Request forProposal (RFP) – Travel Agency Services

TAF-Admin-Dec-2016-034

Announcement Type: Request for Proposal

Deadline for Applications: Jan 8,2017 (03:00 p.m., Kabul time)

BACKGROUND SUMMARY

The Asia Foundation (TAF)

The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region. Drawing on 60 years of experience, the Foundation supports Asian initiatives to improve governance, law, and civil society; women's empowerment; economic reform and development; sustainable development and the environment; and international relations. With a network of 18 offices throughout Asia, an office in Washington, D.C., and its headquarters in San Francisco, the Foundation addresses these issues on both a country and regional level. In Afghanistan, the Foundation supports four main priority program areas: governance and law, women’s empowerment, education, and survey and knowledge development. In addition, the Office works in three exploratory areas: regional cooperation, economic growth and development and development, and conflict management and peacebuilding.

Scope of RequiredTravel Agency Services

The following objectives have to be met:

  • Provided literature and information to The Asia Foundation concerning local, interstate and international tours, travel routes, accommodation, fares and travel regulations.
  • Plan, prepare (on behalf of The Asia Foundation) cost itineraries (travel plans) for the project staff as per the request from the designated personnel of The Asia Foundation - Kabul office.
  • Will provide a minimum of three best cost travel options (Airlines & routes) based on travel request received from TAF-AG travel desk, especially in cases of group travel bookings.
  • In cases of international travel (not just to the US), the agency is required to provide travel options on US flight carriers and US flights carrier code share. If there are no such options, the agency must provide documentation to that effect, certifying the non-availability of US flight carriers.
  • All travel must be the lowest cost, non-refundable, and upgradeable tickets.
  • Should confirm bookings only on receipt of a confirmation note/ email from the TAF-AG Office Travel Desk personnel.
  • Confirm bookings and notify travelers (TAF-AG) of luggage limits, insurance, medical, passport, visa and currency requirements(in the case of International travel).
  • Issue tickets for travel, as per the instructions received from the designated personnel of The Asia Foundation, and mail them (electronically) at the Foundations’ Travel Officer’s email Id.
  • Submit bills for the travel tickets booked for staff on a fortnightly basis to process the payments and maintained records of transactions.
  • Submit all the bills with supporting payment summery statement and along with copy of booked tickets to substantiate the payment.All bills/ invoices should be detailed and computerized in original having details of the booking/ reservation / cancellation / other transactions made.
  • Be able to handle Domestic and International Hotels and Packages for all kind of Business and Corporate Travel and catering mice segments as to organize Business Conferences in any part of Asia as well as Europe.
  • Having the ability to make arrangements with Car Rental Companies in all major cities of Asia and Europe and can handle TAF Staff and Foreign Guests and State dignitaries’ (i.e Parliamentarians etc).
  • Should be able to provide Overseas Medical Insurance - Online arrangements with Overseas Medical Insurance Companies to issue Insurance Policies instantly.
  • Be able to provide assistance to TAF staff and TAG guest / dignitaries in Visa application related issues to ensure that person traveling abroad is able to secure their visas in shortest possible span of time. Especially in cases where in TAF AG staff are travelling to East Asian and South Asian destinations and have to transit through India.Should also be able to update our TAF personnel with information on the visa rules and regulation of different countries and any changes thereof.
  • The potential travel agency is expected to maintain the data regarding the expiry details of the visa, passport and other details of the Frequent Fliers and verifies the validity of all documents before the commencement of their next journey/ or advise TAF –Kabul office personnel accordingly.
  • Should be able to arrange for Foreign Exchange on request.
  • Should be able to book / cancel tickets at short notices.
  • Should be able to suggest / book hotel accommodations whenever required for the travelers. And arrange for the provision of the actual original billings and receipts to be handed over to the traveler or guest when she/he checkout.
  • Potential applicants / bidders are expected to have regular, fully fledged, registered offices located in either one of these pleases - Kabul city/ Afghanistan, Dubai and India “Preferable Delhi”.

Bidding specifications

Interested Kabul-based travel agencies are requested to quote prices for the booking and cancellation services for both Air travel and Rail travel.

