**As a reminder, potential offerors who wish to attend the site visits in Ecuador should follow the instructions below** L.1 SITE VISIT In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.237-1, Site Visit, the Government will host a site visit on December 7, 2010, 10:00 a.m. local time, at the American Embassy Quito, and December 9, 2010, 10:00 a.m. local time, at the Consulate General Guayaquil, Ecuador. This is not a pre-proposal conference. Any change to the date of the site visit will be published as an amendment on Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) (https://www.fbo.gov). All potential offerors are encouraged to attend and become knowledgeable about the various sites in accordance with Exhibit A. Information provided at the site visit may not be available in the same level of detail to those potential offerors who do not attend the site visit. All questions asked during the site visit will be posted on the FedBizOpps; however, again the same level of detail cannot be provided to potential offerors who do not attend. Due to security concerns, all Offerors must contact Contract Specialist, Winkle W. Nemeth at (571) 345-2357 or nemethww@state.gov and provide the name of the company and name(s) of individual(s), who will represent the company at the site visit, telephone numbers and email addresses. This information must be submitted for clearance no later than 15:00 Eastern Standard Time (local time) on November 30, 2010. Only two (2) representatives from each company will be allowed due to space limitations. On the date of the site visit, company representatives must present matching photo identification, i.e., a passport, driver's license, photo identification in order to be allowed access to the site visit. Anyone attempting to attend the site visit without prior clearance will be denied entry. ***** The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has a requirement for a qualified Contractor to provide Local Guard Services for the U.S. Embassy Quito and the U.S. Consulate General Guayaquil, Ecuador, hereinafter known as the U.S. Mission Ecuador. The U.S. Mission Ecuador requires a secure environment to conduct their mission. The Contractor shall provide the organizational structure, management, and qualified staff at levels adequate to meet or exceed the requirement contained in the Performance Work Statement PWS). The Contractor shall be required to provide services that prevent loss or injury to U.S. personnel; dependents; property; destruction of assets; prevent unauthorized access; and, deter potential terrorist attacks. Anticipated period of performance is one base year and four one-year options (to be exercised at the sole discretion of the Government). All contracted personnel, regardless of nationality, will be required to pass a background investigation conducted by the Contractor and a separate background investigation conducted by the U.S. Government to certify their suitability for employment under this contract. The Government plans to post the solicitation on this site mid-October 2010. No paper copies will be mailed. The approximate acquisition schedule is as follows: The synopsis will be posted for approximately 15 days. Once the solicitation announcement closes on FedBizOpps, the offerors will have approximately 60 days to submit proposals. All dates are subject to change and Offerors will be notified by registering on https://www.fbo.gov. Site Visit attendance is not mandatory, but highly encouraged. A site visit is expected to be scheduled mid November 2010 at the U.S. Embassy Quito and U.S. Consulate General Guayaquil, Ecuador. Offerors are responsible for entry visa (if required); all travel arrangements, local transportation, and accommodations in both locations. Due to space limitations, only two (2) representatives from each firm will be allowed for the conference and site visit. Offerors are requested to provide notice of their interest in the solicitation (i.e., name of representative, name of firm, address, and email address) to Bonnie Allen at allenbj@state.gov, if planning to attend. PHONE CALLS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. In accordance with 22 U.S.C. Section 4864, the Government will give preference to offerors qualifying as U.S. persons or U.S. Joint Venture Persons. The contract will be awarded to the lowest price, technically acceptable proposal.
