U.S. Trade and Development Agency, Contracts Unit, Room 309, SA-16, Washington, D.C. 20523-1602. Delivery by any other means must be addressed to Ms. Glenn at 1621 N. Kent Street, Room 309, Rosslyn, VA 22209

D -- AFRICA REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION BRIEFING BOOK DUE 050396 POC Carol Stillwell, USTDA, Room 309, SA-16, Washington, D.C. 20523-1602, Tel: (703) 875-4357, Fax No.: (703) 875-4009 The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) wishes to announce a Competitive Total Set-Aside for Small Businesses to compile a briefing book which identifies the principal opportunities for U.S. industry in Africa relating to the transportation sector (i.e., roads, maritime, rail and air transport). TDA is seeking to meet this objective by encouraging teaming arrangements between companies/contractors to ensure adequate coverage of the transportation sector. This will be a firm fixed priced contract. The project is expected to be completed within 2 months so that the briefing book may be used at a TDA conference on Transportation projects in Africa, tentatively scheduled for September 1996. TDA's transportation contractor would be required to develop full descriptions of the most promising rail, maritime, road and air transport projects, and compile these descriptions into a briefing book which would be distributed to interested U.S. companies. In order to produce this document, the contractor would be required to perform the following tasks: identify the priority African countries for inclusion in the briefing books; survey World Bank, Department of Transportation, African Development Bank, AID and other institutions and individual country project sponsors in the rail, road, maritime and air transport sectors; travel to the Africa Development Bank in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire for meetings with AFDB officials regarding upcoming transportation projects; determine the level of U.S. industry competitiveness for the identified sectors; select for inclusion in the briefing book those projects which have a value in excess of $10 million. After developing this listing of promising projects, the contractor would compile these findings into a briefing book segregated by country, consisting of country profiles, detailed descriptions of each project, descriptions of funding sources, estimated timeliness for project implementation, determination of areas of possible involvement by U.S. industry, and contract information for further investigation. TDA, located in the Washington, D.C. area, is a commercially-oriented U.S. Government foreign assistance agency that helps U.S. companies pursue overseas business opportunities. Through the funding of feasibility studies, orientation visits, training grants, and various forms of technical assistance, TDA enables American businesses to become involved in the planning stage of infrastructure and industrial projects in middle-income and developing countries. The Small Business Act, at 15 U.S.C. 644, authorizes procuring agencies to set aside procurements or portions of procurements for the exclusive participation of Small Business Concerns. The Sic Code for this procurement is 8999 - Services, N.E.C. Definition: ''Small business concerns'' for purposes of TDA 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 operation for which it is bidding. In determining whether dominance exists for TDA's purpose for this contract, consideration is given to annual gross receipts. Any concern that has 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 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 in no way obligates TDA to award a contract, nor does it commit TDA 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 offers. 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. Offeror's technical proposal will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria, listed in order of highest to lowest precedence. Offeror's understanding of the requirements of the solicitation as demonstrated by: Suitability of proposed approach to performing the work as evidenced by work plan describing how the contractor would select the appropriate countries to be pursued, how the contractor would determine realistic U.S. export potential and U.S. competitiveness by category of goods and services, and how you would obtain information on the economic and financial issues surrounding prospective projects. Technical qualifications of staff proposed to perform the work; and prior experience in transportation projects in Africa. Capability to correspond and conduct technical/business meetings in French with both host country project sponsors and African Development Bank officials. The Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued on/about (15) fifteen days after the publication date of this synopsis. Closing date for receipt of proposals will be due May 3, 1996. Only written requests for the RFP that indicate the size of the business will be honored. U.S. eligible small businesses interested in receiving the RFP should send a fax requesting it to Della Glenn at (703)875-4009 or a letter by U.S. mail to Ms. Glenn at U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA), Contracts Unit, Room 309, SA-16, Washington, D.C. 20523-1602. Delivery by any other means must be addressed to Ms. Glenn at 1621 N. Kent Street, Room 309, Rosslyn, VA 22209. (0082)

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