REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #HQ-22-08-001– INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AGENCY

 Project Hope

Request For Proposal #HQ-22-08-001– International Travel Agency

Table of Contents

1.Company Overview. 1

Request For Proposal Timeline and Protocol 2

2.1 Response Deadline. 2

2.2 Selection Criteria. 3

2.3 Proposal Validity. 3

2.4 Submission Instructions. 3

2.5 Payment Terms. 5

2.6 Questions/ Clarification Request: 5

Scope of Work. 5

3.1 General Requirements. 6

3.2 Business Hours. 7

3.3 After Hours support & Emergency Response. 7

3.4 Compliance. 8

3.5 Contract Requirements 9

3.6 Reporting and Other 9

3.7 About Your Agency and Services: 9

3.8. References. 15

Appendix 1 – Supplier Profile. 15

Appendix 2 – Fee Structure - Example. 16

1.Company Overview

Project HOPE (HOPE) is an international humanitarian aid organization with global operations, working to increase access to health care services and improve the knowledge and skills of health care workers in communities in need around the world. HOPE’s emergency response teams not only provide lifesaving aid following disaster, they often stay behind to support communities as they recover with long-term support for damaged health care systems and communities

To learn more about us, visit https://www.projecthope.org/

Project Hope is seeking a full-service Travel Management Company (TMC) for a period of three years with possibility for extension of contract for additional two years (1+1) based on satisfactory results.

Below is our historic spending for reference only and does not commit Project Hope to any future spending.

Reference only, and this does not commit HOPE to any future spending nevertheless the yearly average in the past three years was $450.000 per year, this is not accounting Car rentals and Visa Expenses that were around $75.000 in total per year.

However due to rapid growth of HOPE international portfolio of countries and their missions around the world HOPE predictions are that the total expenditure in years to come will double if not triple.

The Travel Management Company (TMC) must provide local support to these offices during local business hours while having a network to support requests from PROJECT HOPE programs sites worldwide. The bulk of the inquiries will be initiated from our US office

Washington DC, USA

Skopje, North Macedonia

2. Request For Proposal Timeline and Protocol

Event Date

Date of RFP issued01-Sep-2022

Notice of intent to participate05-Sep-2022

RFP questions due 07-Sep-2022

Project Hope response to questions 09-Sep-2022

Agency proposals due 23- Sep-2022

Project Hope bid opening 26-Sep-2022

Proposal evaluation and follow-up questions, if any30- Sep-2022

Presentations by finalists, if necessaryTBD

Contract starting date TBD

Timetable subject to change

2.1 Response Deadline

An open period for submitting questions will begin on the issuance date of the RFP. All questions MUST be submitted to the RFP contact email address, e-tender@projecthope.org no later 3pm EST on 07th Sep, 2022 Questions will be compiled, and responses sent to all Bidders by 5pm EST on 09th Sep, 2022.

Quotations received after the stated deadline are considered invalid, but exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis at Project Hope discretion.

2.2 Selection Criteria

In evaluating the proposals, HOPE will seek the best value for money. Specifically, proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria. To ensure consideration for this Request for Proposal, your proposal should be complete and include all of the following criteria:

Criteria%

Global Coverage & Response SLA20

COMPANY experience & past performance15

AIRLINE AND HOTELS HUMANITARIAN RATES ACCESIBILITY 10

FEE STRUCTURE10

ONLINE BOOKING TOOLS5

REPORTING 10

PAYMENT MODALITY10

ONLINE APPROVAL SYSTEM MODALITY 15

iMPLEMENTATION5

Project Hope reserves the right to seek clarification and ask additional question in the evaluation of bid stage.

2.3 Proposal Validity

The Proposal should be valid for 120 days from the RFP due date. If not possible, list best validity time.

The Proposal includes, but is not limited to cost, pricing, terms and conditions, service levels, and all other information. If your company is awarded the contract, all information in the RFP and negotiation process is contractually binding.

2.4 Submission Instructions

Bidders should provide, at a minimum, the following components as part of their proposal for consideration

Bidder Profile, Appendix 1.

