The United States Government, Department of State, Overseas Buildings Operations Worldwide Residential Furniture Solutions Program Blanket Purchase Agreement Request for Information THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ANNOUNCEMENT IS MARKET RESEARCH FOR AN ANTICIPATED REQUIREMENT, NOT A SOLICITATION. THE RFI DOES NOT INDICATE THAT THE US GOVERNMENT WILL CONTRACT FOR ITEMS CONTAINED WITHIN THIS NOTICE. THE US GOVERNMENT DOES NOT REIMBURSE RESPONDENTS OR INTERESTED PARTIES FOR ANY COSTS INCURRED FOR RFI RESPONSES. THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT OTHERWISE PAY FOR THE INFORMATION SOLICITED. The United States Government (USG), Department of State (DOS), Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) manages the design, construction, acquisition, maintenance, use and sale of real estate properties for a worldwide portfolio of commercial and residential buildings.To support its wide-raging global residential portfolio, OBO has a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) requirement to facilitate the purchasing and procurement of high-quality residential furnishings – from American manufacturers. The objective of this RFI is to determine the availability of sources in the residential furniture market that can meet the government’s requirements for scope, feasibility, and manufacturing under Product Service Code 7105 and NIACS code 337122.No proposals are being requested or accepted under this RFI and no reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement or any follow-up information requests. This notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal and is not construed as a commitment by the Government for any purpose other than market research. The RFI does not require a current GSA contract or pricing; however, each respondent should include in their response, interest level in obtaining a GSA contract and providing GSA pricing. OBO is looking for respondents who provide high-quality or commercial & contract grade residential furniture. High-quality products are well-crafted and durable, built from high-performing materials and easy to maintain. Commercial-grade products are expected to be BIFMA compliant, tested for use in commercial settings and have the ability to withstand high use over a long period of time. OBO intends to award separate BPAs for each furniture category listed and defined below: Transitional: Furniture that balance characteristics between traditional and contemporary design. Pieces can be inspired by traditional styles such as Baroque, Romantic, and Neoclassical and 19th century modernism. Furniture groupings shall be medium in scale and paired with straight lines, rounded curves, soft edges, and some decorative flourishes to create a layered look. Palettes shall consist of solids and textures with accents of color or pattern. Materials may include wood, polished stone, glass, fabrics, and metals. Contemporary: Furniture with a simple and modern aesthetic. Pieces can incorporate a blend of styles and eras including but not limited to art deco, post modernism, and modernism. Furniture groupings shall be medium in scale and pair straight lines with the occasional curve. Palettes shall consist of solids and textures with accents of color or pattern. Materials may include wood, polished stone, glass, fabrics, and metals. Modern: Furniture designed for function with simple lines, low profiles, and smooth surfaces. Pieces can be designed during or inspired by the mid-20th century design, most notably Bauhaus and Arts and Crafts. Furniture groupings shall be medium in scale and purposeful. Palettes shall consist of solids and textures with accents of color and pattern. Materials may include wood, plastics, polished stone, glass, fabrics, and polished metals. Minimalist: Furniture that balance characteristics between contemporary and modern design, refer to definitions above. Furniture groupings shall be small in scale appropriate for small apartment or military dormitory and have uncomplicated forms, clean lines, and simple finishes. Palettes shall consist of solids and textures with accents of color or subtle and simple patterns. Materials may include wood, polished stone, glass, fabrics, and metals. A quantity of three-color schemes are to be available across all furniture styles: 1) Warm 2) Neutral 3) Cool Wood finishes should include White Oak, Walnut, and Ebonized (or similar). Specialty finishes including but not limited to painted, brushed, and patterned are not allowed. Solid wood furniture is expected to be constructed from hard wood species such as Oak, Maple, Walnut, Ash or similar. Metals should be silver (stainless, chrome, or nickel, both polished and brushed), steel, and brass (antique, bronze, both polished and brushed). The use of glass, solid surface, and stone (marble, quartz, and granite) are allowed. The following types of rooms need to be furnished: • Living Room • Family Room • Dining Room • Library and Office • Primary Bedroom • Medium Bedroom (secondary) • Small Bedroom (child or student) Specific product requirements are defined under the following six purchase descriptions, each of which has been assigned a special item number. The descriptions stipulate the Government’s minimum requirements for acceptable material and construction quality levels. 3FNE 04-601 dated January 5, 2005: Aluminum Patio Furniture FCNE 89490B dated January 4, 2005: Occasional and Fully Upholstered Seating FCNE 89-491B dated January 4, 2005: Household Case Pieces, Occasional Tables, Dining Chairs, Bunk Beds and Accessories FCNE 89-492B dated April 20, 2005: Mattresses, Matching Foundations, Mattress Covers, Bedspreads, Pillows and Lamps FCNE 89-493B dated April 20, 2005: Rugs, Cut and Bound, Tufted, Cut Pile, Plush FCNE 89-494B dated January 4, 2005: Cushion for Cut and Bound Rugs, Synthetic Needle Punched Fiber Technical Requirements There are volumes of technical specifications that the incumbent must be comply with a, small sample provided below: a. The standards below define specific tests, laboratory equipment to be used, the condition of test and the minimum acceptance levels to be used in evaluating these products. A. American National Standards Institute (ANSI)* B. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)* C. Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA)* D. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)* E. Underwriters Laboratories (UL)* b. Sample listing of statutes pertaining to home furnishing standards: A. Consumer Products Safety Act* B. Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) C. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) D. Toxic Substances Control Act E. Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act F. Textile Fiber Products Identification Act G. Organic foods Production act of 1990 (OFPA) H. Food, Conservation & Energy Act of 2008 (Preventing Illegal Logging Practices) I. California Air Resources Board (CARB) – Formaldehyde Emissions J. 16 CFR 1303, Lead Paint on Certain Furniture Articles K. 16 CFR Parts 1213 and 1513, Safety Standards for Entrapment Hazards in Bunk Beds L. 16 CFR 1219 and 1220, Safety Standards for Full-Size Baby Cribs* M. 16 CFR 1500, Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) N. 17 CCR 93120 – ATCM to Reduce Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products In Accordance with, FAR Part 52.2251-(1)(A) DOS requires 60% of the product to be manufactured in the United States. For the purposes of this RFI, respondents shall include information about manufacturing locations and percentages of where products are made or assembled, listed by country. The respondents must have a well-established logistics system and infrastructure to sustain the requirements and demands of the Worldwide Residential Furniture Solutions Program (WRFSP). Respondents must meet and maintain packaging, delivery coordination and warehousing, transportation, and consolidation operations assets required to support the WRFSP. Logistics support includes but is not limited to the packing of residential furnishings for containerized overseas shipping, the ability to receive and process extremely high-volume orders, and effectively manage and track orders (i.e., purchase order(s) receipt, manufacturing, packaging, loading, transportation, and delivery assurance) until acceptance by a DOS dispatch. Incumbent must have the ability to handle logistics support and infrastructure that is necessary to sustain the Program and ensure that there are no delivery issues. This includes establishing assets and relationships for warehousing, trucking, and consolidation operations. Additionally, incumbent must have one to two dedicated representatives to process BPA request for quotes, purchase orders and provide on-going support with tracking, logistics and coordination. Said representative(s) should be knowledgeable of manufacturer’s timelines, possible issues, and available products and finishes. RESPONSE FORMAT Responses must be submitted electronically in PDF format. Margins must be 1” on all sides, to print on 8 ½” x 11” paper. Typeface must be Times New Roman, 12 pt. font. Respondents are advised to limit non-relevant marketing materials and non-specific information. RFI responses will be accepted via email to the addresses below. No responses shall be accepted via US Mail or Fax. NOTE: Respondents are requested to title the subject line of the email transmitting their response as follows: Insert Respondent Name - Response to XXXXXXXX - Information, Residential Furniture Solutions Program RESPONSE CONTENT The Department of State expects the following information to be included into the Respondent’s content: 1. Provide Company name and Point of Contact. 2. Identify if the company is a small business and socio-economic category. 3. Is the company a Manufacturer or Reseller? 4. Is the company SAM.gov registered? 5. Does the company have GSA? If no, is there an interest in establishing a GSA contract? 6. Are teaming arrangements being used? Are they on GSA? 7. Logistics and transportation capabilities, including ability to provide dedicated representatives. 8. Can you provide decorative lighting do 220V and 100V? 9. Can you provide all the rooms for furniture? Can you provide outdoor furniture? The RFI response shall also contain information on furniture production and manufacturing methods, including but not limited to the following items: 1. The use of solid wood construction and type of wood specie(s) 2. When and where MDF, particle board, melamine, and veneers are used in lieu of solid wood. 3. Technical standards and certifications such as ASTM, NFPA, Wyzenbeek Ratings, LEED, WELL, ANSI, BIFMA, UL, Greenguard, FSC, and ISO. 4. Production timeline, starting from the moment a purchase order is received. 5. Product availability and capabilities of maintain products for up to five years. 6. Sample or catalog of manufacturer’s product lines that would meet the requirements. The proposed contract will be a multiple award schedule BPA. The BPA will be a base year plus four, one-year options contract. Depending on the needs of the Department of State and the furniture category the contract in the first year is estimated at $10,000,000 with an estimated maximum of $50,000,000.00. RESPONSES ARE DUE TO THE CONTRACTING TEAM NO LATER THAN 5PM EST MARCH 31, 2023. Direct all questions regarding this RFI to the Contract Specialist. Contact information follows: Contract Specialist, Alicia Hofhine Email:
[email protected] Contracting Officer, Charlotte Cameron Email:
[email protected] THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, INVITATIONS FOR BID, OR REQUESTS FOR QUOTES.