B -- Annual Continental US (CONUS) Per Deim Study

SEEKING VENDOR (S) WITH EXTENSIVE HOTEL PROPERTIES DATABASE, ABILITY TO CONDUCT MEALS STUDY, PROVIDE SUBSCRIBER SERVICES AND INDUSTRY EXPERTISE. Purpose: The Office of Governmentwide Policy (OGP), Office of Transportation and Personal Property, Travel Management Policy Division (MTT) seeks information from vendors with qualifications and past experience: (1) Developing, maintaining and producing industry data reports based on verified and updated historical database of a minimum of 40,000 hotel properties within CONUS. Capable of producing standard and customized reports of hotel industry data including cost, demand/supply, day of week analysis; identification of lodging properties that are approved by the FEMA as being fire-safe and in compliance with the Hotel-Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 (PL 101-391), and daily rate information by hotel industry segment. Experience graphically depicting properties within the CONUS. Industry and investors rely on the database reports for financial performance and business decisions; (2) Conducting meals surveys and statistical analyses; (3) Developing subscriber services that allow MTT to select variables that impact outputs; and (4) Providing travel consulting when requested by MTT. The intent of the RFI response is to: - Provide the Government information on the capabilities of the vendor community in providing the aforementioned services. RFI Questionnaire: 1. Do you have a database of at least 40,000 hotel properties reporting information to you that is updated on a monthly basis and verified for accuracy? 2. What past experience does your firm posses related to the four items listed under purpose that would be relevant to per diem study? 3. What capability and qualifications does your firm possess that would be beneficial to the government to establish the annual CONUS per diem rates for the Federal government? 4. What past experience do you posses in this field with other firms or Federal Agencies? BACKGROUND: The General Services Administration (GSA), OGP, MTT is required by law to annually establish the CONUS maximum per diem rates which Federal employees are reimbursed for expenses incurred while on official business travel at a temporary duty location (TDY) within the Continental United States (CONUS). MTT's mission under the CONUS per diem program is to ensure that Federal travelers are fairly and equitably compensated for their travel expenses while protecting the Government's financial interest. Most of the 8,000-plus CONUS locations to which Federal employees travel on an annual basis are covered by the standard CONUS per diem rate, which is currently $91 ($60 for lodging and $31 for M&IE). In addition to the standard CONUS rate, there are approximately 420 non-standard locations (previously referred to as designated locations) within CONUS that have a maximum per diem rate that is higher than the standard CONUS rate based on higher travel costs within these locations. The maximum per diem established for a location is comprised of three components: a lodging, meal and incidental expense (M&IE) allowances. While combined to create one maximum per diem rate, the lodging portion of a per diem rate is established separately from the M&IE portion. The lodging portions of per diem rates for the 420 non-standard locations are reviewed annually; while the lodging portion of the standard CONUS per diem rate is reviewed every three years. The standard CONUS rate was last adjusted for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005. It will not be reviewed again until FY 2008. The incidental expense allowance is reviewed and changed as needed. MTT bases CONUS lodging per diem rates in non-standard locations upon their Average Daily Rate (ADR), a lodging industry metric calculated from the economic factors of rental revenue of properties in each non-standard location divided by number of rooms rented by those properties over a specific period of time. To accomplish the review of per diem lodging locations, MTT contracts with a travel industry data research firm that collects and provides an ADR for each location. MTT sets the appropriate lodging rate for each location after an extensive analysis and review of this contractor-provided data. For meals, MTT contracts with a data research firm to conduct a survey of appropriate restaurants that result in data for the meals portion of the per diem rates. The last comprehensive meals study was conducted in 1997, effective in FY98. In FY97, approximately 3,500-2 or 3 star/diamond (as rated by AAA or Mobil or comparable where there are an insufficient number of 2 or 3 star properties) restaurants were surveyed in both standard CONUS and about 400 non-standard locations. MTT will conduct a meals survey in FY05 and in FY08 to update the meals portion of the per diem rates. In non-survey years, the meals rate is adjusted by applying meals away from home Consumer Price Index to the prior year's meal rate. MTT is also requesting the vendor to present alternative approaches to a meal survey, which are more cost effective. As the establishment of the CONUS per diem rates is a resource intensive process, MTT is seeking appropriate solutions to lesson the human resources burden. Another task will be for the vendor to develop a subscriber services to establish per diem rates. This service will produce reports with current data, backup documentation and allow MTT to easily change variables and produce reports based on these changes. This service will produce all reports and supporting documentation for per diem rates deemed necessary by MTT. Vendors responses to the RFI must be submitted via email to kisha.emmanuel@gsa.gov no later than 1.00 pm EST, February 7, 2005. Questions regarding any aspect of this RFI should be emailed to kisha.emmanuel@gsa.gov. RFI responses must conform to the below format and provide the following information: No questions will be accepted by phone. I. Cover Letter The cover letter must include the following information: - Company name. - Company point of contact and telephone number. - Date submitted. - Any applicable GSA FSS schedule contracts or any other existing Federal government contract vehicles. II. RFI Questionnaire Response Responses may not exceed 15 pages. Disclaimer: This notice is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or Request for Proposal/Request for Quote. This notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to contract for services. Please be advised that the Government will not pay for any information provided as a result of this notice and will not recognize or reimburse any cost associated with any RFI submission. For the purposes of this RFI, the term - vendor refers to those members of industry providing responses to this RFI. The vendor should identify any proprietary information in their RFI responses. Proprietary materials will neither be distributed nor discussed with any other vendor. The use of information submitted to the Government as a result of this RFI will be at the discretion of the Government. The Government will not provide comments to any vendor's submission. However, responses to the information submitted may be reflected in the final Statement of Work.