Background: Conceived in November of 2001 by the Quicksilver E-Government Task Force, the Federal Asset Sales (FAS) program is designed to improve and optimize the way that the federal government reuses and disposes of all types of federally owned assets, including real property and personal property. Each year the Federal Government disposes of and sells billions of dollars of surplus under- and un-utilized property and forfeited assets. Todays government real estate sales activities can be improved, via e-commerce and other process enhancements, to maximize the governments net sales proceeds while increasing sales velocity, and by facilitating the active participation and bidding by citizens. FAS seeks the services of a Service Aggregator (SA) that can assist Federal agencies with selling and disposing of real property assets, including the strategic planning and analysis necessary to maximize net sales proceeds and accelerate disposal velocity. Although the SA will have the responsibility of determining the most appropriate method(s) for selling agencies’ excess real property, its level of autonomy may depend on the SA-proposed business model chosen to dispose of the specific property. The SA will work closely with agencies to develop the necessary marketing and disposal plans in order to most effectively and efficiently dispose of their property. Sales disposition alternatives can include public outcry, sealed bid, and online marketplaces. In some situations, agencies may empower the SA with the autonomy to invest in a property and otherwise make strategic asset and portfolio decisions designed to maximize sales proceeds and accelerate disposal. Potentially, the SAs compensation will be derived from taking a pre-determined percentage of net sales proceeds. This percentage has not yet been determined. Objective: FAS is conducting Market Research to assess industry capabilities for disposing and selling of Federal Real Property Assets. This market research is focusing on three component services: Sales Solution Development (One-Time Creation of the efficient Marketplace solution); Marketplace Operations (Continuous sales transactions through multiple online, offline, and simulcast auction Marketplaces); and Value-Added Services (VAS) Operations (Provide interested agencies with optional services to strategically analyzed disposition options, channel and parcel assets to the most effective online/offline sales venues, and support pre- and post-sales activities). These optional VAS may include but are not limited to: Refinement of Asset Descriptions and Standardization of Asset Conditions, Strategic Analysis of Property Disposition Alternatives, Buyer Qualification, Property Due Diligence, Bid Deposits, Property Marketing, Conveyance Document Preparation, Site Inspection Support, Zoning, Parceling, Asset Valuation and Appraisals, Maintenance and Upgrades, and Settlement and Closing Support. The VAS component, as proposed, will be offered to agencies in a multi-level staged approach. Each level of VAS will be optional for the agency and will be proposed based upon that agencies’ specific needs regarding property disposal. The SA will present their recommendation of VAS in its property disposal plan to the agencies. In certain instances, the SA may choose to provide the cash flows necessary to fund the VAS that will maximize net sales proceeds. This optional multi-level staged approach will allow agencies and the SA to work together to determine the most appropriate actions needed to improve the efficiency of the federal real property disposal process and offer the opportunity to maximize net sales proceeds while accelerating sales velocity. While the typical sales transaction will have the objective of selling the property immediately, in certain instances the SA may provide strategic recommendations, either from a portfolio sales perspective or based on asset-specific situations, that are designed to maximize sales proceeds.Capability Statement: NAIC is 531390 Real estate asset management services (except property management). Industry should demonstrate a broad range of capabilities for fulfilling the needs and outcomes of the FAS initiative. Capabilities include, but are not limited to: Marketing analysis and advertising; effectively channel and parcel (where appropriate) property to the most beneficial sales venue; charge competitive and reasonable rates for real property sales channels and services; provide strategic VAS as listed above, use established channels (i.e. e-Marketplaces and a network of VAS providers) to leverage existing commercial best practices, and create new channels as appropriate; market to Federal Agencies, buyers, and new or emerging marketplaces; provide buyer and agency customer service and sales management; and supporting the disposition of additional properties. Section 8(a), HUBZone, and other SBA certified small or disadvantaged businesses, including 8(a) Business Development Mentor/Protégé participations are encouraged to respond. Additionally, Teaming/Joint Ventures to develop the desired capabilities are encouraged. FAS Desired Outcomes: Increase agencies net proceeds from real property sales when appropriate, while increasing sales velocity; help