, conduct trade with international business partners, and apply for and secure the financing and insurance products. The contractor may accomplish these tasks, through in country training, individual counseling services, international business study tours, networking, matchmaking events and other activities. These actions should result in sustainable growth for participating Afghan entities. The contractor shall accomplish the following tasks: a) Provide a report outlining the structure, function, and operational plan for the Carpet Center of Excellence. b) Locate and utilize resources, organizations, associations, businesses, and consultants, with experience working in Afghanistan, South Asia and the Middle East when developing the program so Afghan participants connect to these resource groups. c) Provide linguist and translations services, where appropriate, in Dari and Pashtu, to support the programs. For example, program applications and training materials will need translation; training workshops will also require translation; translations should also be provided for networking and matchmaking events and other items as appropriate. d) Solicit well qualified Afghan companies to participate in the program, including working with local Afghan organizations. e) Evaluate screen program applicants, with input from the Commerce Department, and select program participants. f) Prepare visa application package and work with the Department of Commerce to help Afghan participants secure visas for travel to the United States and international destinations. g) Arrange all travel logistics for the programs including: 1) flying Afghan firms from Kabul to the desired location and returning them to Kabul, 2) foreign travel arrangements for the business study tour including all local transportation, accommodations, flights, event attendance, and other logistics. h) Develop relevant workshop materials and useable templates that will help Afghan firms: 1) better meet internal demands for their goods and services within Afghanistan, 2) plan for the upcoming decrease in international funding, and 3) conduct international trade with regional partners and U.S. businesses. These materials will cover at least three discrete phases: 1) Afghanistan-based training that will take place BEFORE the Afghan participants travel on study tours that at a minimum covers: a) company strategic planning, b) meeting local Afghan demand for their goods and services, c) how to fully utilize trades shows to advance their business objectives, d) and how to work with U.S. and international firms; 2) a U.S., or regionally-based, business study tour for Afghan professionals to: a) gain first-hand knowledge about working in a market economy, b) learn about international best practices in their field of work, c) be exposed to new, relevant technologies appropriate to their industries, and d) develop relevant international business contacts; and 3) Afghan-based training to take place AFTER the Afghan firms travel abroad on how to: a) follow up with contacts, b) turn their experiences into new opportunities, c) work with international firms on international financial and business transactions, d) and utilize these business opportunities to increase their ability to meet Afghan-based demand for their goods and services as well as work with international partners to drive business growth. i) Provide participating Afghan firms with written training materials in English and Dari the Afghan firms can utilize during the program and to develop their strategic business plans. j) Organize networking and/or matchmaking events for Afghan firms in: 1) Afghanistan, 2) other markets, such as the United States Middle East and South Asia. For Afghanistan, the U.S. and international travel, networking or matchmaking events should involve local partners. Relevant industry, government and aid organizations should be included in these events. k) Arrange site visits and on-site industry trainings or demonstrations for the foreign.-based business study tours that introduce Afghan firms to relevant companies, technologies and contacts appropriate to their industries. Relevant industry, government, and aid organizations should be included in these events. l) Provide data so the Commerce Department can evaluate workshops, networking events, business tours, and other program-related activities to help with the design of future programs. m) Contractor shall provide a weekly Project Management Tasking Plan that outlines current taskings and status. n) Provide weekly progress reports during the planning and performance stage of the program. Additionally, report to the Task Force about each completed activity, within one week of the activity completion, relevant information including: 1) companies visited, 2) events attended, 3) trainings completed, and 4) other indicators of company sustainability, development, advancement, sales, and growth. The government is not responsible for providing Life Support for the Contractor within Afghanistan. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing all Life Support functions for all their employees within Afghanistan. Life Support includes, but is not limited to living accommodations, potable water, electricity, Internet access, trash removal and related support services. The Commerce Department anticipates Contractor personnel will primarily work in Afghanistan, with additional work performed in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. The Contractor will have discretion on where to locate its personnel to best perform its obligations under the Contract. The expected time in Afghanistan for any non-Afghan national will not exceed 30 continuous days. For all personnel deploying into the theater of operation, the contractor is authorized to conduct contractor-performed theater admission processing. The period of performance is twelve (12) months from date of award. The U.S. Department of Commerce is requesting that interested contractors provide a brief capability/information statement demonstrating their ability to provide this service and provide the following information: The statement of capabilities should include: 1. Firm name, address, e-mail, telephone and fax numbers 2. Small business certification - 8(a), HubZone, Service Disabled Veteran or Women-owned. 3. Applicable contract vehicles (i.e. DOC, GSA, NASA SEWP) available for Government-wide use. 4. Past Experience - describe your experience of similar type, size and complexity to that which is the subject of this Sources Sought. 5. Provide a listing of three (3) most recent projects your firm has performed. 6. Your firms Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 7. System for Award Management (SAM) registered NAICS Codes. Interested parties should submit their responses in either a.doc or.pdf compatible format via email. Submissions should be no more than five (5) pages plus cover sheet. The DOC does not intend to respond to questions concerning this requirement at this time. Responses should be submitted to Monica.Brown@trade.gov.
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