FEMA Holding Seminars to Note Contracting Opportunities for Small, Disadvantaged Businesses

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will hold a pre-proposal contracting seminar in Montgomery, Alabama on Dec. 8 to encourage local businesspersons to apply for contracting opportunities that are now available. As part of its effort to encourage small businesses, a series of four seminars will take place throughout the Gulf Coast.

FEMA has released the Requests for Proposal (RFP) for previously announced contracts to be awarded to local, small and small disadvantaged businesses for maintenance and deactivation of temporary housing in the Gulf Region. Companies are invited to submit proposals and to attend conferences in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas during the week of Dec. 5.

“We are extremely pleased to hold a meeting in Montgomery which will acquaint local, small and minority-owned businesses with the RFPs being offered,” said Michael Bolch, federal coordinating officer with FEMA. “Economic recovery over the long term is rooted in participation by small businesses operating in the areas impacted by Katrina.”

Eight RFPs, intended to result in 15, five-year contracts, with a value of up to $100 million each have been released. Two separate announcements are posted at FedBizOpps at www.fbo.gov. One announcement is for small, disadvantaged businesses-certified as 8(a) firms by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)-and one is for small businesses. Each announcement contains four RFPs, one for each affected state; Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. FEMA expects to award seven small business and eight 8(a) contracts by February 2006.

FEMA set aside $1.5 billion for maintenance and deactivation of roughly 100,000 temporary housing units, which amounts to approximately 6,700 units per contract. These indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts will be awarded to local, small and small disadvantaged businesses in order to increase their contribution to the recovery efforts following the Gulf Coast hurricanes.

FEMA will evaluate all proposals submitted, working with the SBA to confirm “small business” and Section 8(a) status of the companies, and preference will be given to contractors based in the Gulf Coast states.

Small businesses are those firms that do not exceed an average of $30 million in annual gross receipts over the past three years. Small disadvantaged businesses are 8(a) firms certified by the SBA under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act. For more information on Section 8(a) businesses go to www.sba.gov/8abd.

In order to reach Alabama and other Gulf Coast state businesses and provide opportunity and information about contracting with FEMA, FEMA contracting staff will host meetings in the following locations during the week of Dec. 5:

Tuesday, Dec. 6
New Orleans
Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel
2 Poydras Street
New Orleans, La. 70140
11 am-1 pm CST

Wednesday, Dec. 7
Biloxi
Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino
850 Bayview Avenue
Biloxi, MS 39530
11 am- 1 pm CST

Thursday, Dec. 8
Montgomery
Quality Inn and Suites Convention Center
2705 East South Boulevard
Montgomery, Ala. 36109
11 am- 1 pm CST

Friday, Dec. 9
Houston
1200 Louisiana Street
Houston, Texas 77002
12 pm- 2 pm CST

All interested companies may go to Rebuilding the Gulf Coast at www.rebuildingthegulfcoast.gov to find the Requests for Proposal (RFP) or FedBizOpps at www.fbo.gov. For those without Internet capabilities, written requests for an RFP can be made by faxing Nancy Costello at (202) 646-3846 or e-mailing nancy.costello@dhs.gov.