The following documentation:

Evidence of Bidder’s legal company registration, incorporation or license to do business issued by a competent authority in the country of registration.

Audited financial statements for the previous fiscal

Three (3) active references whose environment, size, and scope are most similar to HOPE. Include a summary of the work completed for each account.

Include reference contact names, with telephone numbers and email addresses where they may be

Proposal must be submitted Via email to secured email address including our RFP reference in subject HQ-22-08-001

- In order to be considered, proposals must be received no later than 3pm EST on 23rd Sep, 2022. Proposals must be submitted through e-tender@projecthope.org

All document submissions and communications related to this tender should be made to the Project HOPE e-tender mailbox: e-tender@projecthope.org

- NOTIFICATION OF INTENT: Each prospective Bidder shall, on or before 05th Sep, 2022, state their intent to submit a proposal. Intent to participate must be submitted through

e-tender@projecthope.org

The Subject line should state “Intent to Submit” and the reference number for this RFP.

Do not copy other email addresses on your offer submission, inability to do so may disqualify your offer.

To be eligible, Proposal should:

Provide full, accurate and complete information as required by this solicitation and its attachments, including any certifications attached.

Be submitted on Bidder’s company letterhead and preferably signed by the authorized company officer.

It is recommended that the price schedules be copied on Bidder’s letterhead.

It is recommended that letter head includes bidder’s registration number, VAT, Tax ID/EIN, or fiscal #, address, capital (as applicable), etc.

W-9 or W-8BEN-E, as applicable

As a minimum, offers should show:

The RFP reference number

The name, addresses (street, email, other), and telephone number of the Bidder

A detailed technical description /specification of the services being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation.

“Remit to”/” Submit to” address, if different than mailing address

Confirmation of acceptance of Request for Proposal Terms and Conditions.

All Proposals must be in the English language, signed and dated by an authorized employee of the Bidder. In addition to required documents requested, proposals can include additional items such as templates, brochures, media, etc.

HOPE reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to request presentations from individual Bidders prior to its pre-qualification decisions.

Vendor Registration

All vendors must register with Project Hope prior to being awarded a contract.

2.5 Payment Terms

We will consider all form of payment options that fit our month end reconciliation & reporting needs as described in section 2.5 Payment Terms and 3.6 Reporting

2.6 Questions/ Clarification Request:

Should you have questions about this Request for Proposal, please contact Toma Siprak at Project Hope via e-mail at e-tender@projecthope.org as already indicated in 1 Response Deadline

3. Scope of Work

The following describes the services HOPE will require of its Travel Management Company. Vendors wishing to submit proposals must provide a written description of their capability and/or willingness to meet the following service criteria:

To facilitate its work around the world, HOPE seeks to select a Travel Management Company with the capability to support ongoing operations and emergency response. Due to the nature of emergency response, service requirements (i.e. flights, hotel, VISA`s and vehicle booking, timing, etc.) are unknown until the actual need for service arises.

HOPE, therefore, invites only experienced and reputable Travel Management Company service providers with an extensive range of services and geographical coverage to submit proposals consideration. Selection criteria will include, without limitation, areas of services, experience with INGOS, price, technology, and other relevant certifications as listed in the 2.2 Selection Criteria.

This RFP constitutes an invitation to prospective Bidders (“Bidder”) to submit proposals (“Proposal”) for the services described herein, and is not considered an offer of contract. All bidders must submit a response that complies with the minimum requirements contained herein.

3.1 General Requirements

The Travel Management Company (TMC) should have considerable experience in the INGO/NGO sector and a proven track record of access to charity / missionary / humanitarian fares.

The TMC is expected to offer multiple booking solutions from:

Online booking tool

Agent-assisted bookings to after-hours service, calls and E-mails

Mobile app

The TMC is expected to offer an Online ticketing approval system which will enable HOPE to streamline approvals from requestor(traveller) through several layers of approval within HOPE.

The TMC have provision of these services is subject to availability of airline seating, hotel accommodations or other travel services.

RISK management tracking tool option.

VISA & PASSPORT assistance throughout the world.

