Opportunity: DOE Annual Small Business Forum & Expo

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) DOE Annual Small Business Forum & Expo Notice: This is a Request for Information (RFI) for written information only in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10-Market Research. This announcement does not commit the Government to any contractual agreement. The Government is not seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement or any follow-up information requests. Background: The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization’s (OSDBU) is seeking a contractor to plan and organize its Annual Small Business Forum & Expo and the Annual Small Business Awards Program from 2025 to 2029. The event provides opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses to showcase their products and services along with attending educational sessions about doing business with DOE. The purpose of the forum & expo is to bring DOE’s Headquarters program offices, National Laboratories, and Facility Management Contractors (FMCs) procurement personnel and small business program managers (SBPMs) together with small business concerns for prospective supplier opportunities. The Annual Small Business Awards Program, which is held at the forum and expo, recognizes the outstanding performance of the people and organizations responsible for promoting and expanding the Department’s use of small businesses. The awards are presented to small businesses, program elements, small business program managers, and FMCs. The contract shall primarily be a no cost contract to OSDBU, with reimbursement of the small portion of the work related to a pre-expo SBPMs Training and Awards Recognition Luncheon coming from appropriated funds. The Contractor shall be responsible for working directly with OSDBU to develop the agenda, secure the appropriate venue, execute the event onsite, and provide post-conference services. Purpose/Scope: The purpose of the RFI is to solicit input via capability statements from small business concerns under the 8(a) Program that have specialized capabilities necessary to perform all of the scope objectives defined in the attached draft Performance Statement of Work (PSOW). DOE is open to suggestions on the appropriate North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this effort. The currently suggested NAICS code is 561920 – Convention and Trade Show Organizers with an associated small business size standard of $20.0 million. Requested Information: Entities responding to this RFI should address the following elements in their capability statements: 1. Entity/Organization Name 2. Contact Information (Name, Title, Email, Telephone Number) 3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) (if applicable) 4. Relevant NAICS Codes 5. Business Type and any Socioeconomic Designations 6. Up to three (3) Government Agency projects and/or commercial clients similar in size and scope to that stated in the draft PSOW. Please include a point of contact that was either a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or customer on the project, the contract number, and the dollar value. 7. Describe your company and/or teaming arrangement’s approach, including rationale, to performing all or a portion of the scope objectives. DOE is interested in cutting edge thinking, innovativeness, and other ways for DOE to maximize the probability of successfully performing the work, while managing and controlling costs. 8. Financial capability to support upfront costs incurred under the no-cost contract arrangement as the contractor’s costs will be mostly reimbursed through the event registrations. 9. Provide any overarching recommended approaches for technology in this space that are cutting edge. 10. Provide any recommendations on information that may be needed to provide future responses from industry on a possible solicitation. 11. Identify how your organization would identify and mitigate financial and technical challenges and risks in meeting the scope objectives such that there is a reasonable assurance of successful performance. 12. Based on the information available at this time, please provide your company’s initially proposed registration, exhibitor, Opening Night Gala and Dinner, and any other fee rates. Submission Instructions: Entities may submit responses via email in Word or PDF not to exceed eight (8) pages to cheryl.copeland@hq.doe.gov by January 16, 2024 at 5:00 PM EST with the subject line “RFI DOE Annual Small Business Forum & Expo.” All data received in response to this RFI that is marked or designated as corporate or proprietary information will be fully protected from release outside the Government. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any proprietary information not properly identified. Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with all applicable Government regulations. All documentation shall become the property of the Government and will not be returned. The Government may reach out to entities for additional clarifying information as needed but does not intend to provide responses to every respondent. Thank you in advance for your feedback. Point of Contact: Cheryl Copeland, Contracting Officer; Cheryl.copeland@hq.doe.gov