This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE for market research purposes. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OR A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recognizes the value of conferences that are relevant to its mission. Conferences play a critical role in supporting NIST’s mission, as they are avenues for participants to share and discuss research findings, exchange ideas and insights, and network for collaboration and career development.
Scientific and technical conferences provide an effective platform for private and public sectors to convene, present their research, share innovative ideas, and engage in discourse to facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations.
Conference planning at NIST has been centralized within the Conference Program, part of the NIST/Public Affairs Office. The Program supports NIST Laboratories and major programs at NIST sites in Gaithersburg, MD, Boulder, CO, and Charleston, SC, by providing professional conference planning and conference-related support services in a cost-effective manner and in accordance with all Government rules and regulations.
The Government is contemplating a procurement to establish one or more indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts to provide strategic communication consulting services, public and media outreach, and event planning and management.
Strategic communications consulting requirements may require: Providing executive-level communication coaching to senior managers and directors; Working with senior manager and directors to identify goals and priorities; Creating short- and long-term communications plans; Suggesting and providing curriculums, tools and mechanisms to execute plans; and/or Delivering debriefings and overview of key findings as well as proposed next steps.
Public and media outreach refers to outreach strategies and products that support NIST research and program activities. Requirements may include: Compiling and maintaining databases of targeted stakeholders, decision makers, and potential attendees; Creating and designing various outreach materials (digital and printed) and tools; Recommending distribution vehicles and rollouts, such as websites, social media posts, infographics, animations; and/or Developing press strategies, including drafting media advisories and press releases.
Event planning and management refers to planning, execution, and support of both in person and virtual conferences, meetings, and/or formal events for the advancement of the NIST mission. Events will primarily be of a scientific and/or technical nature. Requirements may include conducting site searches; Securing conference venues; Negotiating and signing venue contracts; Providing AV services; Providing support for all live and prerecorded sessions or livestreams; Providing catering services; Providing ground transportation; Securing sleeping rooms; Providing registration desk support and badging; Managing exhibits and sponsorships; Registration desk support, Badging; Technical and/or report writing.
Conferences, meetings, and workshops of various sizes and within various timelines are anticipated. Multiple conferences may be conducted on the same day or within the same week at different venues. Some conferences, meetings, and/or workshops may be conducted on-site at NIST campuses in Gaithersburg, MD, Boulder, CO, and Charleston, SC. Others may be conducted off-site at locations. Off-site conferences may be held within the United States or, on an infrequent basis, at international locations.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
NIST is seeking responses from all capable, responsible sources. Small businesses are defined under the associated NAICS code for this effort, 541611, as those domestic sources having annual revenues of $24.5M or less. Please include your company’s size classification for all applicable socio-economic categories in any response to this notice.
After the results of this market research are obtained and analyzed, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award one or more contracts. If at least two qualified business are identified as small businesses during this market research stage, the procurement would likely be 100% set-aside for small businesses. A set-aside may be considered in another socio-economic category based upon results of all market research.
Sources must maintain adequate staff to perform work in-house. It is anticipated that the Limitation on Subcontracting clause would be applicable to the procurement. If a set-aside results, 50% of the contract costs must be performed by similarly situated companies.
Responses to this sources sought notice shall not exceed ten pages in length and must demonstrate the respondent's capabilities related to the potential government requirements; responses must provide detail beyond a standard capability statement. The following information is required to be provided as part of the response to this sources sought notice:
1. Name of company(ies), their addresses, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) for the company's active System for Award Management (SAM.gov) website registration, and a point of contact for the company (name, phone number, and email address) that provide the services for which specifications are provided.
Interested parties that do not have an active SAM.gov registration are strongly encouraged to immediately begin the registration process. This process can take several weeks to complete.
Parties responding to Government solicitations must have an active registration at SAM.Gov in order for the proposal to be considered for award.
2. Relevant documentation which demonstrates your company’s overall capability to complete any or all tasks associated with planning for conferences and workshops of any size from 20 persons to 500 persons:
-A summary of the process followed to identify a suitable meeting site for a workshop, meeting or conference;
-A summary of how the company manages multiple conferences, meetings, and workshops of various sizes, and being conducted concurrently in various locations nationwide;
-A discussion of how the company manages work in-house; and
-Previous experience and expertise with scientific and/or technical and report writing relevant to events planned and executed. Report writing does not refer to meeting minutes and may encompass any or all of the following:
*Overviews of the high points of events;
*A true technical report that benefits from the expertise presented throughout the event; and/or
*A fast turn-around, brief, but informative, summary text covering event outcomes.
*Report writers must have the ability and understanding to discern and analyze expert technical advice, wording, and phrasing, presented during the event, to generate content for the report.
3. Previous experience and expertise with strategic communication and consulting, executing one or more of the actions and activities described above, specifically with senior management level clients.
4. Previous experience and expertise with public and media outreach, executing one or more of the actions and activities described above.
5. Business size of the company based upon the NAICS code and small business size standard, identified herein;
6. Potential labor categories, that may be used to accomplish the work. If the Contractor has performed similar work, please provide price information for the work performed. All price information will be utilized for budgeting purposes All price information will be held by NIST as confidential.
Responses must be emailed to carol.wood@nist.gov not later than December 31, 2024, at 3:30 PM Eastern Time.