The TMC is required to establish Service-Level Agreement (SLA) and share measures response time for both email inquiries and agent assisted calls within hours of the initial request. The SLA should extend to the After-Hours service with a separate set of measurements and goals. The SLA should include customer or unforeseen issues follow-up response time; see 3.3.3 Service Level Agreement.

Provide plan for airline cancellation & changes handled during normal & off normal business hours.

Share access to GDS (Sabre) with Project Hope for self-booking and ticketing.

Project Hope currently has program offices in the following countries:

Zambia • Sierra Leone • Ethiopia • Malawi • Namibia • Nigeria • Ecuador • The Bahamas • Columbia • USA • Haiti • Mexico • Honduras • Dominican Republic • Kosovo • North Macedonia • Ukraine • China • Yemen • Egypt • Philippines • Indonesia

3.2 Business Hours

Cover normal business hours (9 am-5pm) in each respective city time zone as listed below and a window beyond their normal business hours to include weekend support.

Washington, DC, USA

Skopje, North Macedonia, Europe

Any rate difference for the selected hours should be noted under Fee summary.

3.3 After Hours support & Emergency Response

3.3.1 After Hour Support

Please include in your proposal the following answers regarding:

Is your after-hours service owned and operated in-house?

Does your after-hours bridge to other companies from different offices within your own network?

Does your online booking tool allow full access to all profile builds from any given office?

Are Humanitarian fares available from all offices?

Hypothetically speaking, in situation where a request is coming from Europe after working hours of European office, will this request be picked up by USA branch and vice versa?

Identify examples that are not covered by your after-hours assistance.

3.3.2 Emergency response solution/support

The Travel Management Company (TMC) agrees to have an additional support plan in place with the capability to support an emergency response. An emergency response can happen at any time triggered by a natural or man-made disaster, civil war and/or terrorist act where HOPE will provide humanitarian support ASAP globally.

An emergency response can happen without advance notice & the TMC must have the ability to provide support to staff when called upon. This set-up is mainly for servicing support staff based in the US. The ability to support during and after normal business hours to include weekends and holidays.

The ability to handle multiple deployments on a rotating basis for several weeks at a time if the emergency response extends multiple months. Advance notice for staff/volunteer rotations will be advised in the event this becomes a requirement of the response.

The ability to provide VISA assistance at any given time based on request (more under 3.7.7 VISA & PASSPORT assistance

3.3.3 Service Level Agreement

When emailing a new request what turnaround time can you commit to for a normal request versus an urgent request for an agent assisted booking?

How will calls be handled during peak call times, when dedicated agents require backup assistance?

What compensation does the client have, if any, if service levels are not met?

Turnaround time between approval of ticket and receiving final itinerary invoice e-ticket.

Service-level agreement when booking the CEO, VP & VIP travelers.

What measuring tool is used to monitor service and at what frequency?

The SLA should extend to the After-Hours service with a separate set of measurements and goals.

The SLA should include customer or unforeseen issues follow-up response time.

What is the minimum standard/target and how often is it measure?

3.4 Compliance

All agents are required to work in support of the clients Travel Policy and be familiar with all policies and procedures. Ensure any third partners are kept up to date.

The Travel Management Company (TMC) must adhere and be familiar with the Fly America Act and OPEN skies agreement

The TMC must be aware and help enforce the EU Safety list of banned airlines https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/safety/air-ban_en

Each agent-assisted booking is required to offer a minimum of three quotes on the initial request on any combination of published, humanitarian or contracted fare whichever best meets the request. Even in limited markets comparisons that include double or triple connections and/or remarks on limitations in availability or class of service.

This rule applies to both domestic and international requests.

3.5 Contract Requirements

The Travel Management Company (TMC) should provide pricing based on a three-year agreement with an option to extend to additional two years (1+1) agreed upon by both parties.

Contract renewals are not automatic and must be agreed upon by Project Hope and TMC.

The TMC should provide any other terms that would result in a substantial cost savings.

3.6 Reporting and Other

Do you offer online reporting?

What standard travel management and accounting reports are typically provided? Provide examples.

Must have the capability to accept a six(6) to nine (9) digit ID number from the time of ticketing to invoice to reporting.

