POC Della Glenn, USTDA, Room 309, SA-16, Washington, D.C. 20523-1602, Tel: (703) 875-4357, Fax: (703) 875-4009

R -- PROJECT ANALYST FOR EASTERN EUROPE POC POC Della Glenn, USTDA, Room 309, SA-16, Washington, D.C. 20523-1602, Tel: (703) 875-4357, Fax: (703) 875-4009 The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) wishes to announce a Competitive Total Set-Aside for Small Businesses or an individual. The TDA Regional Director for Europe needs contractor assistance in the planning and execution of TDA's two special initiatives in the Europe Region, the Bosnia Infrastructure and Industrial Development Program, and the South Balkan Development Initiative. TDA receives special funds from the Support for Eastern Europe Democracies (SEED) Act for these initiatives which seek to promote U.S. commercial participation in the countries of Bulgaria, Albania, F.Y.R. Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, while supporting larger U.S. Government goals of economic development, export promotion and regional cooperation. This contract will last one year, with an option to renew for an additional year. It is expected that one individual will perform the Scope of Work throughout the year on a full-time basis. TDA will provide on-site office space and miscellaneous office supplies at no cost to the contractor. The estimated total cost of this contract ranges from $71,600 to $85,800. These figures assume approximately $33,000 in travel costs covering three, two-week trips to the region and some possible domestic travel. This will be a two part contract. The labor costs for the level of effort will be at a fixed hourly rate. Travel costs will be considered other direct costs which will be paid directly to the supplying vendor by TDA. The contractor must be able to commence work on or about June 16, 1997. TDA, located in the Washington, D.C. area, is a commercially-oriented U.S. Government export promotion 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. TDA is in the midst of pursuing a three-year program designed to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina with the revitalization of its war-damaged economy while providing opportunities for U.S. companies to participate in reconstruction and industrial projects. For first year funding (FY96) TDA received $2 million in transfer funding from State Department and AID. In FY97 TDA expects to receive $4 million, and an additional $6 million in FY98. TDA's assistance is in the form of feasibility and planning studies, technical assistance, training, orientation visits, pilot projects and other related activities designed to help U.S. companies become involved in a project's development and implementation. The program focuses on six major sectors: energy, telecommunications, water/waste water, transportation, construction, and manufacturing. The South Balkan Development Initiative (SBDI) was announced by President Clinton to help Albania, Bulgaria, and the F.Y.R. of Macedonia develop and integrate their transportation infrastructure. The objectives of the initiative are threefold: (i) to help the three countries upgrade their transportation infrastructure in order to increase trade and stimulate economic development; (ii) to encourage the three countries to develop a regional approach to transport planning and use regional synergies to leverage new public and private capital; and (iii) to use the concrete experience of regional cooperation on transport infrastructure development to foster more general regional cooperation and economic integration. TDA received a $7 million SEED Act transfer in FY96 to initiate this program, and anticipates an additional $7 million in FY97, FY98 and FY99 for a total of almost $30 million. SBDI projects include feasibility studies, technical assistance and targeted equipment purchases. The Contractor will among other tasks, (i) identify and make recommendations on new projects for funding, and present assessment to TDA senior management; (ii) prepare project documents in coordination with TDA's legal department, finance department and contracts office; (iii) review and track ongoing projects, including feasibility studies, technical assistance, orientation visits, pilot projects, training and other related activities and report on project implementation; (iv) review reports submitted to TDA from Definitional Missions, Desk Studies, Conferences and Orientation Visits; (v) assist TDA Regional Director and Contracts Officer in selection, briefing, debriefing and management of Desk Study, Definitional Mission, Orientation Visit and Conference consultants; (vi) assist the Regional Director in his close coordination with the State Department, AID, the Department of Commerce and other USG agencies associated with these initiatives, and maintain communications with the U.S. private sector, and foreign government and corporate officials; and (vii) travel to region and within the United States as needed to meet with foreign project sponsors, U.S. embassy officials and other appropriate organizations to identify new projects for TDA funding, to monitor ongoing projects, and to develop sources of information for future TDA activities. 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 involved with supplying professional services must be incorporated or chartered in the United States.Consultants planning teaming arrangements, or individuals, 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 ofthe solicitation, if such information is necessary to offerors submitting proposals or if lack of such information would be prejudicial to uninformed offerors. The Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued on/about (15) fifteen days after the publication date of this synopsis. Closing date will be fifteen (15) days thereafter (Proposals will be limited to 30 pages or less). Only written requests for the RFP that indicate the businesses size 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. (0126)

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