federal agencies determine the most effective channel available for real property sales; decrease agencies’ expenses related to real property sales; and make it easier for citizens, businesses, and government agencies to find and buy government real property assets. The ideal capability statement will demonstrate and exhibit the respondents comprehensive real estate experience, including at least the following: multi-channel real estate sales, commercial real estate consulting, established network of appraisers and other VAS providers, government contracting, partnership/joint ventures, real estate marketing, wide geographic reach, both commercial and residential property portfolio and asset management, real estate closings, creativity and professional innovation, and demonstrated capabilities to plan and manage an initiative of this magnitude. The objective of this RFI is to obtain capabilities statements, based upon the requirements outlined above, from all (large and small) businesses interested in this opportunity. Further, respondents are encouraged to provide feedback on the following concepts: 1. The viability of the SA and VAS provider approach, particularly in terms of funding cost beneficial property services and being compensated based on net sales proceeds. 2. The conflicts between the FAS program objectives of accelerating asset disposal time versus maximizing net sale proceeds. The respondents should comment on the ability to accomplish both objectives simultaneously and demonstrate any experience they have in doing so. 3. The use of tax subsidies, zoning changes, and any other applicable real property economic factors that can be leveraged to increase the net sales proceeds for real property. In order to display their level of expertise, the respondent should provide examples of instances in which they have leveraged these factors to increase the net proceeds on the sale of real property as well as provide a listing of additional methods used. 4. The application of an appropriate business model(s) to facilitate the FAS Real Property Sales Program objectives and the issues outlined above. The respondent should provide their feedback on possible business organizational structures (i.e. joint-venture, public-private partnership, trusts, etc.) that would provide a level of autonomy and flexibility necessary to meet the outcomes and objectives outlined in this RFI. 5. Necessary portfolio data and other asset specific information required in order to make strategic analysis decisions on the disposal of a property and accomplish the outlined objectives of the Service Aggregator concept. Respondents should identify any information they consider to be sensitive or proprietary. Responses will assist the Government in determining whether to set-aside, restrict competition in some way, or solicit offers from all responsible sources. Identify your interest in either being a Prime or Subcontractor for this requirement. Should the procurement be set-aside for small business, FAR clause 52.219-14 “Limitations on Subcontracting” (DEC 1996) will apply. All interested businesses are hereby invited to submit a capabilities statement of no more than 15 pages (not including past performance information) to demonstrate their ability to provide the services outlined above. The capabilities statement should be tailored to this request and identify the respondents capabilities to complete the requirements listed above, including information on key staff experience, a description of experience with similar projects, and present and past performance information. For each reference listed include the name of a contact person, telephone number, e-mail address, type of contract awarded and date. In addition to addressing the requirements listed above respondents must provide information concerning their organizations gross revenue for the previous fiscal year, number of employees in company, number of years in existence and primary focus of business. In order for FAS to determine a potential acquisition strategy, interested parties shall also include a cover letter that includes company name, points of contact, telephone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses, prime or sub-contractor interest, and identifies the company as one or more of the following: 1) small business; 2) 8(a) business; 3) HUBZone small business; 4) small disadvantaged business; 5) woman-owned small business; (6) veteran-owned small business; (7) service-disabled veteran-owned small business, or (8) large business. Please note: This Sources Sought/RFI is not a Request for Proposals (RFP) and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately to award a contract on the basis of this Sources Sought/RFI or otherwise pay for the information requested. Response to the request will not serve as proposals, bids, or offers, which could be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. All responses to this Sources Sought/RFI must be received by 4:00 P.M. EST on March 5, 2004 and emailed to the Point of Contact: Kathy Corley
[email protected] . Respondents are encouraged to check the FAS website at http://egov.gsa.gov with a link to Federal Asset Sales, on a regular basis as all information concerning the a