Overall goal of Online Travel Approval System and Reporting is to create and link a unique number to be later used. The requirement is that this number follow any air, hotel, car or train; new, changed or cancelled transaction to help us identify the charge and link with bank transaction.

The approval number should be reflected on the following transactions/documents:

All transactions

Invoice

Month-end statement

Credit card statement

Reports

Examples of reports possible to generate to be shared along with the package.

Separate reporting for hotels, rent a car, ticketing and VISAs will be required.

Will your company be able to provide following reports:

Report A – Monthly Fee Report – capturing only monthly fees for online booking, agent assistant fees, etc summarizing all fees except actual ticket price, hotel room price, rent a car price. Report must be able to connect with six to nine digit code given in the onset of the process.

Report B – Destination Report - By country that includes the standard fields, name, destination, travel dates and Travel number generated through Online Travel Approval System and cost of a plane ticket, hotel room, rented vehicle.

Report C – Overall Reporting – Excel report for easy manipulation consisting of - Office of request – Transaction status (just quote or actual booking) Department Code, Passenger Name, Ticket Number, Invoice (for tracking purposes) booking date, travel date, return date, Class, Ticket Type, Product Description, Carrier name, Transportation cost, Handling fee (if any) Origin city, destination city, origin country, destination country, origin continent, routing, City pair

3.7 About Your Agency and Services:

3.7.1 Locations

List all domestic & international office locations that will support HOPE worldwide?

Advise if your offices are networked together though the same Global Distribution System and back office or do they work independently of each other?

If not addressed earlier, expand the explanation on after-hours coverage service with each travel agency location.

3.7.2. Client Base and Staff

Please provide percentage of your company's client base that fits in these related industries- (just approximates); Humanitarian or entertainment related industry (i.e., Government, Non Profits, Humanitarian companies & entertainment related)

Please list all possible way of communication, in examples: E-mails, Watts app, Chat systems etc..

Agency Volume Business Mix

Please provide the percentage of your agency's current and active total business mix in each of the following volume segments (just approximates):

o Under $1 million

o $1-5 million

o $5-15 million

o $15-25 million

o $25 million+

Average Experience

What is the average working experience of your international agents? (in years)

What is the average agent time working for your company? (in years)

How are your agents measured on performance?

Collaboration with International SOS

HOPE is a partner of ISOS

Please advise if you have ever worked with ISOS and share some experience if any?

Elaborate on integration of offered software solution with ISOS

Agent assisted bookings

Advise, set-up and the number of assigned agents that would support HOPE account and from what offices?

Identify INGO/NGO industry specific experience? Have your company ever worked on emergencies in the world? How many different International NGO you are supporting?

Do you offer a group desk option to handle conferences ranging from 10-50 travellers?

Do you have a VIP desk to handle up to dozen VPs & Senior consultants? Please expand details of service.

Service-level responsibility when not available at the time of booking. The expectations of calling the airlines directly or confirming via the airline website. What mechanisms are in place to follow-up when not available at the time of booking or ticketing?

3.7.3. Air Option

Minimum three quotes per request for Agent-Assisted bookings. What solution can you offer to meet this policy for online bookings?

Please summarize all fare options that are applicable servicing this account beyond the standard publish fare including

Does requesting certain airlines for their Miles program is something that your company can offer?

In which way Project hope can be sure that TMC will use humanitarian fees for Project Hope bookings? Until now Project Hope had a practise to verify the rates provided by Travel company making sure they follow discounted prices and humanitarian rates. However, going forward we would like transfer this to our future TMC provider.

Please elaborate if providing humanitarian rates for flight tickets and hotel booking is something you company can provide without consultancy with HOPE?

3.7.4 Hotel Option

Explain any special hotel programs with exclusive corporate rates can support our current hotel practices described below.

Our primary booking source is hotels.com. This guarantees payment of all room & tax for our travellers, an immediate receipt for all transaction plus we’ve earn free room nights annually. Currently, the client takes ownership of these bookings but open for discussion on level of responsibility. Do you interface with this vendor or any other hotel vendors to enhance this are of support?