  • Service charges for Booking / cancellation of Air tickets
  • Service charges on group booking – Air/ Trains (trains when required)
  • Service charges on Booking / cancellation of Rail tickets(if required)
  • Service charges on Booking of Hotels for guest travelling and for conference and meeting purposes(hotel booking outside Afghanistan when required).
  • Any applicable Service Tax, VAT or any other surcharge should be clearly mentioned.
  • Clear mention of Percentage (%) discount of ticket prices for each sector- Domestic and International.
  • Service charge for providing assistance to TAF travelers when on International travel and at destinations such as Dubai, India and other South East Asian countries. The agency must have the capacity to handle Domestic and International Hotels and Packages for all kind of Business and Corporate Travel and catering mice segments as to organize Business Conferences in any part of Asia as well as Europe if required.
  • Having the ability to make arrangements with Car Rental Companies in all major cities of Asia and Europe and can handle TAF Staff and Foreign Guests and State dignitaries’ (i.e Parliamentarians etc.).
  • The agency should be able to provide assistance to TAF staff and TAG guest / dignitaries in Visa application related issues to ensure that person traveling abroad is able to secure their visas in shortest possible span of time. Especially in cases where in TAF AG staff are travelling to East Asian and South Asian destinations and have to transit through India.Should also be able to update our TAF personnel with information on the visa rules and regulation of different countries and any changes thereof (on request only).

TIME FRAME

Announcement of RFP / Dec27, 2016
Last date for submission of Proposal / Jan8, 2017
3:00PM
Evaluation of proposals and identification of agency / Jan 10, 2017
Agreement with selected agency / Jan 22, 2017

Expression of Interest (Quotation):

Interested agencies are requested to submit their Bid/proposal by January 8, 2016 by 3:00 p.m. at the following address in sealed envelopes.

All proposals should be directed to the attention of:

THE PROCUREMENT UNIT

The Asia Foundation

House # 861, Street # 1

Shirpour, District-10, (Sub Street of Shirpour Project)

Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Foundation will not be responsible for proposals left at the main gate, reception, guard offices, or handed over to any TAF employee other than the procurement unit staff.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For all queries contact Procurement Department (). No personal visits or telephone calls shall be entertained, for any further queries, kindly address your email to o personal visits or telephone calls shall be entertained.

(No phone calls or personal visits to the office will be entertained till the final decisions are taken)

Billing:

  • Submit bills for the travel tickets booked for staff on a two-week basis to process the payments and maintained records of transactions.
  • Submit all the bills with supporting payment summary statement and along with copy of booked tickets to substantiate the payment. All bills/ invoices should be detailed and computerized in original having details of the booking/ reservation / cancellation / other transactions made.
  • In cases where the Foundation has made payments for travel tickets booked, and a cancelation occurs, the agency is required to submit a credit note for the cancellations made in the next billing cycle.

Evaluation Criteria

The Foundations’, Afghanistan Office invites bids for this work and will use the lowest total cost, quality of work and timelines for comparable value criteria to select the agency. The selected agency will be invited for discussions and negotiation, for the purpose of carrying out this assignment, TAF-AG will select an agency through an open competition process and will sign an agreement as per the organizational policies.

The successful agency will be selected based on the following criteria:

Criteria / Score
Agency Profile, Clientage and minimum four reference letters from existing clients, credit limits and credit time, IATA Certification; Having access to Galileo GDS services and Abacus GDS Services. / 60%
Costing on Services – Air Ticket booking and Cancellations, Group bookings, Hotel room bookings across Asia and Europe and booking arrangements for Conferences and meetings. / 40%

TAF-AG will constitute an internal panel / committee to review the proposals. Proposals / bids will be ranked according to their scores and only qualified proposals will be considered for review of financial bids. The agency scoring the highest aggregate scores will be selected and called for discussions.

Proposals found inconsistent to the conditions mentioned in the’ INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSAL SUMISSION’ during initial screening of proposal will be considered void and will not be included for technical and financial evaluation.

APPENDIX:

1-Office direction map

TAF –AG Procurement 2016