All hotel bookings must adhere to GSA http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104877 and US State Department https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp per diem rates

Which markets do you cover and do you apply to the lower fares?

Apart from having a credit card for hotel incidentals, which other ways a traveller will have in disposition to cover for hotel incidentals? (in situation traveller does not have a credit card)

What is approximate number of hotels globally that your program cover?

In how many countries can we expect the cover by you?

3.7.5 Rent a Car Options

Project Hope preferred vendor as of now is National/Enterprise that includes full insurance and direct billing.

Please list companies and rates for major Rent a car options in USA and Internationally that will allow us full insurance and direct billing.

Make sure to indicate services and companies that are not available internationally.

What corporate advantages your company will provide if we decide to secure a Rent a Car option trough your company?

3.7.6 Risk Management Tool Option

A system to monitor real-time itinerary information & communication during critical emergency situation by combining travel intelligence, traveller tracking, and real-time threat alerting across the network.

Prepares travellers with customized and automated pre-trip advisories

Sends targeted alerts to at-risk travellers and Project Hope designated staff

Enables a confident response when problems arise

Creates reports that support price negotiations and budgeting requirements

Supports bookings outside the host agency worldwide

Capability to add manual bookings

3.7.7 VISA & Passport Assistance

Do you offer in-house support, or do you have a visa service partnership?

Are you able to support entry and transit visa requests worldwide?

Please include and list all related service fees for Visa and Passport assistance

What is the turnaround in regards of requests for international travel?

Are you familiar with OK TO BOARD procedures? Which office with your network will oversee request?

HOPE, whenever possible would like to have VISA in hand prior to the traveller departure

3.7.8 Online Travel Approval System

Will your company be able to provide a software solution (desktop and mobile phone) that will ultimately enable internal HOPE approval to travel.

Step by step approval protocol from traveller requesting a travel up to final approver from security and division president (if applicable).

Present in which way a non-Project Hope individual (volunteer) will be able to submit a travel approval if not listed in the Project Hope employee database?

If yes, in which way your software will integrate with Project Hope employee’s database?

Please describe Implementation Plan in terms of time and resources.

List how many tiers of approval will your application sustain, from requester to final approver.

In the case of Emergency Response, due to the nature of business in some situation HOPE will not have enough time to approve the flight trough the Online Travel Approval System due to various reasons; please elaborate if after-the-fact approval of flight (after actual ticket is purchased) will be possible in terms of connecting it with purchasing information for auditing purposes.

Overall goal of Online Travel Approval System to create a unique number to be later used. The requirement is that this number follow any air, hotel, car or train new, changed or cancelled transaction to help us identify the charge.

The six-digit approval number should be reflected on the following transactions/documents:

All transactions

Invoice

Month-end statement

Credit card statement

Reports

3.7.9 Online Booking Tool and Technology

Online booking tool (currently not in use)

Must have custom screen capability (accept six to nine digit Travel ID) & approval option for bookings booked out of policy

Capability to book, cancel, change, and track unused tickets

Describe the process for contacting a customer if there is an issue with a reservation.

Do you currently utilize an Automated Quality Control System that looks for the lowest fares, preferred seating and class of service upgrades? Please explain how that process works.

Are contracted and/or humanitarian fares available on the online booking tool you propose?

Can you set up pre-payment of room & tax on all hotel bookings?

Must have mobile access.

Can this tool be used for international flights or only for domestic?

Please describe Implementation Plan in terms of time and resources

Describe in which way a Rent a Car option will be utilized if booked online.

Hypothetically speaking can you advise more on the differences between Lightening & Concur or other and which one would you suggest any why?

Will your software solution be integrated with Concur?

Can you provide access to GDS (Sabre) to Project Hope for self- booking and ticketing?

3.7.10 Implementation Plan

If your organization is selected as HOPE travel agency, what would be its implementation plan? Please include for both: Online Travel Approval System and Online Booking Tool.

Outline of major action items and phases

Your role in communicating with and educating user groups, travellers, (including VIP's), staff, and management]

Process to be used for creating travellers profiles

Incentive program to encourage travellers compliance (both manual and automated)

Implementation timeline surrounding Booking Tool and Online Approval system.

If not already please elaborate in which way people outside of HOPE data base will be in position to submit Request for Travel through Online Travel Approval System

Make sure to list approximate cost for implementation of these tools.

3.7.11 Fees

A list of all transactions and related fees, where applicable both publish and humanitarian/contracted fares.

The breakdown should include agent assisted and online bookings, if applicable. Primary and secondary pricing model option, if possible

Transaction-based and management fee structure for the various service configurations including After Hours support for a 24/7 operation, VP’s, Groups etc.

Will you be able to track budget codes given by Project Code in regards of tracking and future reconciliation?

Cost, if any, for ad hoc reports - Management fee, if any.

All potential planned design alternatives

If applicable share fees in other currencies

Make sure to include the approximate cost for implementation of Travel Ticketing approval system and Online booking tool.

Annual MGMT fee and other

In your pricing proposal, please include a clear and complete definition of "transaction."

→ Please include all fee structure for the various types of request.

Please refer to Appendix 2, where some of the fees are listed (optional list, include more if not listed)

Propose all potential means of payment and modality for each payment (in example: by company credit card, prepaid by HOPE, direct money transfer).

Elaborate in which way a non-HOPE employee will be able to pay for a ticket once ticket is approved.

Make sure to include VAT in all listed Fees

3.7.12 Innovative ideas

Briefly describe any services or ideas that have not been addressed in the Request for Proposal. Any services or ideas presented in the section must be accompanied by appropriate pricing (if any) for labor, equipment, and software to successfully provide these services.

Special focus should be put on online solutions that will enhance and upgrade HOPE productivity and reporting

Address how the TMC can improve revenue, secure discounts for travelers and/or add value.

3.7.13 Staffing Plan

Confirm that you will maintain appropriate staffing levels during specified hours of operation to cover US & International time zones.

Confirm you will only allow fully trained experienced agents to work our account due to the heavy international bookings.

If not happy with the performance of one of your agents, what is the process to correct or worse case replace? It is the expectation that an agent be removed and replaced upon request.

3.8. References

Please provide three references that have similar size and scope to our company & the length of time servicing account.

4. Appendix 1 – Supplier Profile

Instructions to Bidders: Please fill out the form below. Additional information or documents may be attached as required.

Appendix 1 Bidder Profile

Directions to Bidders:Please complete form below in detail. Please add any additional lines or pages as needed.

Company Information

Legal Company Name

D/B/A if Different

Address

Telephone

E-mail

Website

Name of Contact Person

Title of Contact Person

Phone number of Contact Person

Email of Contact Person

Billing Address

Country of Registration

Tax Registration or equivalent document.

DUNS Number (if applicable)

Parent Company (if applicable)

Parent Company Address

Subsidiaries, Associates, Associations, Overseas Representatives

Type of Business (corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, etc)

Year Company was Established

Number of permanent employees

List other related services the company provides

Within the last three years, has administrative, civil or criminal litigation been filed or pursued in any country against your Company? If yes, provide specific details.

4. Appendix 2 – Fee Structure - Example

Appendix 2 Fee StructureComment

Description of Feesamount per transaction* in USD including VAT

Online booking tool fee

Air fee

Car/Hotel fee

Annual Maintenance fee

Online Agent intervention

Online Transaction Fee

Online Transaction Fee for Car/Hotel only Bookings

Online Transaction fee for Rail

Agent Assist Required/Requested

Hold Fee

Split Ticketing - Online Booking Tool

Agent Assisted - Domestic

Agent Assisted - International

Seat assignments

Extra Leg room request

Extra Luggage request

Hotel pre-payment

Publish Tickets

Humanitarian ticket

RUSH tickets

After-hours

VISA Services

UNUSED tickets

Refund fee

Void fee

Reissue/Exchange fee

Split ticket

Please list you company definition of transaction

How to Apply

All questions MUST be submitted to the RFP contact email address, e-tender@projecthope.org no later 3pm EST on 07th Sep, 2022 Questions will be compiled, and responses sent to all Bidders by 5pm EST on 09th Sep, 2022.